Obituary of Evelyn Harriet Wesselink Jacobsma

    Evelyn Harriet Wesselink Jacobsma, one of ten children born to Theodore and Margaret (Holst) Vanden Bosch, came into the world on May 9, 1937, in Boyden, IA. She grew up in the Boyden area, receiving her early education through the local country school system, and attained her high school diploma. She would later complete the Certified Nursing Assistant program, earning her CNA certification.

    On Thursday, December 17, 1953, Evelyn became the bride of John Wesselink in Boyden. Following their marriage, they lived in Boyden and Sheldon, IA before moving to Sanborn in 1955. They would spend the remainder of their married life in this community and raise their four children here. Treasured memories were made over the years with the LaCour family. Along with taking care of her family, Evelyn was also employed as a CNA at Prairie View Nursing Home in Sanborn, sharing her compassionate care and friendly demeanor with the residents there for many years.

    Following John’s death in 2002, Evelyn continued living in Sanborn, spending her time with her family and friends. On July 18, 2003, she was united in marriage to Rodney L. Jacobsma. They made their home in Sanborn, close to their children and their families. Rod and Evelyn simply enjoyed one another’s company, whether it was traveling to faraway places like Hawaii and Alaska or just driving around the lakes on a Sunday afternoon. They never grew tired of playing cards with friends in a neighborhood card club.

    One of Evelyn’s passions was spending time in the kitchen. She loved to cook and bake, and usually had something good to eat if the grandkids and great-grandkids stopped in for a visit…something she always looked forward to. She enjoyed doing holiday shopping, cleaning and decorating the house, and generally, spoiling everyone at Christmastime! She had been a member of First Presbyterian Church and First Reformed Church, both located in Sanborn.

    On Saturday, December 14, 2024, Evelyn passed away at Prairie View Nursing Home where she has resided since May of 2021; she was 87 years old. She is once again reunited with her parents; her two husbands; infant daughter, Julie; son, James; granddaughter, Paige; brothers: Gary and Leroy; and sisters: Shirley, Glenda, and Patty.

    Keeping her memory close at heart are her children: Kathy (Larry) Genschorck of Sheldon, IA and their children and families: Mandy (Michael), Anthony (Ashley), and Justin (Stephanie), Lisa (Rob) Van Dyke of Sanborn, IA and their children and families: Emily, and Kaitlin, Laura (John) Elgersma of Sanborn and their children and families: Megan, James (Kaitlyn), and Alex (Brittney) Van Oort; daughter-in-law, Nancy Wesselink of Sanborn and her children and families: Johnathan (Alyssa), Jaimie, and Nicole; and “Bonus-Son”, Ron Schott, also of Sanborn; 27 great-grandchildren; brothers: Ken Vanden Bosch and Terry Vanden Bosch; sisters: Lorraine Egdorf and Thelma Van Nyhuis; other relatives and friends.