Clazina Burggraaf

Inwood, IA: Clazina Burggraaf, 83, formerly of Inwood, Iowa, died Monday, October 2, 2023, at the Avera Heart Hospital of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A funeral service will be held Saturday, October 7, at 9:30 AM at the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Sioux Center, Iowa. Burial will follow at the Valley View Cemetery of Rock Valley, Iowa. Visitation, with the family present, will be held Friday, October 6, from 6:00-8:00 PM at Porter Funeral Home of Rock Valley.

   Mrs. Clazina Burggraaf (Fluit) was born May 23, 1940, on her parents’ farm outside of Alvord, Iowa. She was the daughter of Teunis Fluit Jr. and Elizabeth (Kleyn). On April 12, 1965, she married Peter Harvey Burggraaf at the Fluit homestead. Together they lived northeast of Inwood, Iowa.

   Clazina was a schoolteacher for 54 years, beginning in a one room country school and ending in the resource room at the Netherlands Reformed Christian School in Rock Valley, Iowa. She was well known for her selfless acts of kindness with a heart for the struggling, and letter writing, and gave many music lessons for piano, organ, guitar, harmonica, and accordion. She enjoyed gardening, riding horse, playing music and games, cooking for her family and friends, playing kickball, swinging with the kids, and most of all spending time with her family, friends, and grandchildren. She was a lifelong member at the Netherlands Reformed Church of Sioux Center, Iowa. Clazina passed away Monday, October 2, 2023, at the North Central Heart Institute in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 83.

   Surviving relatives include her daughters, Linda Burggraaf of Ireton, Iowa and Teresa (Allen) den Hoed of Boyden, Iowa; son, Perry Burggraaf of Riverview, Florida; 7 grandchildren: Jessica Fischer, Alex Engeltjes, Austin, Keon, Ethan and Triston den Hoed, and Rheatta Burggraaf; siblings, Teunis H. (Jean) Fluit, Ella Minor, Jennie Johnson, Esther (Dan) Lange, and William (Bill) T. (LaRae) Fluit. She was preceded in death by her parents, Teunis Fluit Jr. and Elizabeth; husband, Harvey Burggraaf; son, Dennis Burggraaf; brother, John Fluit; and brother-in-law, Bernard (Bud) Johnson.