John Den Boer

ROCK VALLEY, IOWA ~ John Den Boer, 94, of Rock Valley, passed away on Friday, November 24, 2023, at Hegg Health Center in Rock Valley.

   Funeral Service will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, November 30, 2023, at Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Rock Valley with Rev. LeRoy G. Christoffels officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. prior to the funeral, and also at the luncheon following the burial.

   John L. Den Boer, a beloved father, grandfather, and great grandfather, was born near Rock Valley, Iowa to Luke and Hilda (De Haan) Den Boer on September 4, 1929. He married Margaret Mulder on September 20, 1950, and together they raised four children. John and Margaret farmed near Rock Valley until 1959 when they moved to a farm near Rushmore, Minnesota, and then to one near Reading, Minnesota. After fifty years of marriage, Margaret passed away on December 27, 2000. John continued to farm alone until he married Minnie Kooiman on September 4, 2004, and soon retired. John and Minnie lived in Worthington, Minnesota, and then in Rock Valley, Iowa. Minnie passed away on March 2, 2018.

   John was a hard worker in every possible sense. As a farmer, he prided himself on beating the sunup every morning and working until it set. After retiring, he volunteered at the Bibles for Mission Thrift Center, in Worthington, Minnesota, lifting, fixing, or doing whatever else might help the store run well. Once Minnie’s health began to fail, John made it his calling to serve her needs with faithful, loving attention and care. John was an elder in the Worthington Christian Reformed Church and a board member for Southwest Minnesota Christian High School. He also served on a board for Dordt University. 

   John loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren. In earlier years he gave the grandkids tractor rides and took them rock picking. He tamed farm kittens so they could play with them. Once snow fell, he would delight them by pulling them about on a sled behind his skid loader. In later years, when the grandkids were grown and his own mobility was less, the great grandkids delighted him. Whenever he saw “the littles,” John’s face would brighten.

   John is survived by four children and their spouses, Lloyd and Audrey Den Boer of Edmonton, Alberta; Cheryl and Peter Mahaffy of Edmonton, Alberta; Kelvin and Nancy Den Boer of Underwood, Minnesota; and Kevin and Cheryl Den Boer of Rock Valley, Iowa. Also surviving are 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and a sister-in-law, Jo Mulder of Luverne, Minnesota. John survived all four of his siblings and their spouses.

   Above all, John will be remembered as a kind and loving man who displayed his faith through his deep care for others. At the end, he left this present life as graciously as he lived it.