Rich De Boom

 Richard De Boom, 83, of Sioux Center, IA, died Wednesday, December 16, 2015, at Royale Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center.  

A visitation will be held on Friday from 4-8 PM, with the family present from 5-7 PM at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.  

A prayer service for family and friends will be held on Saturday at 9:00 AM at Memorial Funeral Home. Interment will follow the prayer service in Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center. 

A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 10:30 AM at the Lebanon Christian Reformed Church of Rural Sioux Center with Rev. Duane Tinklenberg officiating.

The De Boom family prefers memorials to Sioux Center Home Health & Hospice, c/o Sioux Center Health Foundation.

Richard Lee De Boom was born June 20, 1932 to John and Gertrude (Vreeman) De Boom in Round Lake, Minnesota. He grew up in the Round Lake and Worthington, Minnesota areas. At the age of 12 his family moved to a farm in rural Sioux Center, Iowa. He attended country school and Sioux Center Community High School. He enjoyed growing up on the family farm and running the baler during his youth. 

On August 12, 1953, he married Betty June Bonnema in the Lebanon Christian Reformed Church west of Sioux Center. The couple spent the first two years of marriage at various army posts while Rich was enlisted in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict. They resided on a farm 3 1/2 miles south of Lebanon for 11 years, then moved to Orange City for 6 years where Rich worked as an insurance salesman. In 1972, they returned to the farm south of Lebanon to work and raise their four children. In 1983, they moved to an acreage north of Hawarden and then retired to Sioux Center in 1996. In his semi-retirement years, Rich delivered stock trailers and campers for O-C Trailer Sales, Orange City.

In his youth Rich was a member of the Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center, then the Lebanon Christian Reformed Church. While living in Orange City he was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church where he served as a deacon. Then once again he and Betty returned to the Lebanon Christian Reformed Church. He loved driving and was known to go “out for a drive to see the countryside”. He was easy to visit with and quick to share his latest joke or an interesting story. He and Betty put on many miles together as they traveled to visit children and grandchildren living in Florida.

In his retirement years he enjoyed visiting with the men who gathered to play snooker and pinochle at the All Season’s Senior Center in Sioux Center. He also continued his love of driving and seeing the countryside as long as he was able.

Survivors include his four children: Rick (Kay) De Boom of Sioux Center, Jan De Boom of Wauchula, FL, Patricia (Gary) Kraayenbrink of Venice, FL and Pamela (Mike) Hulstein of Sioux Center; 12 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; brothers: Cliff (Tracey) De Boom of Lynden, WA, Robert (Geri) De Boom of Allen, TX, Gary De Boom of Largo, FL; sisters: Chris Van Houten of Hawarden, Esther (Leroy) Altena of Sioux Center, Betty (Herlan) Schut of Sioux Center; brother-in-law, Norm Horstman of Sioux Center and friend, Elaine Kuiken of Sioux Center. 

Rich was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Betty; mother, father and step mother (Gertrude Scholten); daughter-in-law, Bev De Boom; brother-in-law, Ivan Van Houten; sister-in-law, Verna Bonnema; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Richard and Alma Bonnema; and sister-in-law, Alberta Horstman.