Julia Mulder

Julia Mulder, 107, of Sioux Center, IA died Friday, June 20, 2014, at Royale Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center. A visitation with the family present will be held on Thursday from 10-11AM at New Life Reformed Church of Sioux Center. A funeral service will be held on Thursday at 11AM at New Life Reformed Church of Sioux Center with Reverend Doctor Ray Tilstra officiating. Interment will follow the funeral service in Hillside Cemetery of Edgerton,MN. Julia (Bakker) Mulder was born April 1, 1907 in Leota, Minnesota, the second daughter in a family of six girls to Ed and Adrianna Antonette "Jenny" (Maris) Bakker. Growing up, Julia helped her mother with her younger sisters and worked at Hardy Dry Goods store for five years for $1.00 a week. She married Ted Mulder on June 18, 1931 in Edgerton, Minnesota. Julia and Ted farmed near Edgerton for 16 years before moving to Rock Valley, Iowa in 1948. Ted had a feed mill business there for many years, and Julia stayed home with their four children: Roger, Adrian, Ruth and Beva. She also took phone calls for feed grinding appointments and did the books. She was the best cook and baker; children loved her cookies. She always had the coffee on for guests. In 1960 they packed up the family and moved to California. There Julia did cleaning at the Christian Home in Artesia and for a mortuary. Later she and Ted were the janitors at Zion Reformed Church in Artesia. The couple returned to northwest Iowa settling at the New Homestead in Sioux Center in 1973. Julia loved to crochet and loved her photos albums. She made utterly hundreds of doilies for others. Due to her failing sight her last piece was finished at age 92; it was a lovely round tablecloth that her daughter Beva displays in her home. She also crocheted several afghans. All her grandchildren were blessed with an afghan and doily when they were married. She has attended the Reformed Church her whole life and has a deep faith and love for the Lord. One of her favorite songs is "I'd Rather Have Jesus". Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law: Roger and Mary Mulder of Ontario, CA, Adrian and Jacki Mulder of Ontario, CA; her daughter and sons-in-law, Beva and Marv De Jong of Montevideo, MN; 11 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren along a sister, Samona Gillman of Edgerton, MN and numerous nieces and nephews. Julia was preceded in death by her husband, Ted Mulder on October 7, 1999; her daughter, Ruth Dahl; her parents and sisters: Lena Bakker, Elizabeth Vander Beek, Esther Schelhaas, Lorraine Vander Berg.