Junior Dooyema

Junior Dooyema, 87, of Sioux Center, IA died Sunday, March 23, 2014, at Royale Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center. A visitation will be held on Thursday from 4-8PM, with the family present from 5-7PM at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center. A prayer service for family and friends will be held on Friday at 10:00AM at the Bethel Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center with Rev. Rick Van Ravenswaay officiating. Interment will follow the prayer service in Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center. A memorial service will be held on Friday at 11:00AM at the Bethel Christian Reformed Church with Rev. John Lee officiating. The Dooyema family prefers memorials be directed to Partners Worldwide-Ebenezer Mozambique project. Junior Fred Dooyema was born July 7, 1926 to Daniel and Rikkie (Baron) Dooyema. He was born on the family farm near Edgerton, Minnesota. Junior was the oldest of the Dooyema's four children. He graduated from Edgerton High in 1944. When he was old enough, Junior worked for area farmers running a threshing machine, corn picker and a bulldozer for the road crew. Later in life, he worked for several years for the city of Sioux Center and volunteered at Hope Haven in Rock Valley, Iowa working on wheel chairs. On August 26, 1950, Junior was joined in marriage to Alice Van Ravenswaay in Edgerton. Junior entered the United States Army in October, 1950 and the couple moved for a short time to Camp Polk, Louisiana. After the completion of Junior's military service in Germany the couple returned to Sioux Center in 1952. There he attended a vocational school and received training as an electrician, which he used extensively on the farm as well as additional jobs. For eight years, Junior and Alice farmed southeast of Sioux Center before purchasing the Van Ravenswaay family farm in 1960. The couple lived on this farm for 24 years and began a successful retirement project in the egg business. Junior was a member of Bethel Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center. He served numerous terms as an Elder and Deacon and on various committees including the new church building committee and new organ committee. He was a board member of Midwest Evangelism League, Unity Christian High School and a member of the VFW. Junior was a devoted husband and father and enjoyed having his children and grandchildren work together in the family business. In his free time, his hobbies were work and reading. He was very mechanically inclined and took pride in thinking about how to correct a past issue or move forward on the next project. He used his gift of conversation to visit with neighbors and friends. He enjoyed farming and any kind of electrical work (anywhere). Junior was also known for his precise recall of dates and details, quick wit, and helping anyone in need. He is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law: Kim and Kathy Dooyema of Menomonee Falls, WI, Eric and Val Dooyema and Bruce and Deb Dooyema all of Sioux Center; eight grandchildren: Ryan Dooyema and his wife, Shelly of Brookfield, WI and their daughters: Addison, Emily and Hailey, Shane Dooyema and his wife, Jody, of Brookfield, WI and their daughters: Erin and Kate, Dustin Dooyema and his wife, Alyssa of Salisbury, MD, Tyler Dooyema and his wife, Elise of Sioux Center, Shelby Dooyema of Sioux Center, Lindsey Bobier and her husband, Aaron of Sioux City, IA, Tessa Dooyema and her fiancé Kyle Vanden Bosch and Whitney Dooyema all of Sioux Center. He is also survived by two sisters: Margaret Guthrie and her husband, Al of Everson, WA, Caroline Kortus of Lynden, WA; sister-in-law, Rolena Dooyema of Lynden, WA as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Junior is preceded in death by his wife, Alice; his parents; brother, Harvey; brothers-in-law: Art De Jong and Al Kortus.