Bernice Loewen

Bernice Loewen, 97, formerly of Alton, Iowa died Sunday, January 5, 2014, at Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City. A visitation with the family present will be held Monday prior to the service from 9:30-10:30AM at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center. A funeral service will be held on Monday at 10:30AM at the Memorial Funeral Home with Rev. Dr. Brian Janssen officiating. Interment will follow the service in the Carmel Cemetery of rural Rock Valley. Bernice (Feekes) Loewen was born July 17, 1916 at Carmel, Iowa, the daughter Bernice was born to Gerrit and Johanna (Borgman) Feekes. She lived on the farm near Carmel until she married Howard J. Loewen on August 24, 1943. The couple was blessed with two daughters to complete their family and lived on different farms in Sioux County for the next several years. In 1963, the family moved into the town of Alton where they lived for the next 45 years. While Howard ran his business, Loewen Sewer and Septic, Bernice was the bookkeeper and secretary. She took all the phone calls and kept the records straight. In later years Bernice took up knitting afghans, making over 300 for family and friends. She also loved to garden, both flowers and vegetables. She was a member of the Hospers Presbyterian Church since 1955. She is survived by her two daughters and sons-in-law: Glenda and Gunnar Sjolander of Lakeville, MN and Verla and Harv Klaver of Parker, CO; her four grandchildren: Amy Sjolander, Nancy (Don) Anselmin, Jeff (Stephanie) Klaver and Suzann (Barrett) McCann and eight great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Dorothy Van Voorst of Sioux Center along with several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband of 69 years; her parents; sister and brother-in-law, Tracy and Tony De Jong and brother-in-law, Richard Van Voorst.