Leonard De Stigter

Leonard De Stigter, 91, of Sioux Center, IA died Tuesday, September 17, 2013, at Royale Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center. A visitation will be held on Sunday from 4-8PM, with the family present from 6-8PM at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center. A funeral service will be held Monday at 10AM at First Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center with Rev. Mark Verbruggen officiating. Interment will follow the funeral service in Memory Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers or gift items, the De Stigter family prefers memorials be directed to Hope Haven Foundation of Rock Valley, IA or Sioux Center Home Health & Hospice. Leonard De Stigter was born at home on April 19, 1922, in Sioux Center, Iowa, to Lane and Barbara De Stigter. He was the ninth of twelve children. Leonard died September 17, 2013, at Royale Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center. Leonard grew up and lived in Sioux Center. He attended the Sioux Center Christian School, Western Christian High in Hull, Iowa, Sioux Center Public High, and went one year to Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. On June 29, 1943, Leonard married Ella Mulder at the farm home of her parents, Albert and Cynthia (Huitink) Mulder, near Hull, Iowa. They were blessed with six children: Thane, Sonja, Elaine, Emlyn, Philip, and Paul. Shortly after their marriage, Leonard took his new bride to find work in Knoxville, Tennessee. Upon returning to Sioux Center, he became the City Clerk for two years. His love for the carpentry trade, which he learned in his youth working alongside his father, became the impetus for forming a partnership with three of his brothers: Tim, Gilbert, and Peter. At first it was De Stigter Brothers Construction, but over the years they added to their company Soo Lumber Company and Soo Ready Mix where Leonard served as the office manager. Forty years later, in 1987, these companies dissolved when Leonard retired. Leonard was a faithful, lifelong member of the Sioux Center First Christian Reformed Church where he served as a deacon. He also served on the Board of the Sioux Center Christian School. He used his talents to design the present church building and the previous addition to the Christian school. Leonard was a volunteer fireman for the Sioux Center Fire Department for forty-two years. He also served on the Boards of the Sioux Center Land Development Corporation and the Association for Retarded Citizens. Some of the things Leonard enjoyed most include: reading, gardening, singing, and traveling throughout the United States and overseas. He found pleasure in drawing blueprints, and attending school and sporting activities of his family. He had a special interest in, and love, for children, although they had to get used to his bass voice when he struck up conversations with them. Leonard is survived by his wife of seventy years, Ella, from Sioux Center; his children: Thane and Ginny De Stigter of Loveland, CO, Sonja and Dick Sander of Aurora, CO, Elaine and Larry Meyer of Oakdale, PA, Philip and Bonnie De Stigter of Sioux Center, and Paul and Susann De Stigter of Neunkirchen, Germany; 19 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; his siblings: Florence Kalsbeek of Orange City, Lucille and Norman Poel of Grand Rapids, MI, Cornelius and Penny De Stigter of Livonia, MI; and sister-in-law, Elaine De Stigter of Grand Rapids, MI. Also left to cherish his memory are in-laws from the Mulder family: Henrietta and Ben Koele of Orange City, Sylvia and Pete Humme of Orange City, Marie Van Ommeren of Des Moines, IA, Tom and Bernice Mulder of Sheldon, and Alvin and Dorothy Mulder of Palm Springs, CA along with numerous nieces and nephews. Preceding Leonard in death are his parents, Lane and Barbara De Stigter, a daughter, Emlyn De Stigter; daughter-in-law, JoAnne De Stigter; his siblings and spouses: Helen and Ben Wassenaar, William and Dena (and Grace) De Stigter, Tim and Margaret De Stigter, Alyda and John Kosters, Ada and John Schoo, Gilbert and Cecelia De Stigter, Peter and Myna De Stigter, Melvin and Carol De Stigter; brother-in-law, Gerard Kalsbeek; from the Mulder family: Vernon Van Ommeren, Ralph and Carrie Mulder, Ben and Dorothy De Leeuw and infant sister-in-law, Ella A. Mulder.