Christian Wynja

Christian Wynja, 90, of Sioux Center died Friday, July 15, 2011 at the Royale Meadows Care Center of Sioux Center. A visitation will be held Wednesday from 9AM to 10:15AM at the Central Reformed Church with interment to follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center. A Memorial service will be held at 11:00AM on Wednesday at Central Reformed Church with Rev. Rick Van Ravenswaay officiating. Christian Wynja was born February 18, 1921 to Henry and Dora (Eenkhoorn) Wynja in Ash Creek, Minnesota. He lived his youth on farms in Steen, Alvord, and Sioux Center, Iowa. He attended the country school in Alvord through the seventh grade. He continued his life education by working on his father's farm until his marriage. On January 3, 1945, Christian was joined in marriage to Dorothy Geneva Den Herder. The couple lived for a short time on a farm near Orange City, Iowa where they farmed and started a corn shelling business. They moved to Middleburg, Iowa where Christian and Dorothy were custodians for the Free Grace Reformed Church for 14 years and continued their corn shelling business. They moved to the Den Herder family farm that they purchased in 1959 where they farmed, fed cattle and continued their corn shelling business. They sold the corn shelling business in 1990 and continued farming until Dorothy's death in September of 2006. Christian loved farming and feeding cattle, it was his life's hobby. He took great pride in restoring the farm buildings and planting many trees that remain a testament to him and his wife Dorothy. His corn shelling business was his life's work. He prided himself on keeping his equipment in top working order, always being on time, and keeping his customers happy. He developed many friends and acquaintances through his time in Middleburg as custodian and with his corn selling business. He was active as a Sunday school teacher, deacon and elder at the Free Grace Reformed Church and at Central Reformed Church of Sioux Center. Grateful for having shared his life are his children, David and his wife Sandra of Longmont, Colorado, Mary and her husband Randy Daughenbaugh of Rapid City, South Dakota, and Linda and her husband Mike DeKrey of Orange, Texas; 6 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy and Marvin Uittenbogaard of Sheldon, Iowa; three sisters-in-law: Dorothy Wynja and Mary Jean Wynja both of Sioux Center, Iowa, Elizabeth Wynja of Melvin, Iowa; other relatives and many friends. Preceding him in death are his parents; four brothers: James, Jim, Wessel and Joe Wynja; and two sisters and brothers-in-law: Christina and Willis Ruisch, Edna and Bud DeGroot.