John Broek

JOHN BROEK, 81, of Sioux Falls, SD, formerly of Sioux Center and Orange City, died Sunday, August 24, 2008 at the Good Samaritan Village in Sioux Falls.

A funeral service will be held Thursday at 10:30am at the Bethel Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center with Rev. Duane Tinklenberg officiating. Interment will be held following the service Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center.

Visitation will be held Wednesday from 4pm-8pm, with the family present from 6-8pm at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.



John Broek was born on June 2, 1927 to John and Elsie (Wassink) Broek in Sioux Center. John was raised in the Sioux Center area and attended the Sioux Center Christian School.

John served in the US Army in 1946.

On February 6, 1948 he was united in marriage to Gertrude DeVos. The couple was blessed with five sons. They farmed in the Sioux Center area for many years before moving to Orange City where he worked in housing development and real estate. They also lived in Mesa, AZ before moving back to the Iowa/South Dakota area 15 years ago.

John was an active member of the Christian Reformed Church his entire life. Amongst the many jobs he held in the church were: Elder, Sunday School Teacher and Adult Leader. He attended and received lay ministry instruction at the seminary in Orange City. He used his lay ministry experience by preaching in several area churches.

John loved being a part of any spare time activity that involved his family, whether it is athletics, fishing, or anything that showed a passion for life. John shared a very special bond with each of his five sons. He had a unique way of initiating discussions with his sons and then sitting back, watching, laughing and appreciating as they came to their own conclusions. Dad was not afraid of failure or success and he truly trusted our Lord and Savior in the decisions he made. This is the legacy he left behind for his family and those who came to know him well.

Although John encountered several serious health issues and lived much of his life with pain and discomfort, he somehow always maintained a good sense of humor and positive attitude. His gentle spirit influenced his family and so many others that he encountered in his life. He was a kind and loving man who will be missed by many.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 60 years, Gert of Sioux Falls; five sons and their wives: Leslie John (Helen) of Sioux Falls, Harlan Gene (Cindy) of Spirit Lake, Daniel Joe (Marlene) of Phoenix, AZ, Mark Evan of Orange City and Jon Eric (Lana) of Sioux Falls; along with his 7 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. John was also a special Dad and Grandpa to Bernardo and Carmelita Sanchez and their sons. He is survived by one sister and brother-in-law, Chris and Pete Schouten of Sioux Center; 3 sisters-in-law: Cornelia Broek of Rock Valley, Cora Broek and Birdie Broek of Sioux Center; 3 brothers-in-law: John Van Beek of Orange City, Jim Franken and Gaynor Te Grotenhuis of Sioux Center; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Martin and Cathi DeVos of Orange City and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

John was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers: Dave, Arend, Bill and Cornie Broek; five sisters: Margaret DeKoter, Nell Franken, Elsie Te Grotenhuis, Bertha Klein and Mathilda Van Beek; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Nelvina and John Hoekstra and infant nephew, Kenny Hoekstra.