Margaret Altena

MARGARET ALTENA, 89, of Sioux Center, IA died Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at Royale Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11am at the First Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center. Interment will be held prior to the memorial service in Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center.

A prayer service will be held on Saturday at 10am at the First Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center.

Visitation will be held on Friday at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center from 2pm to 8pm, with the family present from 6pm to 8pm.

The Altena Family prefers memorials to Western Christian High School Foundation or Unity Christian High School Foundation.

Margaret Altena was born on April 29, 1918 to Syne and Christina (Broek) Sybesma in Hawarden, IA. She attended the Perkins Christian School through the 8th grade. On August 1, 1940, she married Paul Altena. Paul passed away on July 6, 1945, at the age of 29, of colon cancer. At that time she had 2 sons, Syne and Alden, a few months after Pauls death a third son, Donald, was born.

Margaret was a life long member of the First Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center. Although she was not vocal about her faith, she had a solid, quiet faith. This was affirmed by the family in her last months as she spoke of her desire to be with Jesus and that her grandchildren and great grandchildren would walk with the Lord.

As a young widow and throughout her lifetime, Margaret was a hard worker and worked at many different jobs. As a young woman, she took in laundry for families and cleaned at the local post office for many years. When Dordt College began she boarded students and cooked and did laundry for them. She later worked at Caseys Bakery for many years. When her son, Donald, bought the Central Caf, she played an important role in the success of the business. Her last job before retiring was cooking at Hawks Caf in Maurice.

Not only did she cook at Central Caf but she loved cooking at home for her family. Along with her sisters, she prepared many Sunday dinners, often trying out new recipes. Even when she was alone the past 6 years and did little cooking, she loved looking at new recipes in magazines and would have loved to have tried them. Margaret also delighted in her grandchildren and great grandchildren and always was interested in their lives. She enjoyed bowling for many years and loved sports. She attended basketball games, with her sisters, at Western Christian and Dordt College. When she no longer was able to attend the games, she listened to them on the radio, often having two radios on at the same time. The extended family was very much a part of Margarets life. She always enjoyed their visits and had special love for her many nieces and nephews.

She is survived by three sons and their wives, Syne and Judy of Sioux Center, Alden and Bev of Hull, and Don and Carol of Sioux Center; eight grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; one sister, Christina Rens of Hull; four sisters-in-law, Agnes Sybesma of Orange City, Catherine Sybesma and Shirley Sybesma both of Sioux Center, and Margaret Sybesma of Sheldon; and many special nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Paul; her parents; six brothers, Clarence, David, William, John, Syne, and Stanley; and two sisters, Gertrude Sybesma and Betsy Sybesma; and a granddaughter-in-law, Heidi Altena.