Viola Koopmans

VIOLA KOOPMANS, 92, of Sioux Center, Iowa died Sunday, 7/16, at the Sioux Center Community Hospital.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, 7/19, at 11am at the First Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center with Rev. Mark Verbruggen officiating. Interment will be held prior to the memorial service in Sherman Township Cemetery of Maurice.

A prayer service will be held Wednesday morning at 9:45am at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, 7/18, at the First Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center from 2pm to 8pm, with the family present from 6:30pm to 8pm.

Viola was the daughter of Albert and Clara (Marra) Popma of Maurice, Iowa. She married Charles (Sietze) Koopmans in 1939, and lived on a farm near Ireton, then near Maurice from 1944-1973. After Charles death in 1972 she moved to Sioux Center.

She was a member of the Maurice Reformed Church, Ireton Christian Reformed Church, and Sioux Center First Christian Reformed Church, where she was a member of the Ruth Circle and Golden Hour. She was active in Farm Bureau Women, and was a 4-H leader.

Viola enjoyed gardening and was an advocate of health food and vitamins. She will be fondly remembered for her flowers. She had a wonderful spirit of serving others. She often baby-sat her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Every week for more than 30 years she visited people in the nursing home, often bringing flowers from her garden. She welcomed visitors to her church, even though she had a quiet nature. She brought family and neighbors vegetables and fruits from her garden, which she tended until she was 91.

Her mother died when she was 2, and she and her younger sister Edna lived with her grandparents until she was 5. Her stepmother passed away when she was 12 and by age 15 she took on the housekeeping for her family, and her young half-sister Alma (Vander Broek).

She is survived by her children, Larry & Rosie (Evasovic) Koopmans of Sioux Center, Sharon & Jack Bloemendaal of Rochester, NY, Marlys & John P. De Groot of Sioux Center, Carla & Dennis Nibbelink of Sioux Center, and David & Eunice (Altena) Koopmans of Maurice, IA; her 16 grandchildren: Kelly and Wayne Bomgaars of Orange City, Vicki Mazurek of Upland CA, Scott Koopmans of Des Moines, Mary & Garth Morrison of East Greenwich, RI, Susan & Michael Keller of Greece, NY, Paul & Sharon De Groot of Manchester, MO, Jodi & Tom Holman of Medfield, MA, Judy & Duane Hulstein of Orange City, John M. & Fonda De Groot of Sioux Center, Angie & John Shaler of Milliken, CO, Lori & Kyle Fey of Lincoln, NE, Chad Nibbelink of Sioux Center, Rachelle & Michael Krause of Sioux Falls, SD, Tracy & Dean Kollis, Tammy & Nathan Nieuwsma and Ondrea & Chris Dalle all of Sioux Center. She is also survived by her sister Edna (Riepma) Cooper of Baldwin Park, CA, 27 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charles, her son Clare, sister Alma Vander Broek, infant sister Mildred Ruth, step-sister Elsie De Jager, step-brother Russell Popma; infant grandchildren Baby Koopmans, Carl De Groot and a great-grandchild, Tanner Kollis.

Violas favorite Bible verse epitomizes her faith in her Lord. Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart...and lead me in the way everlasting. Viola had a fervent prayer life, always praying for her family and friends.