Lance Corporal William J. "B. Jay" Leusink

Lance Corporal William J. B. Jay Leusink, age 21, of Honolulu, HI, formerly of Maurice, IA, died Monday, May 22, 2006 in Haqlaniyah, Iraq.

Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 1pm at the Sioux Center Community High School Gymnasium in Sioux Center, IA with the Reverend Wayne Sneller officiating. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center. Full military honors will be provided by Inspector Instructor Staff Omaha, NE and the Engineer Maintenance Company 4th Maintenance Battalion Omaha, NE.

Visitation will be held Monday, May 29, 2006 at the Maurice Reformed Church of Maurice, IA, 2-8pm with family present from 2-4pm and 6-8pm.

In Lieu of flowers the Leusink family requests memorials be directed to the family or the Young Marines.

Young Marines National Headquarters, P.O. Box 70735, Southwest Station, Washington, DC 20024-0735

Seating is being arranged formembers of:
VFW, American Legion andretired military personel
Sioux Center Class of 2003
Sioux Center Community Hospital Staff

William Jay Leusink, known as B. Jay by his family and friends, was born in Orange City, Iowa on February 23, 1985 to Bill and Elaine (Drost) Leusink. B. Jay was raised on the family farm northwest of Maurice. He attended school in Sioux Center, graduating from the Sioux Center Community High School with the Class of 2003.

B. Jay was very active in school, at church and within the community. While attending Sioux Center Community High School, B. Jay was a member of the football team, wrestling team, band, choir and also FFA, where he was an officer his senior year. B. Jay was a member of the Maurice First Reformed Church and where he participated in the youth group. He also loved helping out in the nursery at church. B. Jay was a member of the Sioux Stockman 4-H club and was Sioux County Ambassador his senior year of high school. B. Jay loved to hunt and fish and was especially fond of boogie boarding on the shores of Hawaii.

On October 16, 2004 he was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Miranda De Jager. Even the United States Marine Corp could not keep them from being together, it took moving the wedding three times (third times a charm.)

B. Jays heart went to the military after 9/11. He believed with all his heart that he could help change the world. He enlisted in the US Marine Corp in August of 2002, and reported for Boot Camp on July 29, 2003 after graduating from high school. Through the Marine Corp, B. Jay saw California, Virginia, Hawaii (where he and Miranda were stationed), Australia, Afghanistan and finally Iraq.

B. Jay died loving what he did and believing strongly in the cause that he was fighting for. He felt God had given him the strength to help protect people and this is what he was supposed to do.

B. Jay is survived by his wife, Miranda Leusink of Honolulu, HI; his parents, Bill and Elaine Leusink of Maurice; his sister, Abby Leusink and her finance, Clint Sheppard of Hiawatha, IA; his brother, Cody Leusink and sister, Katie Leusink at home; his mother-in-law, Stephanie Ranum of Chaska, MN; his father and mother-in-law, Rick and Carolyn De Jager of Yankton, SD. B. Jay is also survived by his grandmothers: Mrs. Nell Drost of Orange City and Mrs. Tena Leusink of Sioux Center along with several uncles, aunts and cousins on both the Drost and Leusink sides of the family.

B. Jay was preceded in death by his grandfathers: Theodore Drost and William Leusink; an uncle, Stan Leusink and special great aunt, Marie Bouwman.