Berdena Kempers

     Berdena Kempers age 85, of Sioux Center, I A died Friday June 28, 2019, at Prairie View Manor in Sanborn, IA.

     A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, July 1, 2019 at the First Reformed Church in Sioux Center with Rev. Roger Voskuil officiating. Family will gather at the church for a prayer service at 1:00 p.m. followed by burial at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Sioux Center.

     Visitation will be held Monday from 12:30 until the time of service.

     Berdena Kempers was born December 1, 1933 a mile east of Sioux Center, Iowa to James and Dora (Ter Haar) Kempers. Berdena and her two sisters attended school in Sioux Center public schools. She graduated with the class of 1952 and then attended Northwestern College for one year. While growing up Berdena studied music. She enjoyed playing the piano and clarinet in junior and senior high school.

     As a young woman Berdena went to Denver, Colorado where she worked for about a year and a half at Mountain States Tel & Tel Communications. After a three-month course at a business college she decided to go to California.

     She began working for a division of North American Aviation located in Downey, CA. She lived in Bellflower for several years. Later North American became Rockwell and years later became a part of Boeing Company. She worked in the engineering departments of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs where she assisted the engineers with analyses of flight test data. During this time, she purchased a condo in Fullerton, California where she lived for about fifteen years before retiring and moving back to Sioux Center. She and her sister Wilma moved into a duplex that was built for them.

     At various times throughout her life Berdena traveled with friends. She was fond of trips to the National Parks and several trips to Europe (especially Switzerland).

     Berdena is survived by a special group of cousins including: Bill (Lavonne) Riphagen of Sioux Center, Gary (Bertha) Riphagen of Doon, Bertha(Ter Haar) & Marvin Sjaarda of Paullina, Irene (Mrs. Donald) Ter Haar of Sioux Center, Helen (Ter Haar) and Roger Bolks of Sioux Center, Basil and Lavina Vander Helm of Sioux Center, Chuck and Kay Mulder of Ireton and a good friend, Vernon Beernink of Sioux Center.

     She was preceded in death by her parents James and Dora Kempers; sisters, Johanna Kempers and Wilma Kempers; and four cousins, Johanna (Riphagen) Voortman, Donald Ter Haar, Joyce Mulder and Lena Boscaljon.