Henrietta Ribbens

     Henrietta Ribbens, age 93, of Sioux Center, Iowa passed away on Monday, September 27, 2021, at her home.

     A funeral service will be 10:30 AM, Saturday October 2, 2021 at Memorial Funeral Home in Sioux Center with Reverend Kurt Monroe, officiating.  Burial will follow in the Memory Gardens Cemetery at Sioux Center.   Livestream Link: Henrietta Ribbens Service

     Visitation will be from 9:00 AM until the time of service at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.

     Memorials are preferred to the Doug and Henrietta Ribbens Scholarship fund at Dordt University.

Henrietta Ribbens was born to John and Jennie (Bleyenberg) Miedema on April 27, 1928. She attended Sioux Center Country School and graduated from Sioux Center Public School.

Following high school, she was employed by a local lawyer and by the Sioux Center Creamery.

Henrietta joined the staff of Dordt College as the first administrative assistant in 1958.  She worked with Dr. Douglas Ribbens for her entire 34-year career at Dordt.

On April 30, 1988 she married Doug, following the death of his first wife, Ruth.  Henrietta & Doug retired from Dordt in 1992.  In recognition of Doug & Henrietta’s dedication to Dordt’s mission of preparing students as servants in God’s Kingdom, the classroom building was named the Douglas and Henrietta (Miedema) Ribbens Academic Complex.

Surviving Henrietta are her sister Frieda Bierma (Grand Rapids, MI); many loving nieces and nephews who will miss Aunt Henny; Doug’s children who welcomed Henrietta into the family with open arms – Wayne & Barbi Ribbens (Tucson, AZ), Bruce & Carol Ribbens (Pella, IA), Karl & Pat Ribbens (Pella, IA), Tim & Linda Ribbens (Bloomington, MN), Cindy & Arlan Nederhoff (Sioux Center, IA), Rob & Holly Ribbens (Muskegan, MI); numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Pre-deceasing Henrietta were her husband, Doug; her parents; her siblings – Henry (Jeanette) Miedema, Ida (Rich) Van Donge, Theresa (Nelson) Cleveringa, Dorothy (LeRoy) Kleene; and brother-in-law Bill Bierma.

To honor Henrietta’s role in touching so many lives during her years at Dordt – every student had numerous interactions with Henrietta during their time at Dordt – memorials may be given to the Douglas & Henrietta Ribbens Education Scholarship at Dordt University.