Karleen N. Smits

     Karleen Smits, age 84 of Sioux Center, IA passed away Sunday, December 1, 2019 at Sioux Center Health in Sioux Center.

     Funeral service will be 10:30 AM Friday, December 6, 2019 at Maurice Reformed Church in Maurice, IA with Rev. Ross Hoekstra officiating. Burial will follow at Sherman Township Cemetery near Maurice.

     Visitation will be Thursday, December 5, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM with family present at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.

     In lieu of flowers family request memorials which will be directed to the Colorado Springs Downs Syndrome Association and the Sioux Center Hospice and Home Care.

     The funeral will be livestreamed Friday at https://livestream.com/MauriceReformed

     Karleen Smits was born January 8, 1935 in rural Sioux Center, IA the daughter of Mince and Nellie (Steenhoven) Toering. Her family moved to Hospers, IA when she was a young child. She attended Hospers Christian School and was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church of Hospers, IA. On February 10, 1956 Karleen married John Smits at the First Christian Reformed Church in Hospers. They made their home on a farm near Maurice. Along with farming and caring for her family she cleaned homes for people in the Sioux Center area for many years. John died on January 16, 1997. Later that year, Karleen moved to Sioux Center.

     She was a member of the Maurice First Reformed Church. She loved her family, her daily devotions and prayer time. She was a prayer warrior for many. She enjoyed cooking and gardening, sewing and mending, making crocheted rugs, embroidering (dishtowels, pillowcases, baby blankets, etc…) traveling on bus tour trips, playing cards and board games. She was a very generous person. Karleen moved into Franken Manor in 2019.

     Grateful to have shared her life are her children, Connie (Gerrit) VanDer Plaats of Kentwood, MI and Colette (Terry) Hofmeyer of Orange City, IA; Todd Smits of Orange City, IA, Travis (Connie) Smits of Sloan, IA and Jason (Gina) Smits of Colorado Springs, CO; 23 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; brother, Henry (Joyce) Toering of Jenison, MI; sister-in-law, Doris Toering of Grand Rapids, MI; sister-in-law, Wilma (Marv) Ilbrink of Byron Center, MI; sisters, Alma (Charles) Warren of Sioux Center, IA, Norma (John) Van Wyk of Sioux Center, IA and Marilyn (Duane) Trumpie of Kentwood, MI; sister-in-law, Nancy Toering of Grand Rapids, MI; brothers, Steve (Cory) Toering of Kitchener, Canada and Myron (Marla) Toering of Sioux Center, IA; sister, Sharon Dykhuizen of Sioux Center, IA; brothers, Marvin (Linda) Toering, of Orange City, IA and Craig Toering of Grand Rapids, MI; and many nieces, nephews and other extended family members.

   She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John; brothers, Arnold, Rod and Dave; brother-in-law, Harold Van Ravenswaay.