Arnold Koekkoek

Arnold Koekkoek, age 89, of Sioux Center, IA, passed away on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at Hillcrest Health Care Center in Hawarden, Iowa.

Visitation will be Tuesday, July 5, with family present from 5-7 p.m. at the Memorial Funeral Home.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30am on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at the First Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center with Rev. Kurt Monroe officiating.  Interment will follow the service in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Sioux Center.

Reading mystery novels, baking bread, and giving wheelbarrow rides to grandchildren were some of Arnold Koekkoek’s favorite activities in his 89 years of life.  He moved to heaven on June 30, 2022, but not before blessing many with his zest for living, love of flowers, and life of service.

Born and raised in rural Zillah, WA, to Frederick and Lena Koekkoek, he grew up learning to love God and eat fresh fruit off the trees.  He graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, served two years in Germany in the United States Army, received a Master’s Degree from the University of Iowa, and taught high school in Ontario, CA, where he met a new teacher named Carolyn Bouma.  They dated and got married on July 18, 1958.

In 1964, they moved to Sioux Center, IA, where Arnie taught history at Dordt College.  During his 34-year career there, he acted in several plays, refereed at basketball games, threw erasers at sleeping students, and reportedly remembered the names of every student he ever taught (although he insisted he forgot some now and then).

Arnie enjoyed teaching, but eagerly awaited summer vacation when he could tend to his enormous garden.  He enlisted his four children to pick beans and husk corn, and in spare corners he would plant flowers. Arnie got interested in iris and joined local iris societies.  The lawn shrunk as the iris beds grew to accommodate his 800+ varieties.   People enjoyed seeing his flowers in bloom, and thanks to his eagerness to share them, iris continue to bloom throughout Northwest Iowa.

His faith in God and love for people inspired Arnie to volunteer his time in many ways.  An active member of First CRC in Sioux Center, he was an elder, a deacon, and a strong bass in the choir.  He taught Bible studies, volunteered at the Sioux Center Hospital, participated in Sioux Center Kiwanis, and wrote letters to prisoners through the Crossroads Prison Ministries.

Full of life, Arnie was quick to quip puns, compete fiercely at Trivial Pursuit, and burst out with songs from musicals.

He was preceded in death by his siblings, Frederick, Leitha, and Harold, and daughter Suzanne Meendering.  He is survived by his wife of nearly 64 years, Carolyn; 3 children: Jeanne Stierman (Dan Curtis) of Macomb, IL, Alan Koekkoek of Archer, IA, and Adele (Michael) Leach of Broken Arrow, OK; son-in-law, Lanny Meendering of Inwood, IA; 12 grandchildren,15 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews

He was loved by many, and he’ll be greatly missed but fondly remembered.  Memorials may be directed to Dordt University or Crossroads Prison Ministries.

 To watch the service on Wednesday please click the following link. https://www.firstcrc.com/sermons/watchlive.cfm