Grace A. Boelkins, 86, of Windsor Manor Assisted Living, Morrison, IL, died Friday, November 10, 2017, at Morrison Community Hospital, Morrison.
Grace was born February 25, 1931, in Newton Township, Whiteside County, IL, to William J. and Fannie (VenHuizen) VanZuiden. She was educated in the Fulton grade schools and was a 1948 graduate of Fulton High School in Fulton, IL. On January 13, 1949, she married Robert A. “Bob” Boelkins in Albany, IL. He died April 1, 2011. Grace was a homemaker and worked alongside her husband on the farm. She was a member of Ebenezer Reformed Church in Morrison, where she taught Sunday School and led a Bible study. Grace, along with her husband, enjoyed traveling and wintering in Texas and Arizona. She loved gardening and flowers.
Survivors include one daughter, Judy (Doug) Leech of Morrison; two sons, Richard (Diane) Boelkins of Morrison and Randy (Linda) Boelkins of Surprise, AZ; eight grandchildren, Michelle (John) Moshure, Troy Leech, Sean Leech, Suzi (Mike) Mills, Nathan (Julie) Boelkins, Jessica (Jim) White, Julie Vegter, Natasha Boelkins; 15 great grandchildren; two sisters, Darlene (Bob) Wiebenga of Garden Plain, IL, and Margaret Rowley of Winchester, MA; three brothers, Howard (Jan) VanZuiden of Fulton; Harvey (Arlene) VanZuiden of Morrison, and Ronald (Linda) VanZuiden of Erie, IL.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bob; one grandson, Derek Sheldon Boelkins; one granddaughter, Sheila Vegter; one sister, Genevieve Juist; five brothers, Gerald, Maynard, Willard, Wayne, and Jay VanZuiden.
FUNERAL: 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 14, 2017, at the Morrison Chapel of the the Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home
OFFICIATING: Ken Renkes
VISITATION: 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 14, 2017, until the time of the service
INTERMENT: Grove Hill Cemetery, Morrison, IL
Memorials to Ebenezer Reformed Church and Windsor Manor have been established.