William (Bill) Jansma Jr., age 86, of Ellsworth, Minnesota, passed away Monday, January 1, 2024, at Parkview Manor Nursing Home in Ellsworth.
A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 6, 2024, at the Christian Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, Iowa, with Pastor Doug De Groot officiating. Burial will follow in Riverview Cemetery of Rock Rapids.
Visitation will be Friday, January 5, from 5-7 p.m. at the Christian Reformed Church in Rock Rapids.
William Jansma Jr. was born July 19, 1937, the son of William and Alice (Van Dyke) Jansma, on a farm near Ireton. He attended country school through the eighth grade. The family moved to a farm near Ash Creek before moving to the current family farm near Ellsworth in 1950.
Bill was united in marriage to Harriet Hoksbergen on March 20, 1958, in Doon, Iowa. To this union six children were born.
Bill’s faith and family were very important to him. His earthly passion was cattle. He enjoyed going to sale barns to buy cattle and the stockyards to sell the cattle he raised.
Bill was a member of the Rock Rapids Christian Reformed Church.
Bill and Harriet semi-retired from farming in 2001 and moved to Ellsworth, Minnesota.
Bill was a member of the Ellsworth Farmer’s Co-op Elevator Board, as well as on the 5-Star Fertilizer Plant Board.
He moved to Parkview Manor in November of 2022, where he remained until his passing on January 1, 2024.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 65 years, Harriet; daughters Denice (Mike) Dirks of Luverne, Minnesota, and Sandra Wissink of Rock Rapids, Iowa; daughters-in-law Delinda Jansma of Ellsworth, Minnesota, and Colleen Jansma of Worthington, Minnesota; sons Kevin (Kristin) Jansma of Rock Valley, Iowa, and William D. (Michelle) Jansma of Ellsworth, Minnesota; 17 grandchildren: Denice’s children Ryan and Alissa: Sandy’s children Steve and Stan; Warren’s children Kari, Jason and Wayne; Darryl’s children Bradley and Ashley; Kevin’s children Derrick, Hannah, Noah, Brielle and Mason; Bill’s children Amber, Grant and Joshua: 26 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Berniece (Jansma) Barstad of Brandon, South Dakota; four brothers-in-law, John (Lori) Hoksbergen of Sioux Center, Iowa, Henry (Jane) Hoksbergen of Hull, Iowa, Donald (Wilma) Hoksbergen of Hull, Iowa, and Ken (Dori) Hoksbergen of Hull, Iowa; along with many nieces, nephews, and extended family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Alice; his in-laws, William and Henrietta Hoksbergen; two sons, Warren and Darryl; son-in-law Scott Wissink; four siblings, Tunis (Wilmyna) Jansma, Gertrude (James) DeBoer, Jane (Peter) DeBoer, and Bart Jansma; sister-in-law Bonnie Hoksbergen; brother-in-law Marvin Hoksbergen; and two nephews.