Norman "Norm" Ykema, age 95, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne.
Visitation was from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, at the Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Funeral service was at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, at the Christian Reformed Church in Luverne. Interment with military honors followed at the Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Hartquist Funeral Home - Luverne Chapel.
Norman (Norm) Wesley Ykema was born Aug. 2, 1930, to Henry and Jennie (Hoekstra) Ykema on the family farm in Sioux County, Iowa. He was raised nine miles northeast of Hawarden, Iowa, and attended Pleasant Hill Country School through the eighth grade. Norm went to work on the family farm with the crops and livestock. On Oct. 19, 1951, Norm married Evelyn Van Egdom at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. The newlyweds rented a house a couple of miles from his parents' home place. On Nov. 20, 1952, Norm was drafted by the United States Army and reported to Camp Gordon near Augusta, Georgia. He served two years during the Korean War attaining the rank of Private First Class and spent the last eight months of his service stationed in Germany. Norm was honorably discharged on Nov. 1, 1954, and returned to Evelyn and worked for a local farmer for a year before striking out and farming on his own.
After eight years of farming the family moved to Luverne, Minnesota, and Norm began working at MID (Minnesota, Iowa, Dakotas) Packing Co. which later became Iowa Beef Packers (IBP). During his 30-year career there he worked in nearly every department. Norm retired from IBP in January of 1993. Being a farmer at heart, Norm then went to work part-time on the farm of Milo Fodness. In 2005 Milo died and Norm went to work for Greenview at the Adrian rest area where he worked until 2014
On Feb. 25, 2021, Evelyn preceded Norm in death. Norm passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne, at the age of 95 years, five months and 19 days.
Norm was a member of the Christian Reformed Church in Luverne, Minnesota and the Dell Hogan American Legion Post 123. Traveling was of huge interest to Norm. In the earlier years, he and Evelyn traveled through much of the United States and explored the National Parks. In their later years, they enjoyed sitting back and letting someone else drive as they took bus trips. Some of his favorite vacations were their Hawaiian cruise, visiting Niagara Falls and taking in the history of New York City and Washington D.C. Above all else, Norm loved spending time with his family. He relished birthdays, holidays and any and all reasons to get together as a family. Norm also liked to attend small town performing arts programs and his grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's musical performances and sporting events.
He will be lovingly remembered by his daughter, Brenda and her husband Gary Barrett of St. Joseph, Minnesota; five grandchildren, Jennifer (Shawn) Groen, Sheryl (Kyle) Remme, Brian (Jody) Moss, Micah (Jeanine) Barrett, and Jordan (Morgan) Barrett; nine great-grandchildren, Jonathan (Hannah) Moss and Mya Moss, Emma and Sophie Groen, Blaycie and Emersyn Remme, Roger and Nora Barrett, and Mara Barrett. Norm was preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn; parents, Henry and Jennie; infant son, Norwyn; daughter, Noreen Moss; five brothers and their spouses, August (Hermina) Ykema, Tony (Wanda) Ykema, Bernard Ykema, Lawrence (Lois) Ykema and Melvin (Wilmina) Ykema; and three sisters and their spouses, Joyce (John) Feenstra, Madelyn (Paul) Wallinga and Anita (Henry) Van Maanen.
