Ronald Leroy Boyenga, age 85, of rural Ellsworth, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at his home with family by his side, on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.
Memorial visitation was from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne, Minnesota. A graveside memorial service will be held at a later date at the Stateline Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
Arrangements were under the care of Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne.
To view Ron’s life tribute or sign an online registry, please visit www.hartquistfuneral.com.
Ronald Leroy Boyenga was born during the blizzard of 1940 on Nov. 11 in Luverne, Minnesota, to Fred and Doris (Duncomb) Boyenga. He was baptized and confirmed at the Stateline Presbyterian Church in Ellsworth, Minnesota. Ron grew up on the family farm southeast of Luverne. He attended Ellsworth Public School and graduated in 1958. He attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for one year before enlisting in the Army National Guard, serving for six years. On Nov. 18, 1961, Ron was united in marriage to Anita Lucille Wiese at the Stateline Presbyterian Church. The couple spent their first year on Ron’s parents’ farm and then rented an acreage which they later purchased and where they would reside for the remainder of their lives. Ron did crop and livestock farming and even in retirement, assisted during planting and harvest season. Anita preceded him in death in 2023.
Ron was currently a member of the United Christian Church in Rock Rapids, Iowa, after being a life-long member of Stateline Presbyterian Church until its closing. He was always very involved in church leadership, filling positions of Sunday school superintendent, board chairman, and young adult and youth leader, to name a few of the many hats he wore through the years. Ron was a member of Mensa, the High IQ Society. He also served on various community boards and committees during his lifetime. He was on the Ellsworth School Board for nine years and served as a Rock County commissioner for 32 years. Ron thoroughly enjoyed public service, as well as the simple things in life – visiting with people, working, traveling, and spending time with family. Ron will be remembered for his unwavering faith, his wise counsel, loyalty and generosity.
On Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, Ron passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by family, at the age of 85 years, two months, and 19 days. As a final act of generosity, Ron chose to donate his body to the Anatomy Bequest Program at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. A graveside memorial service will be held after the remains are returned.
Left to honor his memory are his five children, Melinda (Chet) DeJong of Lake Park, Iowa, Wanda (Mike) Jarchow of Luverne, Mike (Angie) Boyenga of Ellsworth, Hugh (Patrick) Boyenga of Sacramento California, and Nicole (Chris) Maag of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; grandchildren, Maxwell (Gracia), Luke, Emily (Matthew), Amelia, Elise, Griffen, Anja, Katia, Lydia, Carter, Simon, Brynn, and Maesa; two great-grandchildren, Jack and Henry; and brother, Mark (Priscilla) Boyenga of Hamilton, Ohio.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Anita; parents, Fred and Doris Boyenga; and brothers-in- law and sisters-in-law, Loren and Ruth Wiese, and Vernon and Annette Wiese.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred. Donations will be directed to Cornerstone of Immanuel Ag Missions (Ron’s cousins who are missionaries in Kampala, Africa).
