Life Legacy of Donald R. Groen
Donald R. Groen 83 of Maurice, IA died Thursday, July 12, 2018 at Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City, IA.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 16, 2018 at Maurice First Reformed Church in Maurice, IA with Rev. Wick Hubers, officiating. Burial will follow in the Sherman Township Cemetery at Maurice, IA.
Visitation will be Sunday, July 15th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. with family present at the Maurice First Reformed Church in Maurice, IA.
Family wish memorials be directed to the Maurice First Reformed Church building fund.
Donald Richard Groen was born to Dick and Jacoba (Bos) Groen on September 3, 1934, in Sioux Center, IA. He attended a country school west of Sioux Center through the 8th grade. He then attended Sioux Center High School graduating in May 1952.
After high school graduation Donald helped on his parent's farm and also worked for Oliver Construction in Sioux Center, IA. In December of 1956 he was inducted in to the United States Army. Donald was stationed in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas until he was sent overseas to Germany. He was released from the United States Army September of 1958.
On November 28, 1958 he married Joyce Van Roekel at the First Reformed Church in Maurice, IA. Donald and Joyce lived for a short time in Sioux Center and he worked at the Sioux Center Co-op Elevator. In 1960, Donald and Joyce moved to the farm where Joyce was born and they started farming. Donald and Joyce moved into Maurice November of 1998 and he resided their until having to move to Pleasant Acres in Hull, IA May of 2016 and Prairie Ridge Care Facility in Orange City July 2017.
Donald was very active in the Maurice 1st Reformed Church serving as a Sunday School and catechism teacher, choir member, deacon and elder and in various other ways. He also was active in Sioux County Farm Bureau serving as Vice President and President, Sioux County Pork Producers and Sioux County Youth Fair Board.
Donald and Joyce have three children: Debra and her husband Mark Emery and their two children, Kyle and Laura of Ames, IA; Sharilyn and her husband Kevin Hop of Onalaska, Wisconsin and their two daughters Jennie and her husband Stephen Baxley and great grandson Kadyn of Atlantic, IA and Emily Hop of Onalaska, Wisconsin and Robert and his wife Wendi (Klein) Groen and their three children, Sara, Anna and Jonathan all of rural Maurice, IA. Donald is also survived by his brother Lawrence Groen and sister-in-law, Shirley of Sioux Center, IA and sister-in-law, Frances (Van Roekel) Kroeze of Sheldon, IA.
Those preceding him in death were his parents, Dick and Jacoba (Bos) Groen, his in laws, Benjamin and Jennie (Peuse) Van Roekel, and the following brothers and sisters-in-law, Audrey (Punt) Groen, Lawrence and Gertrude (De Vries) Van Roekel and Gerritt Kroeze.