Obituary of Raymond Boertje

Rodger R. Boertje

Rodger Raymond Boertje passed away on August 30, 2018, at the Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines Iowa.  God granted Raymond 92 years and 44 days here on earth.

   Raymond was the youngest of four children, born to Rodger and Gertrude (Bogaards) Boertje.  On July 17, 1926, he was born on a farm near Prairie City and there he resided most of his life.  Raymond attended Prairie Creek country school, later known as East Ryan, on the south east corner of the family farm.  He attended high school in Prairie City and graduated in 1944.  After graduating, Raymond had to register with Uncle Sam.  En route to be processed, he rode the train and soon discovered it gave him motion sickness.  Keeping in mind, WWII was occurring, Uncle Sam determined Raymond was more valuable keeping the home front strong by farming, rather than sending him to war.  Since his father was very sick, and passed away in 1946, Raymond continued to help his mother by farming.  On August 6, 1947 Raymond married Thelma DeGoey of the Pella area.  Together they labored on the farm and God gave them two daughters Marcene and Cheryl.  Raymond loved the Iowa farmland God had entrusted him to till.  He received great joy growing corn, soybeans, hay and oats.  He raised and fed pigs but his greatest farming joy came from working and feeding cattle.  When time allowed he also custom combined corn, soybeans, oats and baled hay and straw for friends and family.

   He claimed Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior at the age of 18, and from that time forward, regularly attended church and Sunday school.  In his younger years he loved singing in the church choir.  He fulfilled various duties in church, some of which were  deacon, adult Sunday school teacher, and witnessing at Bethel Mission in Des Moines.  Where the Prairie City Elementary School now sits, there was a big farm house on the family farm, Raymond and Thelma allowed church services to be held there.  This was the very beginning of what is now Faith Baptist Church of Prairie City.  Raymond truly loved the Lord and tried to witness Gods love daily.

   Raymond is survived by his daughters, Marcene (Alan Cox) and Cheryl (Bob) Westra.  His In-Laws, Marvin (Junella) DeGoey, Carl (Joyce) DeGoey, Ryk (Jan) DeGoey and Laura (Louis) Vander Hart: and numerous special nieces and nephews and friends and neighbors.

   He was preceded in death by his parents Rodger and Gertrude; Thelma's parents Cornie and Caroline DeGoey; his sisters, Dena (Lester) Van Peursem, Christine (Harold) De Vries, and Wilma (Wilson) Ferguson; his in laws Cornie DeGoey Jr. in infancy, Deretha (Henry) Sneller and Willus (Alberta) DeGoey; and also nieces and nephews.

   Per Raymond's wishes, there will be a private family Get Together, at a later date, to celebrate his life.  The Pence~Reese Funeral Home in Newton Iowa, has been entrusted with the arrangements.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to Raymond's family, in his name.

   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.  Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9 KJV.