Mildred Irene De Zwarte

Mildred De Zwarte, 87, of rural Oskaloosa passed away Tuesday, September 20, 2016, at UnityPoint Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. Mildred Irene De Zwarte, daughter of Henry and Bertha (Roorda) Brummel, was born, January 8, 1929, at her parent’s home in rural Leighton. She attended country school near Leighton. She married Ray De Zwarte, February 24, 1948, at her father’s home. Mildred and Ray began their life together on a farm near Durham, Iowa, a small town in SE Marion County. In 1972, they moved to a farm three miles east of Eddyville and in 1990, they retired to an acreage, south of Oskaloosa. Mildred was an outstanding farm wife; she was a wonderful homemaker and mother to four children, and also helped her husband with the farming operation as needed. Mildred was a member of the Harrison Homemaker Club and a 4-H leader for many years. She believed children should be taught the life skills of cooking, sewing and homemaking, but what was more important to her, was that her children and grandchildren all know and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Mildred was baptized and made her Profession of Faith as a teenager at Ebenezer Reformed Church in Leighton, Iowa. She later moved her membership to Third Reformed Church in Pella and in 1972, she joined Central Reformed Church in Oskaloosa. Mildred’s passion was for children and taught Sunday school and Bible School for many years. Mildred was a very creative person, she made quilts for each of the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and together, she and Ray designed and created many woodworking projects for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mildred was also the designated “craft person” for Central’s Bible School, planning and providing the raw materials the children used to create their unique projects. Left to cherish her memory are her family, including Ray of Oskaloosa; her children and their spouses: Sherril and Bob Postma of Knoxville, Debra and Stan Gray of Murray and Rick and Diane De Zwarte of Eddyville; ten grandchildren: Rob (Suzanne) Postma of Siren, WI, Shannen (Adam) Cahill of Knoxville, Tyler Baitzer of Des Moines, Emily (Brad) Foss of Kildeer, IL, Kylie (Adam) Wroblaski of Madison, WI, Brandon (Laura) Gray of Cedar Falls, Lacey (Dave) Asplund of Austin, TX, Ryan (Kristy) De Zwarte of Oskaloosa, Ashley (John) Muhleman of Eddyville, and Cody De Zwarte of Oskaloosa; 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. She is also survived by her brothers: Howard (Nancy) Brummel of Monroe and Jim (Marilyn) Brummel of Oskaloosa. Those who welcomed her home to Heaven were her parents; a daughter Donna Baitzer who passed away in 1992; seven sisters: Ada Olson, Edna Klein, Bernice Goemaat, Clara Lanser, Esther Bensink, Virginia Simons and Anna Groenendyk, and a brother, Virgil Brummel.

Mildred Irene De Zwarte

January 8, 1929 - September 20, 2016