Betty Jean (Ver Steegt) Zuidema

Betty Jean (Ver Steegt) Zuidema, 85, of Killduff died on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, at Accura Healthcare of Newton West.  A funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M., Monday, August 24, at the First Reformed Church in Sully.  The family will greet friends from 2-4 p.m., Sunday, August 23, at the church.  Memorials to the Lynnville Fire Department may be left at the church during the visitation or service or at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory. 

Betty, the daughter of Gerrit and Maggie (Van Genderen) Ver Steegt, was born on June 26, 1935 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. As the youngest of 11, she enjoyed the attention of her brothers as her sisters were already married.

At the age of 12, you could find her busy at work at the Cozy Inn Café in Lynnville which entailed a very scary ¾ mile long walk home in the dark.  She also enjoyed babysitting and working at the Brush Grocery Store as well as the Evans Grocery Store. 

In 1953, Betty graduated with a class of four from Lynnville High School where she was involved in plays, the newspaper, glee club, and her favorite activity, basketball.  She was named to the All-County basketball team her senior year.

On June 16, 1955, Betty was united in marriage with Henry Zuidema at the Lynnville Friends Church.  They settled west of Killduff where they farmed with Henry’s folks, John and Carolina. Betty loved country living and was involved in much of the operation, including pulling pigs, her least favorite task.  By late 1959, she was raising three children – Rodney, Steven, and Carna.  Their activities became her activities.  Building snowmen, playing fox and geese or a competitive game of basketball.  As grandchildren came along you could find her on most Sunday afternoons involved in a raucous game of football, softball, or soccer. 

She enjoyed cooking, gardening with Carolina, attending Henry’s fast pitch softball games, and listening to country and gospel music.  She was an active member of the First Reformed Church in Sully being involved with sewing days, babysitting, and the kitchen committee. 

Betty is survived by her husband, Henry Zuidema of Killduff; children, Rodney Zuidema of Killduff, Steven (Kelley) Zuidema of Sully, and Carna (Bryan) De Jong of Lynnville; grandchildren, Justin Zuidema, Rachel (Chad) Thompson, Katie (Andy) Ratliff, Eric De Jong, and Tracy De Jong; great-grandchildren, Casey DeZwarte, Hunter Thompson, Ben Ratliff, and Riley Ratliff; her sisters-in-law, Erma Ver Steegt and Gretchen Ver Steegt; cousin, Dorothy VanDerKamp; and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Gerrit and Maggie Ver Steegt; parents-in-law, John and Carolina Zuidema; her sisters, Clara (Henry) Van Wyk, Pauline (Bert) Van Wyk, Mabel Ver Steegt in infancy, and Gladys Ver Steegt in infancy; and her brothers, Clarence (Jenny) Ver Steegt, Floyd (Amy) Ver Steegt, Vernon Earl Ver Steegt, Harold Ver Steegt, Gerald Ver Steegt, and Melvin (Karen) Ver Steegt. 

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