Irma Guikema

Funeral Services: Will be held on Monday, November 7, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at the Greenfield Gospel Chapel with burial in the Greenfield Cemetery. A luncheon will be held at the church following the burial at the cemetery. Mr. Phil Cannon will officiate the service. The Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield is in charge of the professional arrangements.   

Open Visitation: Will be held at the Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield on Sunday, November 6th from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

Family Visitation: The family will greet friends on Sunday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield. 

Memorials: May be directed to the Irma Guikema Memorial Fund to be established by the family. 

Irma Fern Ruth Guikema was born to Meredith and Marguerite Byers on July 1, 1926 in Manverse County, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. She grew up in and around the same area for most of her life and moved to Toronto, Canada in her middle teen years. At that time, she worked at the Reliable Toy factory making toys – and always enjoyed putting “eyes on dogs and dolls, etc. and getting paid twenty-five cents an hour for her labor.” Then in 1949 she met and married John Guikema from Reeman, Michigan. They lived in Toronto for a year after their marriage and in 1951 moved to Muskegon, Michigan. In 1952 they came to Greenfield, Iowa. Irma enjoyed working in the Laundry Department and enjoyed the people she worked with at the Adair County Memorial Hospital for twenty years.

Irma accepted the Lord as her personal Savior as a young child and served Him in many ways in her family, in the community and in the Greenfield Gospel Chapel where she was a member. Over the years, she enjoyed crocheting and sewing children’s clothes, sweaters, blankets, afghans, hats, etc, and made hundreds of dolls and “pound puppies” for the missionary boxes sent out each year from the Greenfield Gospel Chapel.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John Guikema in 2010; and several brothers and sisters.

She is survived by her son, Bob Guikema and wife Jean of Greenfield; two daughters, Ruth Holan and husband Jerry of Fontanelle and Barbara Bobb and husband A.J. of Des Moines; ten grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; one sister, Jean Reed and husband Gerald of Greenfield; and other relatives and friends.

The family of Irma Guikema wishes to express their gratitude for all acts of kindness shown to them in their time of sorrow and invites you to join them for a luncheon at the Greenfield Gospel Chapel following services at the Greenfield cemetery.