He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1 (NIV)
Following a lengthy illness, Elizabeth Zandstra (Ypma), resident of Pioneer Ridge, passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on Sunday morning, October 25, 2015, at the age of 87.
Born on April 10, 1928 in Waaxens, Friesland, The Netherlands, she emigrated to Tres Arroyos, Argentina with her family in 1937.
There she and her family were part of the Dutch Reformed community. Most of her elementary schooling was received in The Netherlands with some in Tres Arroyos at the Colegio Holandes.
However, she stayed at home on the family farm to help her parents from an early age. In 1948 she emigrated to Canada with her family where she worked as a nurse’s aide on the children’s ward at Port Arthur General Hospital and later at the Children’s Receiving Home of Port Arthur.
In 1953 she married Piebe Zandstra and then moved to Slate River in 1954 where they raised their four children and operated their family dairy farm until their retirement to their new home in the Rosslyn area in 1985. Elizabeth’s family, church and home were the centre of her life. She worked diligently at running her home on a busy family farm.
She was an avid gardener, ensuring that plenty of food was preserved to last throughout the long Canadian winters. She was a member of First Christian Reformed Church and later of the United Reformed Church of Thunder Bay. She was a lifelong member of the Ladies Society Samenbinding of First Christian Reformed Church. In 2007 ill health forced her to move to a nursing home.
Elizabeth is survived by her children and grandchildren: Katherine of Thunder Bay, Freda Zylstra (Harold) of Oak Bank, MB and their children Kara, Lindsay Buist (Melville), Meagan, Warren, Brett and Kurt; Wendy Pranger (Harry) of Thunder Bay and their children Lisa, Julie and Nicole; and son, Walter (Nynke) of Woodbridge and their children Philip, Anna, Thomas and Elizabeth; and great grandson, Calvin Buist. Also surviving are two sisters, Nellie Van Dijken (Pieter) and Julianna Dean-Jenkins (Tom), and one brother-in-law, John Muller, all of Thunder Bay, as well as numerous nieces and nephews both in Canada and in Argentina.
Elizabeth was predeceased by her husband, Piebe, in 2012, her parents, Jacob and Trjintje Ypma, her sisters Ruth Muller, Winnie Vanderleest and Tine Prenger as well as her brother, George Ypma.
Visitation for family and friends will be held on Wednesday evening, October 28, 2015 from 7:30 – 9:00 PM at the United Reformed Church of Thunder Bay, 23 Highway 130.
Interment ceremony to be held at Stanley Hill Cemetery on Thursday, October 29 at 12:30 PM followed by funeral services to be held at the United Reformed Church at 1:30 PM. Rev. Ancel Merwin officiating .
In lieu of flowers, donations gratefully accepted for the Right to Life Assoc. of Thunder Bay, The Canadian Bible League, or Pioneer Ridge Helping Hands Auxiliary.
