IVAN "Grandpa Ivan" JAY WIERSEMA  77, of Cherokee, Iowa, went to Heaven on Monday, September 15, 2025 he was greeted there by his personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his beautiful wife Darlene.  Ivan was born March 13, 1948 in Orange City, Iowa to Elmer and Jeanetta (Kreykes) Wiersema.  He shared his birth with his twin sister Mary, and he was always proud of being a twin.  Ivan grew up on a farm around the Sioux County area.  He graduated high school in Orange City, and received his BA at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.

It was at Northwestern that he met the love of his life Darlene Jurgens.  They had a short courtship of 6 months and were married July 11, 1969 at the Zion Reformed Church in Sheffield, Iowa.  Ivan loved Darlene very much, they shared 47 years of marriage before Darlene passed away in 2016.  Their marriage was a testament of love and the strong covenant of "in sickness and in health."  They were forever by each other's side, support system, and making decisions together as one.

Ivan started working at Cherokee State Bank in 1970.  He was a man of business and worked hard at CSB for 46 years and 46 days.  He was proud of the work he did at Cherokee State.  He helped many people with money, but that is not really what Ivan is remembered for at Cherokee State Bank.  His customers and colleagues remember him as a man who would listen, offer guidance, and most importantly a man who was not ashamed to share his faith in Jesus.

However, business was really only a small portion of who Grandpa Ivan was.  He was first and foremost a family man.  Ivan and Darlene were blessed to welcome three children, Jeremy (1972), Jennifer (1976), and Jaylene (1980).  Ivan loved his three children very much, teaching them invaluable lessons in faith, grace, and forgiveness.  His time with them was intentional, never rushed.  He would often respond to our words of love with, "love you more."  Jeremy, Jennifer, and Jaylene each have very special memories with their dad, but the most important shared memory is daily devotions.  The family sat together each day reading the Bible and praying together.  A day was never missed from the time of their births until the children graduated and left home.  This is the true mark of Ivan's desire to shepherd and love his children.  He knew that his love was great for his children, but God's love was far greater, and he wanted them to know that personally.

Ivan was also a Grandpa. He loved his nine grandchildren so deeply.  After he retired from the bank, and Darlene passed away, he would spend hours each morning in his devotions.  He told his daughter Jaylene, that he had all that time given to him so he could each day read his Bible and pray for each one of his grandchildren by name.  He prayed with intention and purpose for each of those grandchildren.  Grandpa Ivan was so deeply proud of those grandchildren.  If he was out and about in the community, people were sure to hear of the great things his grandchildren were doing at that moment. They were his delight.  In his final years, Grandpa Ivan couldn't get around as much as he wanted to, so one of his great joys was driving around town with his grandson Joel.  They would drive to Mud on Main to order "the Ivan," then would visit Grandma Dar's grave, and then finally drive more, often talking about life and what his other grandchildren were up to, but more often just not speaking at all.  Grandpa didn't have to say much, because his love was shown through his selfless actions.

Ivan was born in 1948 and died in 2025, but it was what he did in between that time that truly marked a life well lived.  He is home now in Heaven where he has longed to be.  And while we all mourn the loss of this great man, we do not mourn without hope because our hope is in Heaven with Jesus Christ. That would be the most important and final message Ivan would want left for his family, friends, and anyone he encountered.

Ivan is preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Jeanetta Wiersema, wife Darlene Wiersema, mother-in-law and father-in-law Calvin and Dorothy Jurgens, sister Joann Heemstra, brother-in-law Larry Heemstra, sister-in-law Leann Jurgens, and nephews Todd Heemstra, Jerad De Vos.

Left to cherish his memory are his children Jeremy (Amanda) Wiersema and their children Joshua (Rock Rapids), Amber, AnnMarie of Steen, Minnesota; Jennifer (Keith) Probst and their children Madison, Allison, and Matthew of Alton Iowa; Jaylene (James) De Vos and their children Julia, Joel, and Jakob Ivan of Cherokee, Iowa.

He is also survived by; sister-Mary (Dale) Wurpts of Orange City, Iowa;  three sisters-in-law Evanette (Darwin) Broek of Sioux Center, Iowa; Rose (Phil) Markwardt of Thornton Iowa, Lois Heemstra of Primghar, Iowa; two brothers-in-law, Dean (Karen) Jurgens of Thornton, Iowa; Kevin (Nan) Jurgens of Thornton, Iowa. Finally, left to cherish his memory are a host of beloved nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and many special and beloved friends that he met along his life's journey.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Christ Community Church in Primghar, Iowa.  Pastor Cory Grimm and Rev. Jeremy Wiersema will officiate.  Burial will take place prior to services on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee, Iowa.  Visitation will take place on Friday, September 19, 2025 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with the family present from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in Ivan's honor to the Cherokee Regional Medical Center Foundation or Northwestern College Alumni Fund.