Minderd L. Mars

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MINDERD L. MARS


BORN
March 19, 1919
Seney, Iowa

PASSED AWAY
March 16, 2014
Primghar, Iowa


FUNERAL SERVICE
10:30 A.M. Wednesday, March 19, 2014
American Reformed Church; Primghar, Iowa
Rev. Dennis Hietbrink ~ Officiating

Visitation will be after 3 P.M. Tuesday, March 18, 2014
with the family present from 5 to 7 P.M. Tuesday
at the Eldridge Family Funeral Home in Primghar, Iowa.

CONGREGATION HYMN
Processional Hymn: Abide With Me
Recessional Hymn: Hallelujah Chorus
Organist: Alyda Haack
SPECIAL MUSIC
Because He Lives
Sung by: Dave Vander Broek

CASKET BEARERS
Kevin Mars Tracy Wittrock
Tim Wittrock Terry Wittrock
Austin Simmelink Jennifer Van Es

FINAL RESTING PLACE
Prairie View Cemetery
Paullina, Iowa

Military graveside service by
Russell West Post of the American Legion of Paullina.

After todays service relatives and friends are invited to join
the family in the fellowship hall of the church.

Arrangements under the care of the
Eldridge Family Funeral Home; Paullina, Iowa
MINDERD L. MARS

Minderd Lige Mars, was born March 19, 1919 in Seney, Iowa, the son of Lige and Grietje (Baas-Brouwer) Mars. He was raised in Seney where he attended country school. He then helped out on the family farm. He joined the U.S. Army in 1942 serving until being discharged in 1946. During W.W. II, he was in the Philippine Islands. After his discharge he returned to Iowa and was united in marriage to Lois Osborne at the Seney Methodist Church on December 6, 1946. Following their marriage Minderd and Lois farmed around the Paullina area for 49 years. Upon his retirement they moved to Primghar. He passed away on Sunday, March 16, 2014 at the Primghar Care Center reaching the age of 94 years, 11 months and 27 days.
He was a lifetime member of the American Reformed Church in Primghar and served on the consistory and was a catechism teacher. He was also a member of the Russell West Post of the American Legion of Paullina.
Faith, family and farming is what Minderd held dear. He enjoyed camping with family and friends. Working with the neighbors and having coffee together with them was an enjoyable time for him.
Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Lois of Primghar; four children, Dennis (Barbara) Mars of Primghar; Phyllis (Dan) Rohlfsen of Paullina; Ruth (Gordon) Wittrock of Primghar; Barbara (Randal) Simmelink of Orange City; six grandchildren, Kevin (Jennifer) Mars of Primghar; Tracy (Shonda) Wittrock of Primghar; Tim (Sherri) Wittrock of Paullina; Terry Wittrock of Paullina; Austin Simmelink of Charter Oak and Jennifer (Joshua) Van Es of Alton; nine great grandchildren; his in-laws, Jean Buss of Paullina; Bill (Betty) Osborne of Montevideo, MN; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Minderd was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Peter, Jake and Andrew Mars; and sisters, Jacoba Pennings, Cynthia Hofland and Tena Kramer.

Just A Farmer

Just a farmer, you said
And I laughed cause I knew
All the things that farmers
Must be able to do.
They must study the land
Then watch the sky
And figure just when
Is the right time and why-
To sow and to plant
To buy and to sell
To go to the market
With cattle and, well-
You know the books
That farmers must keep
To pay all those taxes
And be able to sleep.
And you know the fixin
That farmers must do
When machines like mad monsters
Blow a gasket or two.
I guess when God needed
Folks to care for His earth
He chose just farmers
Cause He knew their true worth.

Helen G. Coon