Vernon Jay Anema

Vernon Jay Anema (Vern), passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, in Sioux Falls, SD when the Lord called him home. He joins his wife, Shar, parents, Fred and Tillie Anema, parents-in-law Harry and Estelle Bosma, brother, John Anema,  sister-in-law, Cella Bosma and brother-in-law, Charles "Chuck" Vaandrager, who preceded him in death.

Family will be present for visitation at Heritage Funeral Home on Sunday, November 5, 2023, from noon (12:00 p.m.) - 4:00 p.m. Vern's memorial service will be at Heritage Funeral Home on Monday, November 6, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. with lunch to follow before burial at the South Dakota State Veteran's Cemetery with military honors. Please note the changed visitation time.  Family will now be present from noon to 4:00 p.m. Should you like to watch Vern's service virtually, see the Zoom link listed below.

A shining example of faith, Vern walked in service to the Lord his entire life. He served in every church he attended, always putting God first and above all else. He was a deacon, a bible study leader and even helped plant a church in Sioux Falls in the 1990s. He followed God no matter where the path led and he made sure his family was right by his side. 

Vern was born in Primghar, IA on November 5th, 1946 and grew up outside Sanborn, IA, where he spent his time working on the family farm, playing softball with his dad and brothers and attending Sanborn Christian School. It was at school he met his future wife, Sharlene, and they were soon inseparable.

He graduated from Western Christian High School in 1965 and married his high school sweetheart, Shar, in a small chapel outside Sioux Center, IA while he was on leave from the Army. Decades of great memories were made with his wife of 57 years and their three children and five grandchildren, Shane (Lori) Anema and their sons Adam and Christian, Cody (Cheri) Anema and their daughters Cheyenne and Alexandra, and Trevor (Lauren) Anema and their daughter Estelle.

In addition to his children and grandchildren, he is survived by nine siblings: Kathryn (Chuck) Vaandrager, (Karen, wife of John) Anema, Paul (Trudy) Anema, Thresa (Harlyn) Jacobsma, Fred (Faye) Anema, Bob (Marsha) Anema, Jim (Jane) Anema, Marv (Carol) Anema, Jeff Anema, Sandy (Pat) Ferrie; and many other relatives and friends.

As a young man, Vern volunteered for the Army during Vietnam. He took what he learned cutting meat for his brother John in Sanborn, IA and used his skills to cut meat for the Army in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was a star softball pitcher and was even invited to the All-Army team. When he finished his service, he became a meat manager for Hy-Vee and eventually opened Anema Meat Round Up in Sheldon, IA in 1977. It was then Vern had complete kidney failure and all his siblings volunteered to be tested as potential donors. His brother, John, who was the best match, gave him a kidney and a second chance at life. In 2020, God provided a second kidney which blessed him with several more years. In 1990, Vern closed his meat shop and moved his family to Sioux Falls, SD where he was an insurance agent until his death. 

He had a variety of interests and shared them with those he cared about, spending many days on the lake boating, skiing and swimming. He bowled in many leagues through the years and loved to play golf, cards and games with others. Travel and family vacations provided life-long memories. He had a wonderful sense of humor, an infectious laugh and a unique way of getting things done. Where most others would give up, he would find a way to strap something to the roof of the car. Vern made everything memorable.

In his final days, he talked about how much fun he had in his life, how much he loved everyone and was thankful that his children had made life so interesting for him. Vern wanted to honor God by doing his best every minute he was alive. In that way, he was someone to aspire to. He always put the needs of others before his own. He built people up and made them feel good about themselves. He always tried his hardest and worked hard at everything. Regardless of circumstance, Vern never complained about anything. Even when his death was imminent, he made sure to crack a smile and a joke to put everyone at ease. He was all heart and realized how wonderful it is just to be alive. Vern carried numerous titles throughout his life: Son, Brother, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Veteran, Deacon, Business Owner, Survivor, Pitcher, Butcher, Salesman, but the greatest title of all was Friend.

Heritage Funeral Home is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Vern Anema Funeral Time: Nov 6, 2023 10:30 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/82633770075?pwd=oM5oueodrj6Tj4t3bLQ9gCgkebQ3BC.1

Meeting ID: 826 3377 0075Passcode: 887377