Dena Boersema Wichers

Dena (Huizenga) Boersema Wichers

Our beloved Mom went to be with her Lord and Savior on June 7, 2025. She was 92 years old. Mom was born in Chicago, IL, to Dutch immigrant parents, Clarence (Klaas) and Cora (Jacoba) Huizenga. The name given to her at birth was Alberdina, named after her dear grandmother, but she went by Dena. She was the second born of nine children. When she was 13, the family moved to live in California for a brief time, then traveled on to Stanwood, WA, where the family had a dairy farm. In 1952 they moved to Mount Vernon, where they remained.

Mom met our Dad, Bernie (Bernard) Boersema, at a Young People's gathering at the Everett Christian Reformed Church. They married in 1954 and had six children. They lived in Everett for about 13 years, then bought a house in Arlington near Smokey Point. Mom didn't go to work outside the house until her children could "fend for themselves". She worked numerous jobs in her lifetime, including working at a flower shop, boat factory, and even at a Cracker Jack factory as a teenager. She always said her favorite job was working for Mary Green at Arlington Clothing in Arlington, where she was employed for many years.

In 1987, Bernie passed away suddenly. She was fortunate to then meet and marry a wonderful and kind widower, Eldon Wichers, the father of three grown children, in 1989. Mom and Eldon had many adventures traveling around the country in their motorhome. Mom's favorite part of traveling was getting to visit family and friends.

In 2014, Eldon suffered a devastating stroke. Eldon spent his last four years in a nursing home. Eldon and Mom were married for nearly 30 years before Eldon's passing in 2018.

Following Eldon's stroke, Mom moved to Marysville, where she lived in a lovely home that she cherished for nine years. Earlier this year, she moved to assisted living at Olympic Place in Arlington, where she passed away.

Mom's main passions in life were her faith and her family. She was a lifelong member of the Christian Reformed Church. Mom and Dad were founding members of Marysville's Cascade Christian Reformed Church, where she had been a member for over 50 years. Back in the day, she attended church twice on Sunday, sang in the choir, did the flower arrangements, and hosted a Bible study at her home, among many church-related activities. Her church involvement was the source of much of the joy in her life. One of her greatest comforts later in life was that all her children remained involved in their Christian faith, attending churches of various denominations.

Mom also loved being part of a large family-both the one she was born into, and the one she created. She enjoyed entertaining, and hosted countless family birthdays, holidays, get-togethers and reunions at her Arlington home.

Some of Mom's other passions in life were flowers and fashion. She was an avid flower gardener, and nearly always had fresh flowers in her home. She also enjoyed dressing well. She rarely left the house without being "put together" and properly accessorized.

Mom is survived by her children, Gary (Denise) of Spanaway, Dale (Marie) of Lynden, Judy of Mountlake Terrace, Jim (Jill) of Marysville, Linda Masters of Post Falls, ID, and Denise Loucks (Scott) of Little Rock, AR, as well as Eldon's children, Darrel (Sue) of Vancouver, Gary (Vicki) of Lynden and Sharon Kuipers (Henry) of Mount Vernon. She's also survived by 12 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mom was preceded in death by her brothers Clarence of Michigan, Robert of Edmonds, Bernie of Illinois, Jacob of Sedro-Woolley, and sisters Ann Ellison of Tacoma, and Jenny Shiel of Mount Vernon, who passed away just five days before Mom. She is survived by her sisters Linda Van Esch of York, Nebraska, and Catherine Dostart (Tom) of Bow. She is also survived by her wonderful friend of over 70 years, Barb (Molenhouse) Van Kalken of Lansing, IL.

A private family burial will be held at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Everett.

A celebration of Mom's life will be held on Saturday, June 28, at 1:00, at Cascade Christian Reformed Church, 13908 51st Ave. NE, Marysville, 98271.

Memorials can be made to the church's Outreach and Children's Ministries.