Eleda N. Wester

Eleda Nathelia Reimers Wester, 93, of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at The Gardens Assisted Living.

Private family burial will be held at Liberty Township Cemetery. A Celebration of Eleda's Life is tentatively planned for Saturday, April 11, 2026 at Oakdale Evangelical Free Church in Meriden, Iowa. The Boothby Funeral Home of Cherokee, Iowa is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to Oakdale Evangelical Free Church missions account, for women's training in Congo.

Eleda was born March 17, 1932, in Cherokee, Iowa, to Oscar and Betty (Hanson) Reimers. She attended Calumet Schools and graduated from Calumet High School in 1950. As a teenager, Eleda accepted Jesus as her Savior and Lord. She then attended Trinity Seminary and Bible College in Chicago, Illinois, graduating in 1953, and completed an additional year of missions training in 1954. She became a woman of Biblical knowledge and deep faith plus a prayer warrior.

On August 22, 1953, Eleda married Merle Duane Wester at Oakdale Evangelical Free Church in Meriden, Iowa where they were members. In August 1954, the couple moved to Brussels, Belgium, to study French. Their first child, Timothy, was born there. Primarily Oakdale supported them their first term and continued as their home church supporter for 43 years.

In February 1955, they arrived in the Belgian Congo, where they served with the Evangelical Free Church for ten terms until May 1996. As a pastoral team, they coached and encouraged the Congolese church in church planting, evangelism, missions, and training at Ngwenje, Tandala, Libenge, and Kala. Eleda taught women in Bible schools, offering instruction in doctrine, sewing, discipleship, health, Sunday School classes and child evangelism. Eleda was director of Emmaus Bible correspondence courses for their region of Congo. She served on the Ubangi Academy school board and at times chaired it. She, along with Merle, sold Christian literature from their home and on village trips.

Eleda was deeply involved in village evangelism and community life. She was known for her compassion and attentiveness, earning the affectionate name Mama Bolingo, meaning "Mother of Love." She taught at women's meetings, visited hospital patients and families in their homes, organized children's clubs, led Sunday school classes, and supported women's ministries. For many years she also managed daily roll calls for the shortwave missionary radio system and tracked MAF flights during weather check-ins. She was a devoted companion and helper to Merle as they ministered in rural settings with muddy roads, limited electricity, and no indoor plumbing. Their days regularly began with Bible reading and prayer.

Upon retirement to Cherokee, Eleda continued her ministry alongside Merle through visitation, women's ministries, White Cross, and involvement with Central District Women. She spent her later years encouraging many people through cards and letters. Eleda was the mother of four sons and one daughter. She was known for her hospitality-extra meals were common, station parties frequent, and family games a regular evening activity. Twice each year the family vacationed at Lake Kwada in Congo. During furloughs and travel, the family enjoyed sightseeing in France, Belgium, England, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Israel, and Kenya. For more than twenty years, Eleda faithfully attended her grandchildren's school and extracurricular events in South O'Brien and Cherokee.

Eleda was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Merle of 68 years (in 2022), her daughter Sara Ruth (in 2021), her sisters Elvera (Eldon Larson, Don Erdmann), and Elsie (Roy Wester), grandson Paul Daniel Jr, and many brothers- and sisters-in-law.

Eleda will be lovingly remembered by her children Timothy (Ann) Wester of Paullina, Iowa, David (Julie) Wester of Paullina, Iowa, Steven (Fayette) Wester of Tempe, Arizona, Paul (Becky) Wester of Primghar, Iowa; 13 grandchildren: Amy (Joshua) Douglas, Matthew (Carrie) Wester, Lydia (Ryan) Foo, Trent (Kelley) Wester, Aaron (Michael) Georgen-Wester, Wendy (Eric) Salisbury, Mark (Melinda) Wester, Kari (Cody) Stika, Andrew (Anneliese) Wester, Seth (Monica) Wester, Sara (Micah) VanZee, Leta (Marcus) Faust, and Daniel Wester; great grandchildren Jordan, Levi, Ean, Jaxtan, Wyatt, Asher, Phoebe, Keelynn, Kiera, Nolan, Eliza, Charlie, Coy, James, Kambree, Maria, Miles, Kyla, Simon; sisters-in-law Evelyn (Karl) Kludas and Lorraine (Robert) Mortenson of Cherokee, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.

Eleda's life verses: Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.