Willie Dragstra

Willie Dragstra, 75, of Sioux Center, IA, died Thursday, January 16, 2025, at the Crown Pointe Care Center in Sioux Center, Iowa. 

A visitation will be held from 5 PM – 7 PM on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at the Memorial Funeral Home in Sioux Center. 

A celebration of life service will be held at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at Lebanon Christian Reformed Church with Rev. Robert Drenten officiating. Interment will follow the service in Lebanon Christian Reformed Church Cemetery following the service.

In lieu of flowers or gifts the Dragstra family prefer memorials be directed to the Lebanon Christian Reformed Church. 

Wilmer (Willie) Marlan Dragstra (75) left this earthly life and entered Heaven on Thursday afternoon, January 16, 2025. He was born in Orange City, Iowa, the son of Chris and Rena (Haverhals) Dragstra and lived his entire life on their farm just west of Lebanon. He attended Lebanon Christian School, Western Christian High School, and also for a few years, Dordt College (now Dordt University). 

As a pork producer, Willie oversaw the farm hog operation, working with his brother Ken, Ken’s sons, Justin, Joshua and Jacob, and also farmhands. He retired from farming at age sixty-two due to ill health but continued to be a mentor and resource for anything farm-related. He entered Crown Pointe in January of 2023. 

A lifelong member of Lebanon Christian Reformed Church, Willie was faithful in church attendance, serving as a deacon, and, at the Crown Pointe Care Center, regularly watching their service online every Tuesday morning. He read his Bible and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as His Saviour and Lord. 

A special love of Willie was playing fast pitch softball, golf and watching sports of any kind. With his keen memory, he could tell you the score of any basketball, baseball or football game. When visiting him at Crown Pointe, you knew you’d be watching some kind of game on his mammoth-sized TV and even get in a little actual conversation now and then! A highlight of Willie’s week during football season was attending every one of Jacob’s home football games at Northwestern College in Orange City. Sometimes that meant wrapping up in a sleeping bag and wearing gloves and a hat to survive the cold, but he didn’t mind a bit! 

Willie was a friendly, fun-loving and feisty guy. He especially loved to tease his three sisters (whom he called his “three bossy wives”), his sister-in-law Julie, and the workers and therapists (whom he called his “terrorists” and his “wardens” at Crown Pointe). He loved children and looked forward to Tuesdays when his great-nephew Case would come to visit. He also deeply loved his nephews and his one niece (Bethany), and their children. 

Thankful for having shared his life are his siblings: Phyllis (Bryce) Fopma, Sioux Falls, Rose Sichmeller, Sioux Falls, Carol (Lee) Dragstra, Sioux Falls, and brother Ken (Julie) Dragstra of Lebanon. His nephews and niece include Brady (Rhonda) Fopma, Blaine (Gina) Fopma, Bethany (Rob) Crisp, Brett (Tara) Sichmeller, John Sichmeller, Justin (Katie) Dragstra, Joshua Dragstra, Jacob Dragstra. His great-nieces and great-nephews include Benjamin, Blake, and Kayla Fopma, Emersyn, Keaton and Berkley Fopma, and Theo Crisp, also Savaeh, Tavyn, Mavik, Vanek and Koven Sichmeller, and a special little great-nephew, Case Christen Dragstra. Preceding him in death: his parents, his nephews Chris and Jeffrey Dragstra, and brother-in-law Bernie Sichmeller. 

The Dragstra family extends a warm thanks to the Crown Pointe staff who so lovingly cared for Willie during these last two years, going “above and beyond” in so many ways.