Berdena A. Buma

Rock Valley, IA: Berdena A. Buma, 94, of Rock Valley, Iowa, died Thursday, September 29, 2022, at Sunrise of Naperville Senior Living Community in Naperville, Illinois, where she had resided the last 3 years. Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 6, at 11:00 AM at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church of Rock Valley with Pastor Edward Pease officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery of Rock Valley. Visitation, with the family present, will be held prior to the funeral service from 9:30-10:30 AM at the church. The funeral service will be livestreamed on this obituary page.

 In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church of Rock Valley. Porter Funeral Home of Rock Valley is assisting the family with arrangements.

    Berdena Annieta (Gayer) Buma was born on August 10, 1928, in Plato Township, Iowa, the daughter of Gotlob and Anna (Hamann) Gayer. Anna was from Itzehoe, Germany and Gotlob was from Illingen, Germany. They settled in Iowa in 1886, starting a family farm in rural Rock Valley. She attended a small one-room school ½ mile from their home with her siblings, and often shared how she drove the tractor on the farm as a young girl. She was baptized at Peace Lutheran and confirmed in 1941. She graduated from Rock Valley High School in 1946.

   She married Harry Buma on Friday, June 13, 1947, and they celebrated their 55^th wedding anniversary June 13, 2002. He preceded her in death on September 26, 2002.

   Berdena was the last living charter member of Our Savior’s Lutheran in Rock Valley, where she served on many women’s committees. She was an avid golfer, and enjoyed bowling, and playing bridge. She was a strong believer in church and family and thoroughly enjoyed camping with the family at Gerk’s Resort at Lake Okoboji. She was an excellent cook, and seamstress, and laundered the high school football team uniforms for several years, and worked as secretary for Scanlan Insurance and Vande Hoef Insurance.

   Many loved her high-spirit and friendliness, including her family: daughter, Bonnie Buma of Naperville, IL and sons, Greg Buma of Kansas City, MO and Phil Buma and wife, Debbie of Chapel Hill, TN; grandsons, Jeremy and wife Jillian and great-grandchildren Avichayl and Akiva of Pittsburgh, PA, PJ (Philip Jason) of Spring Hill, TN and Andrew and wife, Scarlett, and great-grandchildren Sawyer and Autumn of Murfreesboro, TN.

   Her siblings all preceded her in death: Lloyd, Marian, Bernard, Bernice, Rose, and Joyce.