Gerald "Will" Huitink

IRETON, IOWA ~ Gerald Willard “Will” Huitink, 87, of Hawarden, Iowa, formerly of Ireton, Iowa passed away on Saturday, April 4, 2015 at the Hillcrest Health Care Services in Hawarden, Iowa.
Funeral Service will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the First Reformed Church in Ireton, Iowa with Rev. Doug Van Aartsen officiating. Burial will follow in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Visitation will begin at noon Tuesday, with the family present from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the First Reformed Church. The Porter Funeral Home in Ireton is assisting the family. Online condolences may be sent to www.porterfuneralhomes.com.
Gerald Willard "Will" Huitink was born January 10, 1928 on the family farm near Middleburg, Iowa, to Henry and Allie (Van Putten) Huitink. Willard attended country school beginning at age four and graduated at age 16 from Sioux Center High School. Willard's outstanding bass singing voice lent itself to an active role in an all men's glee club, choir, and many small group and quartet singing groups.
Upon graduation Willard worked on the family farm until he met and married his lifetime partner, "Bert" DenOuden. They married in 1949 at Cass Lake, Minnesota. Willard and Bert farmed first near Orange City, and later near Sioux Center, Iowa. In 1955 Willard took a full time job with Farm Bureau in Sioux Center. Willard worked for Farm Bureau for four years.
In 1960 Willard and Bert moved their family to Ireton, Iowa, where he became a business partner in Siouxland Implement. Willard worked in the implement business until his retirement in 1993. After retiring from full time work, Willard worked some part time jobs at the Co-Op as well as Rural Water in Ireton.
Willard and Bert raised three children, sons, Doug and Terry, and daughter, Kim.
Willard was an active member of the First Reformed Church in Ireton. He accepted rolls as Elder, Deacon, as well as serving in mixed quartet and church choir for many years. Willard also served a number of elected terms on the West Sioux Community School Board.
Willard was preceded in death by his wife, Bert; his son, Judge Terry Huitink; and son-in-law, Dan Butler. Also preceding Willard in passing were his father and mother, Henry and Allie; sister, Eldora and her husband Harold Klienwolterink, sister, Everna and her husband Hein VanderSchaff, and sister, Wilma and her husband Calvin Mouw.
Left to continue honoring Willard's memory are his son, Doug and his wife Judy of Dakota Dunes, South Dakota and their children, Ben and Tosha Jacobs, Graham and Garrett Garnos, Kara and Reggie Coquillon (Cameron and Andre); daughter-in-law, Kathy Huitink of Spirit Lake, Iowa and her children, Michael and Sandy (Luke and Katie), Jonathan and Melissa (Lauren and Alexander Terry), Daniel and Jenna (Thomas and Allie) and Zachary and Chelsea; and daughter, Kim Butler and her fiancé Dave Hegedus of Urbandale, Iowa and her children, Drew Sikkink, Jay and Brittany Sikkink (Jordyn), Steven and Kelsey Dolezal (Kadan) and Allison Butler.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Terry L. Huitink Scholarship Fund c/o West Sioux Educational Foundation POB 173, Hawarden, Iowa 51023.

Visitation

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ,Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Ireton First Reformed Church
502 Ash Street Ireton, Iowa 51027

Funeral Service

10:30 a.m. ,Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Ireton First Reformed Church
502 Ash Street Ireton, Iowa 51027