Grayce Kooiman

Forest City, Iowa – Grayce Marie (Zwaan) Kooiman, 88, of Forest City passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at the Good Samaritan Center in Forest City. A visitation will be held 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Cataldo Schott Funeral Chapel, 505 North Clark St. Forest City. A private family burial will be held in Rock Valley, Iowa at Valley View Cemetery. The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Good Samaritan Center in Forest City. Arrangements are with Cataldo Schott Funeral Home and Porter Funeral Home.

Grayce was born in Doon, Iowa on November 26, 1926, the daughter of Ralph and Marie (Lems) Zwaan. She grew up in Doon and graduated from the Christian School there. She played basketball during High School and was known as the “rough and tumble” Grayce.

After high school she attended Westmar College in Lemars, Iowa and became a teacher. She taught at a country school in Sioux county for a year and a half. Grayce took a few years off of teaching and got married to Cornie Kooiman and stayed home to raise their children together in Rock Valley, Iowa. They later divorced. In 1958, Grayce and her family moved to Forest City and she went back to college. She returned to teaching in 1967 and taught in the Forest City school system for 27 years. After retiring Grayce spent a few years traveling and she spent lots of time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

She is survived by her children, Ron Kooiman of Forest City, Darcia (Monty) Schlawin of Garner, Audrey Kooiman of Forest City and Carla Stevenson of Forest City; grandchildren, Shannon Thill, Cara Fosselman, Tina (Damien) Perry, Cory (Jackie) Stevenson, Jeff Stevenson and Michelle (John) Frasier and twelve great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Leonard; sister, Henrietta and infant son, Daniel Marshall Kooiman.