Obituary of Eldon Tuinstra

Eldon "Bud" Tuinstra, 77, of Lake Park died Friday, January 31, 2014 at Lake Park Care Center in Lake Park, Iowa Funeral services will be 1:30 pm, Monday, February 3, 2014 at First Presbyterian Church in Lake Park. Interment will be at Round Lake Cemetery in Round Lake, Minnesota. Visitation will begin at 2:30 pm Sunday, February 2, 2014 with the family present from 2:30 - 4 pm at First Presbyterian Church in Lake Park. Eldon Duane Tuinstra was born March 3, 1936 in Luverne, Minnesota, the first of seven children of Elmer and Mabel (Menage) Tuinstra. After farming briefly in Minnesota, his family moved to Washington, where they milked cows. Two years later, after birth of their second child, the Tuinstra family moved to Iowa where they farmed, eventually making their permanent home near Harris, Iowa where Eldon received his education. Eldon married Marian Jean Hanson on February 3, 1957, in the Presbyterian Church in Round Lake, Minnesota, making their first home on a farm near there for three years. He was in the National Guard (Army) for several years. Their lifelong career of farming continued on farms near Harris, northeast of Lake Park and finally in 1970, they purchased their permanent home on a farm northwest of Lake Park. An exception to their farming years was a three year span where they lived in Lake Park, Iowa where Eldon owned a water truck and hauled milk in a bulk truck for the Sioux Valley Creamery. Eldon supplemented the family income working for a sale barn, assisting a veterinarian and delivering Sunday papers. Eldon's favorite extra occupation was driving semi, first over the road and upon retirement, hauling for a trucking firm in Ocheyedan. Before his cancer diagnosis, he was working over 200 hours per month at the age of 77. In addition to family activities, Eldon enjoyed playing cards, square dancing, country music, home life and in particular, his lifelong love of dogs. He also enjoyed tractor pulls and tractor rides. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Lake Park, where he served as a deacon. Eldon passed away January 31, 2014 at the Lake Park Care Center at seventy-seven years of age. He is survived by his wife of nearly 57 years, Marian; his son, Dean Tuinstra of Lake Park; his daughter, Laurie (Lance) Janssen of Spencer, Iowa; five grandchildren: Hayley, Kortney and Dylan Tuinstra and their mother, Denise, of Lake Park, Allison Janssen of Storm Lake and Melissa Janssen of Des Moines; siblings, Eloise (Dennis) Heppler, Dick (Dwalla Tuinstra), Darlene Tuinstra and Linda Tuinstra and his beloved golden retriever, Scarlet. Eldon was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Elmer (Junior) and sister, June Tuinstra; great-granddaughters, Hope and Harper as well as his father and mother-in-law, Melvin and Doris (Jean) Hanson.