Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Ontario for funeral details
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Went to sleep peacefully at St. Lawrence Lodge at the age of 86 on Thursday, September 28, 2023 after enduring years of decline with dementia, developed after a stroke. Jan, her devoted husband of over 62 years, had finished his race several months earlier on April 13th.
Mourned Mother and Oma of: Leentje and her children Trenton, Dane and Brittany; John; Adrian (Erin) and children Gradon and Alexandra; Kristina (Alex) and their children Wyatt and Luke and her children James and Abbigail. Also survived by great grandchildren: Noah, Emmaline, Grayson, Dax, Avery, Gray and York; missed by her siblings Corrie (Johann Verhey) of Holland, and Audrey (Harm Deveen), Marie (DeBlieck), Laurens (Anne) and Chris (Mary) and sisters-in-law Theresa and Anna, all currently in Ontario and by over a hundred nieces and nephews scattered throughout Canada, the US and Nederland.
Along with her husband Jan, Goverina was also predeceased by her parents Leendert Roth and Nicolette Streefkerk, her son Ralph and her siblings/spouses: Kees, Leendert/Annie, Mien/Casey Pluim, Willem, a brother-in-law John DeBlieck and several nieces and nephews. Rina’s husband’s siblings (of which there were eight) have all passed along with their spouses with the exception of Nell Webster and Paul Khan.
Proud of her heritage, Rina was born in Holland in 1936, the 3rd child (and first daughter) of ten children in total. After grade seven she was kept home to help with running the ever expanding household. This was early training for what her life would eventually blossom into: a devoted and diligent stay at home wife and mother excelling at taking care of people, possessions, and pennies. Husband Jan often acknowledged that he would never have become as prosperous as he did both spiritually and financially without her by his side. She was a faithful partner who strived to make their home a place of welcoming comfort and was a loyal friend to anyone lucky enough to be in that circle.
The Roth family moved to Canada when she was seventeen where her future husband spotted her with interest within months. He hung back and waited two years to ask her out as “she was too young” and she actually refused his first invitation. Later, many of those early meetings were at choir practices. Although she loved to have fun and laugh, Rina was not a flighty girl and it took four years to convince her to set a date after which they were wed in three months. She was employed full time at RCA where she continued to excel until the birth of their first of five children when she quit and later intermittently did part time house and office cleaning to supplement their income but a babysitter was never used for that purpose. She exemplified the virtuous, industrious woman of Proverbs 31 and their house was orderly and blessed.
Rina loved to sing and along with her husband performed with many choirs over the years, occasionally singing duets with him in church; she enjoyed tending her expansive flower gardens spending many hours in them, was an avid reader and also loved playing board games, dice, and dominoes with children, grandchildren and adults alike. In later years, Rina and Jan loved to explore together and relished going on long meandering afternoon drives, sometimes with friends, stopping for dinner ‘somewhere’ before journeying home on another route.
Rina was more than pleased to host dinners and parties in her home; both intimate and large, planned and spontaneous. (It helped that Jan always cleaned up with her afterward when everyone was gone!) Bible studies at their place included much refreshment and singing of choruses and prayers of petition. One of these prayer chains was born of their own son’s confirmed diagnosis of terminal cancer, being told that he would not live to see his 2nd birthday (a few years earlier they had instantly lost their 7 year old son to an accident). That chain went around Canada and the Netherlands and he is still alive today. Praise God for his faithfulness to his children and His Word.
Goverina took care in her appearance and was always immaculately dressed; no matter how dirty the job or grand the occasion she appeared appropriately put together and fresh and pressed, so much so that her siblings dubbed her ‘The Queen of Maitland’, a title that she carried well throughout her life. Like a truly gracious queen she had the heart of a servant and ministered to many people in their time of need. Due to declining health this spiritual gift of helps has been truly missed by her family and friends for several years: Please donate to the Alzheimer’s Society or Heart and Stroke in her honour if you can.
As per Goverina’s wishes, interment will be private being laid to rest alongside her beloved at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Maitland.
A short service of scripture readings and song will be held in Rina’s honour at Bethel Christian Reformed Church at 117 Windsor Drive on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023 at 1:30 pm. A gathering of condolence, remembrance, celebration and fellowship will follow in the church hall. All are welcome.
1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15.
Thursday September 28th 2023
Death notice for the town of: Maitland, Province: Ontario
death notice Goverina Rina Poelstra Thursday September 28th 2023
obituaries notice Goverina Rina Poelstra Thursday September 28th 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Goverina Rina Poelstra Thursday September 28th 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
