Obituary of Roy Dykstra

Longtime Seibert resident Roy Dykstra passed away on October 7, 2006 in his home. He was 98 years old. Reimer Roy Dykstra was born on March 10, 1908 in the Province of Alberta, Canada, to Reimer Andrew Dykstra and Ellen Jane Steele Dykstra. His parents married in Stafford, Kansas and soon went to Oklahoma to settle on a homestead. They traveled back and forth by wagon for several years to get their homestead in production. They disposed of the property in Oklahoma and went back to Kansas where Roy’s father left the family and he went to Canada looking for a new location. The province of Alberta was a new Frontier. No government, no laws established and not very many people. Shortly afterwards, provincial law was established along with Rail Service. Roy’s father sent for the family who came up on the train. They first settled on a homestead near a town named Pinoka in Alberta. It was muskeg country and was later renovated and is premier farm country today. The first year the family lost their infant son and Grandfather Steele, who was living with them, passed away as well. The double tragedy along with the hard land was too much so they moved to Stettler, Alberta. There they built a new home and Roy, their ninth child was born. People on the frontier lived, as much as they could, off the natural resources of the land. Roy, at an early age became efficient at taking small game with snares and slingshots, thereby helping the family survive. Roy’s early education was a one room school house. The land for the school was donated by his Father and still stands as a historical site today. When he was through the sixth grade, the Kansas relatives wanted his folks to move back to Kansas to help look after Grandfather Dykstra. Incidentally, this man brought his family over from Holland in the late 1880’s. He was a Godly man and brought along a large Bible written in the Dutch language, which is in Roy’s family today, said to be around three hundred years old. The family settled in Stafford, Kansas where Roy graduated from high school. Times were hard and he and his father went to Florida to get work. They took up the painting and wall paper trade and also picked fruit there. By the end of 1931, work was scarce; life became harder on the frontier. America was in the Great Depression. Roy worked for W.P.A construction doing concrete work. The work was hard but there was always a line of men waiting for work if one slacked off! The W.P.A, a government program, built many school houses, paved streets and built bridges etc. In the mid 1930’s Roy was working on a ranch and got acquainted with and courted the young country school teacher near by. He married Lucile Golliher in 1936. The following year Lucile gave birth to a son, Harold Roy. In 1945 the family relocated in Colorado 3 ½ miles south of Seibert, where he farmed and ranched as long as he could work. Always wanting more children, they were able to adopt a baby girl in 1951. She was named Sharon Joy. Roy was able to buy land as the years went by. In 1974 he went into partnership with his son, Harold. They pooled their land and formed Dykstra Ranches, Inc. When he was fifteen years old he gave his life to Jesus. His spiritual life was always very important to him. He was a church member, sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, served on the church board and worked very hard building on the addition of the old church that burned. In the 1950’s Roy was one of the founders of the Temple Hills Church Camp for the youth. Many local young people, as wells as neighboring states went to this camp which is still in serving the Lord today. In 1991 Roy was honored at the Cattleman for Christ meeting, held at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, as Cattleman of the year. He was given this honor for his many years of service to his Lord and Community. He served for thirteen years on the School Board, where his main interest was teacher and curriculum improvement. He also served several years on the Seibert Co-op Board, working for steady improvement and growth. Besides his local church, he and Lucile, supported many other Christian charities and organizations. He was an avid hunter, hunting for more than fifty years, packing into the wilderness and riding horses on the hunt. He was the camp cook and a good one at that. Son Harold, cousin, Ritchey Stewart and his son Darrel were his steady hunting partners, as well as other relatives and friends. He had a great love for horses, raising some good ones. Spring was one of his favorite times of the year as the new calves came. He loves his cattle industry. His life was saddened in his latter days when he lost his precious wife of fifty-seven years in an accident. His life spanned the twentieth century and he expressed that to live through all the advancements of one hundred years was a great experience. His life was long and blessed by the Lord. Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.â€? Roy decided many years ago that he wanted his funeral to bring honor and glory to the Lord. The songs he chose are songs that touched his life and it was his desire that they touch yours as well. He spent the last years of his life in the care of his loving family. A year at his daughter Sharon’s home and then at his own home, with family members and the wonderful Hospice nurses caring for him. He leaves behind, his children, son Harold and wife Jean, daughter Sharon and husband Ed. Ten grandchildren and spouses, sixteen great grandchildren, two great great granddaughters, one sister, Lila Porter, many nephews, nieces, cousins and a host of friends. Funeral Services for Roy were held on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 at the Park Community Center in Seibert, Colorado with Reverend Frank Waitley officiating. Visitation was held one hour prior to services at the Park Community Center. Burial followed in the Seibert Cemetery, Seibert, Colorado. Memorials can be left in Roy’s name to the Lincoln County Hospice and can be left at the High Plains Bank, Flagler, Colorado or the First National Bank Seibert, Colorado.