Katherine Dykstra

Katherine Dykstra was a woman with a heart of gold. She was generous with others, even during times that weren’t easy for her. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and sister, Katherine will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

The prosperity of the Roaring Twenties came to an end with the crash of the Wall Street stock market in 1929, marking the start of the Great Depression. Despite the turmoil in the world around them, the Koepke family of Grand Rapids eagerly looked forward to the newest addition to their family. In January of that year, John Peter Koepke and Evelyn Christine (Mergener) Koepke welcomed their daughter, Katherine Mary into their hearts and home. Both John and Evelyn were born in Michigan but their families emigrated here from Germany. To support his family, John worked as fireman for the city of Grand Rapids for 25 years, then as a fabricator for Waltz-Holst Blow Pipe. Evelyn kept busy with her family of 11 children! Kathrine grew up in a bustling home at 1260 Diamond Avenue in Grand Rapids with 10 siblings: Virginia, John, Mary, Martin, Gertrude, Dan, Joan, Judy, Sharon, and David. Katherine was always proud of her family and she never missed sending cards to each of her sibling on their birthday.

Katherine enjoyed a happy childhood and growing up in a large family, she was never at a loss for playmates. As a child, Katherine was stricken with Scarlet Fever and lost all of her hair. She was pleasantly surprised when it was curly when it grew back in. She attended St. Alphonsus for Grade school and then planned to attend Creston High School. After one day, we realized that Creston was not a good fit for her so she switched to Catholic Central, graduating in 1947. She was a member of the Glee Club in high school and in her spare time, she enjoyed roller skating, fishing, crafting, gardening, and junking at various second-hand stores in the area. The family attended Standale Reformed Church, in Standale, Michigan.

During high school Katherine worked at St. John’s Home and St. Mary’s Hospital. Following graduation, Katherine began working as a telephone hostess at AMI Distributing. The company was owned by the Yeo family and Katherine became acquainted with one of the Yeo’s sons, Robert who worked as a service tech at AMI. The two found they enjoyed each other’s company and after dating for several years, they were happily married on October 12 1950 at St Alphonsus Chapel. The young couple made their home at 3 Mile Road in Grand Rapids and later at 9027 Merrifield SE. Katherine and Robert were blessed with the birth of their two children, Pamela Kay in 1952 an Samuel Fredrick in 1954.

Katherine would find love again when she met Floyd Dykstra at Keebler where she worked as a line supervisor and Floyd was a machine repairman. After some time getting to know each other, they decided they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. On December 20 1974, Katherine and Floyd married at the Justice of the Peace. They resided at 4787 Leonard NE in Grand Rapids and wintered in Panama Beach, Florida. They enjoyed many camping trips in state parks as well as Cran Hill Ranch.

Generous and compassionate, Katherine volunteered her time at the Grand Rapids Food Pantry, Edison Place and as a Ladies Aid at church. In her spare time, she enjoyed reading the Jo-Jo Mar book series or working on crafts. She had a good eye and often made things from items she purchased at Goodwill or the Mission Store. Katherine had a flair for decorating and she never missed adorning her home for each and every holiday! A great cook, Katherine’s family enjoyed great dishes such as goulash, Swiss steak, German potato salad, mincemeat pie, apple spice cake and peanut butter cookies. Katherine was proud to be a Koepke and she took a huge interest in family genealogy. She treasured heirloom family furniture and well as photo albums and scrapbooks.

Katherine will be lovingly remembered for her perseverance and her deep devotion to her family. Children held a special place in her heart and she always made time to reach out and connect with the elderly. She was determined to be successful despite any difficulties that life threw her way and her compassion and generosity never waned. Katherine’s legacy will live on in the hearts of her family and all who knew her.

Katherine M. Dykstra, (Koepke, Yeo), age 94, passed away on Sunday, September 17, 2023. Katherine was born in January of 1929 in Grand Rapids, MI to the late John and Evelyn Koepke. Along with her parents Katherine is preceded in death by her two husbands, Robert Yeo and Floyd Dykstra, her daughter Pamela Kay Hoffman as well as by sisters Virginia Firlik, Mary Koster and her brother John Koepke. Katherine is survived by her son Sam (Patricia) Yeo and grandchildren Katie (Bryan) Kraft, Rebecca Bazan and Timothy and Michael Stewart as well as by her great-grandchildren and brothers and sisters, Martin (Patricia) Koepke, Dan Koepke, David (Diane) Koepke, Gertrude (Ed) VanPortfliet, Joan French, Judy (Dan) Rieth and Sharon Rosely. Katherine will be fondly remembered as a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother and sister. She was a longtime member of Standale Reformed Church and had retired from Keeber Company after 26 years of dedicated service. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 11 AM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, Alt Shawmut Chapel, (2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504). Friends may visit with the family beginning at 10 AM prior to the service. Katherine will be laid to rest next to her husband Floyd in Winchester Cemetery, Gaines Township. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Spectrum Health Hospice or Standale Reformed Church. To leave a memory or condolence please visit www.heritagelifestory.com.