Frieda Joan (Nienhuis) Heeringa went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017 after a four-year battle with cancer.
Frieda was born on Dec. 7, 1937 in Oak Harbor to Fred and Grace Nienhuis. She grew up on their dairy farm at San De Fuca with her older siblings Don, Bill and Bonnie. In high school Frieda met the love of her life, Ted Heeringa, at a Reformed church camp on Orcas Island. Ted would make the long drive from Lynden to Whidbey Island to visit her. They were married on June 7, 1958 and ran a dairy farm on Bender Road until their retirement in 1995.
Frieda had many passions in life. She loved to travel. She and Ted drove the Al-Can highway to Alaska three times, went to Europe three times and Florida and Hawaii several times each, and did summer family camping trips all over the western U.S. and Canada. She enjoyed her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and went to many concerts, soccer games, track and cross country meets in addition to getting all the kids together every summer. Frieda had a green thumb and enjoyed growing lots of vegetables and beautiful flowers in her gardens. An avid bird watcher, she was well known to all the various migratory birds as a great rest stop on their routes. She especially loved the hummingbirds that came back to her feeders year after year. She was a Seattle Mariners fan and tried to get to Seattle at least once a summer for a game. She had too many friends to count. She was always available to listen to her friends when an ear was needed and to help them when hands were necessary. She was a member of Faith Reformed Church in Lynden ever since she married Ted, and her church family was a great source of friendship and support to her.
Frieda experienced sorrows in her life as well. Husband Ted passed away unexpectedly in 2010, her only son Jeff passed at age 14 from muscular dystrophy, and her oldest daughter Lori King Rolon passed at age 52 from breast cancer. She was also preceded in death by her brother Don Nienhuis and sister Bonnie Vander Stoep.
She is survived by daughters Lynne (Allen) Morris of Gig Harbor and Jill (Mike) Yonkman of Sumas and son-in-law Danny Rolon of Tucson, Arizona; eight grandchildren, Steve (Rachel) King of Ferndale, Stephanie (BJ) Burmeister of Tucson, Ryan (Destiny) King of Post Falls, Idaho, Lisa (Shaun) Steele of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Christopher Morris of Tacoma, Ashley Morris of Gig Harbor, Zac Yonkman and Michaela Yonkman of Sumas; and seven great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind a brother, Bill (Gwen) Nienhuis, and sisters- and brothers-in-law Joyce Fakkema, Don (Coggin) Heeringa, Rose (Don) Scheffer and Randy (Sharon) Heeringa. Throughout her life, Frieda was an excellent example of how to lean on Jesus for your strength. She will be missed by all.
After a private graveside committal in Monumenta Cemetery, a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, in Faith Reformed Church of Lynden with pastors Marcus Roskamp and Ron Vander Werff officiating.
You are invited to share your condolences and memories in the online guestbook at www.gilliesfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are entrusted to Gillies Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Lynden.
