Gretta Louise Bouwman, age 75, went to be with her Heavenly Father on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at Lakeside Gardens Adult Family Home in Lynden.
Gretta was born Jan. 5, 1948, to Dick and Sadie (Stremler) Bouwman in Bellingham. She attended Lynden Christian Schools, graduating in 1966 from Lynden Christian High School.
After graduation, Gretta moved to Portland Oregon where she attended Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing earning her registered nursing degree. She stayed on at the school working in the neurology unit or in neurology clinics for the next 46 years.
Gretta moved to Houston, Texas for a short time furthering her education in the neurology field. Then back to Portland.
Gretta attended Oak Hills Christian Reformed Church in Beaverton, OR and developed many wonderful and long lasting friendships.
Gretta used her vacation time to go on several medical mission trips to Honduras.
One of the times she stopped in Costa Rica to visit her friend Avy, who was a missionary there.
On Sept. 21, 2000, Gretta donated a kidney to her best friend from nursing school, Jeri Remillard. Jeri and the kidney survive her.
In 2012, Gretta was diagnosed with Parkinson Disease, and she retired from nursing shortly after. As the disease progressed, the family moved her to Lynden in 2016 where she lived at Meadow Greens Senior Living for two years. She moved to Lakeside Gardens in 2018 where she became part of the family for the next five years.
Gretta is preceded in death by her parents Dick and Sadie Bouwman, brothers Frank (Jackie), Sidney, and John; sister Bernice Mouw, and brothers-in-law Don Fox and Bill Hayes.
She is survived by sisters Louise Fox of Anacortes, and Grace Hayes of Lynden; brothers Richard and Katie Bouwman of Everson, and Douglas and Diane Bouwman of Bellingham; sister-in-law Doris Bouwman of Lynden; 28 nieces and nephews, and many many more family and friends in Lynden and in Portland, Oregon.
Visitation will be on Sunday, Oct 29, from 2-4 p.m. at Gillies Funeral Home. The graveside committal will be Monday, Oct. 30 at 10:15 a.m. at Monumenta Cemetery, Lynden, followed by an 11 a.m. memorial service at Third Christian Reformed Church, Lynden.
Arrangements are entrusted to Gillies Funeral Home.
