Mrs. Evelyn Bakker passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Crown Pointe Estates in Sioux Center, surrounded by loved ones and held in God’s care.

There will be a funeral service on Saturday, May 17, at 11:00am, at the Faith Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center with the Rev. Dave Smit officiating. Refreshments and a time of visitation with the family will take place at the church immediately following the service. Interment will then take place at the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery in rural Hull. The Oolman Funeral Home in Hull is in charge of arrangements.

Evelyn Caroline Wilhelmina Bakker was born on November 20, 1929, to William and Nellie (Dickman) Tiedeman in their farmhouse north of Hull. She was the oldest of five children and from an early age demonstrated the strong work ethic and gentle spirit that would define her life.

She attended country school through the eighth grade. After school, she worked for a local farm wife, where she honed her remarkable skills in cooking and homemaking—talents that would bless her family for decades.

At the age of 18, Evelyn’s life changed forever when she and a friend were walking through downtown Hull and caught the attention of a handsome young Army man named Bernard. Evelyn said she fell in love with him because he “looked good in his uniform.” The two were married on March 2, 1948, at rural St. Paul Lutheran Church. Their first year of marriage was spent living with Bernard’s brother and sister-in-law—one couple upstairs, the other downstairs.

Together, Evelyn and Bernard raised a beautiful family of nine children. In 1961, they moved to Perkins, which they fondly called their castle. There, Evelyn cultivated a large garden, grew beautiful flowers and lilac trees, and was known for her hospitality, kindness, and ability to see the good in everything. She cherished coffee time and quilting with her neighbors and church friends. Evelyn worked many years at the Hull Bakery utilizing her baking talent.

Evelyn never complained about the hard work of raising a large family. She had a gift for creating a warm, welcoming home, candy dishes filled with spice drops and passed down her values of faith, kindness, and resilience to her children and grandchildren.

In 2006, Evelyn and Bernard moved to the Regency in Sioux Center. She continued to enjoy fellowship over coffee, completing puzzles, and crafting—especially knitting, crocheting, and quilting. She loved chocolate, and was a woman of deep faith, often found reading her devotions out loud and spending time in prayer.

Her beloved husband, Bernard Bakker, passed away on January 28, 2011. Though his absence was deeply felt, Evelyn remained strong and continued to live with grace and gratitude.

In her later years, Evelyn transitioned through several residences. She moved to Franken Manor in 2020, then to Crown Pointe in 2021. In 2023, she entered assisted living, and in 2024 moved into nursing care.

Evelyn leaves behind a legacy of unwavering faith, a heart full of kindness, and a family who will carry her memory with them always.❤️

Survivors include her eight children, Linda (Ron) Vanden Bosch, of Hull; Carolyn (Albert) Bakker, of Rock Valley; Donna Wojciechowski, of Platte, South Dakota; Gerrit (Joyce) Bakker, of Rock Valley; Larry (Donita) Bakker, of Columbia, Missouri; Rodney (Lisa) Bakker, of Spirit Lake; Sandy (Kevin) Hoekstra, of Sioux Center; and Dale Bakker, of Sioux Center; forty grandchildren; 110 great-grandchildren; eight great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Shirley Winter; and sisters-in-law, Martia Tiedeman, Angeline (Gib) Hoogendoorn, and Leola Bakker.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bernard Bakker; her son, Kevin Bakker; sons-in-law Wilmer Middendorp and Paul Wojciechowski; grandchildren, Heath Vanden Bosch, Albert Bakker Jr., and Baby Middendorp; step-grandson, Jonah Holmes; and great-grandchildren, Avonlea Middendorp, Donnie Middendorp, Malakai Hoekstra, and Ezra Bakker; her siblings, Don (Ann) Tiedeman, Delmar Tiedeman, Wayne Kruse, Eldoris (Art) Dykstra, and Lanny Winter; and her Bakker in-laws, Albert (Alice) Bakker, Dena (Martin) Luttikhuizen, Jennie (Clarence) De Kam, John (Marie) Bakker, and Henry Bakker.

Memorials will be given to the Faith Christian Reformed Church building fund.