George Werkman, 92, of Holland, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids after a brief illness.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, November 29, 2010 at the Colfax Center Presbyterian Church in Holland, Iowa with Pastors Larry Hoop & Larry Doughan officiating. Burial will follow funeral services at the Holland Cemetery in Holland with the Grundy Center American Legion Post #349 and AMVETS 17 performing military honors. Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 28, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Engelkes-Abels Funeral Home in Grundy Center.
George was born on September 12, 1918 in rural Grundy County, the son of Dick and Winnie Werkman. He attended school in Holland and graduated from Grundy Center High School in 1937. On January 30, 1946, George was united in marriage to Margaret Toomsen at the Holland Christian Reformed Church. George and Margaret lived in Holland until 1961, when they moved to Mount Vernon, Iowa. George served his country honorably in the U.S. Army during WWII.
As a young man, George worked as a banker and he and Margaret ran a grocery store in Holland. He then moved on to several jobs at feed mills. After the family's move to Mount Vernon, George worked a Link-Belt Speeder (FMC) until he returned to Holland. After his retirement, he worked odd jobs as a carpenter, was a lunch truck driver for the Mount Vernon School District and worked at the Holland Can Recycling.
George was a member of the Holland Christian Reformed Church and the First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon. He was most recently a member of the Colfax Center Presbyterian Church in Holland.
He is survived by his daughter Laura of Mount Vernon, IA and son Steve (Karla) of Greencastle, Missouri; grandson Tyson Werkman and one great-granddaughter Tatum; sister Winnie and brother Jake (Lois) Werkman. George was preceded in death by his wife Margaret; his parents; brothers Anno, Henry, Harm and Dick Werkman and two sisters, Henrietta and Grace.