Graveside funeral services for Cornelia J. “Connie” Boer will be held Thursday, March 14, at 12:30 p.m. at Sunnyside Cemetery, Coupeville. Memorial services will follow 2 p.m. at Christian Reformed Church, Oak Harbor with Pastor Harold Veldman officiating. Visitation will be on Wednesday, March 13, at Burley Funeral Chapel, with family receiving visitors from 7-9 p.m.

Connie Boer, 80, died at Careage of Whidbey on March 10, 2002. She was born Dec. 20, 1921, in Baldwin, Wis., to Simon and Cornelia (Veltkamp) Dykstra. At the age of two, Connie and her parents traveled to China, where her family served as missionaries. Connie spent most of her youth growing up in China and she developed a love for the country and its people. She returned to Grand Rapids, Mich., to complete high school.

Connie received her bachelor’s degree in education from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. She taught sixth grade for one year. On June 29, 1945, she married Edward Boer in Grand Rapids. She transferred to Kalamazoo, Mich., where she spent six month teaching kindergarten.

Ed Boer was a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church. The Boers served churches across the country, including Kalamazoo and Lamont, Mich., Milwaukee, North Haledon, N.J., Muskegon, Mich., and in 1968 traveled to Brigham City, Utah. For several years, Connie was a social worker and volunteer coordinator at a nursing facility in Brigham City. The Boers remained in Brigham City until retirement in July of 1985.

The Boer family had visited Connie’s sister in Oak Harbor on several occasions and with retirement, decided to make Whidbey Island their permanent home. Connie loved music and was pianist and organist in many of the churches she and Ed served. She was a member of the Christian Reformed Church of Oak Harbor.

Connie Boer is survived by her husband of 56 years, Pastor Ed Boer at the family home, Coupeville. She is also survived by five children: David Boer (Nona) of Spring Lake, Mich.; Stephen Boer and James Boer, both of Coupeville; Laurel VanderMeulen (David) of Englewood, Colo.; and Mark Boer of Denver. She is survived by four sisters, Jean Muir of Anacortes, Dorothy Kass of Grand Rapids, Mich., Evelyn Ferrier of Oak Harbor, and Sylvia Gabrielse of Pittsburgh. Also eight grandchildren, Edward Boer of Nashville, Tenn.; Angela Boer of Chicago; Michelle Boer and Jessica Boer, both of Spring Lake, Mich.; Jed and Matt VanderMeulen, both of Englewood, Colo.; and Andrew and Katie Boer of Everett.

Memorials may be made to the Christian Reformed Church Sound System Fund. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Burley Funeral Chapel.