Our devoted father, grandfather, great-grandfather, Harold Wierda,
went home to the Lord he so diligently served for the ninety-five years
of his life. He died peacefully at his home in the presence of family on
May 5, 2008 fromBozeman,MONTANA. He longed to be reunited with his wife, Fannie, who
preceded him in death August 4, 2006. They had a most loving
marriage for seventy-one years.
Harold Wierda was born in Manhattan, MT on January 15, 1913 to
George and Katherine (Vos) Wierda. Dad was the only surviving child
of as many as eleven children who died at or shortly after childbirth.
Shortly after birth, his mom and dad moved to the Roy and Geraldine, MONTANA areas where they
homesteaded. These were the Depression years and they went through some very difficult times. In
1925, they moved back to the Churchill area where they farmed for a short while and then moved to
the Anceney area where he lived until his death. Harold went to elementary schools in Geraldine
and Anceney. He went to Manhattan Christian School for the ninth and tenth grades and finished
high school at Manhattan Public School where he graduated Valedictorian in his class. He
desired to continue his education and possibly go into the ministry, but was needed on the farm.
Dad loved music, which in his earlier years included Roy Acuff, The Cleveland Colored Quartet,
and George Beverly Shea. He knew to memory all the many verses to the cowboy ballad,
“The Strawberry Roan.”
On March 15, 1935, he married Fannie Brouwer at her parents’ home. With his father, they
acquired land in the Anceney area. He was a good steward of the land and worked hard his entire
life. He took meticulous care of his equipment. He was kind to animals and was very attached to his
dogs.
Harold and Fannie raised seven children, Mary (Ralph) Van Dyk, Buena Park, CA: Verna
(Bernard) Alberda, Mill Creek, WA; Eva (Herman) Baker, Whitinsville, MA; Wesley (Sheila)
Wierda, Manhattan, MT; Ruth (Will) Van Dyken, Bozeman, MT; Evert (Jamee) Wierda,
Manhattan, MT; and Carl (Kathy) Wierda, Bozeman, MT. Also surviving are his sisters-in-law,
Mina Balkema and Catherine Svensrud; brother-in-law, Norman Dykstra; twenty-two
grandchildren, and fifty great-grandchildren.
During his life, Harold was active in the Manhattan Christian Reformed Church serving several
times on the church council, and Manhattan Christian School where he served several times as
board member. Harold’s deep devotion to the Lord impacted every one with whom he served.