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The Mountaineer - Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada
© 2024 The Mountaineer Publishing Company Limited.


Elisabeth (Pouw) Kikstra
1923 – 2024


Mom was born in Voorthuizen, The Netherlands, on Sept. 16, 1923, the third child, and another girl, of eventually seven children. She was very independent, as at the age of 12 she left home to attend private school. She stayed with an aunt. As a young child and on, she was always strong-headed and was even nicknamed “pe,” short for “pestkopje” (pest) by her siblings.

At the age of 19, she started her nursing career and now she could really be independent. She even did a year of nursing in Indonesia. When her older sister, Coob and her husband immigrated to Canada, she followed to make sure they were alright. Life was good there, so she decided to stay, working as a nurse in Lacombe, Rimbey and Rocky Mountain House, and eventually making this her home.

Through the Dutch singles group, she met a dashing young man by the name of, Klaas Kikstra. They were married on May 7, 1952, in the Christian Reformed Church in Rocky Mountain House. The first couple to wed there. For the next 50 years she made Rocky her home.

She continued nursing until her second child was born and then became a stay-at-home mom and four more children followed. She was very proud of all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. There was never any lack of adventures with Mom, Oma or Ommi.

When Dad passed away, Mom’s legacy really started — her letter writing. She wrote thousands of cards of encouragement. The greatest number written was over 1,700 cards in one year. She also volunteered for many years at the Next to New. After 22 years of being by herself, at the age of 80, she married Klaas Boskers, and moved to Lacombe. He passed away in October 2018.

Mom’s encouragement wasn’t just in letters, it was also in her nightly phone calls to her children. How those calls and short and sweet “I love yous” will be missed.

Mom peacefully went to heaven and her prayer of meeting Jesus came true on March 11, 2024. She was predeceased by her parents, all her siblings, her husband Klaas in 1981, and granddaughter Elizabeth in 1985. She is survived by her children, Johanna (Neil) Huget, Irene Kerklaan, Derek Kikstra, Jane (Gary) Hachey, Friedle (Wilf) Ebens, and Raymond (Wendy) Kikstra, 40 grandchildren and spouses, 55 great-grandchildren plus numerous nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren.

A celebration of her life was held March 19, in Lacombe.