Shirley Ann Bruxvoort

November 2, 1935 - October 10, 2020

Shirley Bruxvoort, 84, of Oskaloosa died Saturday, October 10, 2020, at the MHP Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa. She was born November 2, 1935, in Mahaska County the daughter of John and Engelene DeKock Engelhoven. She attended Whittier Elementary and graduated from Oskaloosa High School. On February 5, 1954, she was united in marriage to Gerald “Jerry” Bruxvoort in Oskaloosa. Shirley helped Jerry on the family farm north of Eddyville and worked various part-time jobs in Oskaloosa. She was a member of Bethel Christian Reformed in Oskaloosa where she was active in Bethel Bible Hour along with various children’s ministries at Good News Chapel in Oskaloosa. She served on the Board of Trustees for the Mahaska Hospital, where she sat as board president for a time. Shirley volunteered many hours for the Hospital Auxiliary working in the snack bar at the hospital. She was also active with organizations that her children were involved with by being a 4-H leader and volunteering with the Willing Workers at the Oskaloosa Christian School. While on the farm she looked forward to the meetings of Iowa Central and Harrison Homemakers neighborhood clubs. Shirley was a talented seamstress, crafter, upholsterer, and gardener. She and Jerry enjoyed traveling, especially the trip they took to Egypt to see her sister Neva. Late in life Shirley decided she needed to learn to play the piano. As her efforts of providing lessons to her children failed, she took lessons herself to prove to them that the piano was an instrument that really could be played. She had a great attention to detail and believed that anything worth doing was worth doing well. She delighted in spending time with her family and always took time to make her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren feel special. Jerry and Shirley moved to Oskaloosa in 2000, where she resided until her health necessitated a move to Northern Mahaska Specialty Care in 2013. Her family includes her husband of over 66 years, Gerald “Jerry” Bruxvoort of Oskaloosa; four children and their spouses, Bob and Deb Bruxvoort of New Sharon, Jay and Diane Bruxvoort of Oskaloosa, Diane and Alistair Cowie of Alvord, Texas, and Judi and Dennis Veldhuizen of Oskaloosa; ten grandchildren, Rob (Leah) Bruxvoort, Nicole (Randy) Vos, Jason (Salli) Bruxvoort, Dan (Carol) Bruxvoort, Angie (Doug) Groenenboom, Mandy (Curt) Johnston, Abby (Scott) Canfield, Dustin (Megan) Veldhuizen, Michael (Kelly) Whitby, and Cassandra Whitby; twenty seven great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; three sisters, Laura (George) Slagter, Neva (Harold) Vogelaar, and Edna (Leland) Fynaardt; and two brothers, Virgil Engelhoven and Harley Engelhoven. Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 15, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. in the Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Oskaloosa. There will be a family prayer service at 9:45 Thursday morning in the church. Private family burial will be in the Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa. The Bates Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. According to the rules put in place by the Iowa Department of Public Health, proper social distancing and reasonable personal protective equipment is advised for attending a religious public event. Shirley’s family request that those in attendance please wear a mask while attending visitation and the funeral ceremony. The funeral service will be live streamed at the funeral home’s YouTube Channel. Visitation will begin Wednesday after 12 noon in the Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Oskaloosa, the family will be at the church on Wednesday evening from 5-7 to greet friends and relatives. Memorials may be made to the Oskaloosa Christian School or MHP Hospice Serenity House.