Sam Hoekstra

Sam Hoekstra, 97, of Grants Pass died Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, at Highland House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. A celebration of his life will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. at Stephens Family Chapel, with J.C. Holden, pastor of Murphy Chapel, officiating. He was born Feb. 4, 1912, in Holland to Cornelis and Saapke Hoekstra. In 1930, he moved to the United States, where he moved around in the dairy industry milking cows wherever he could find work. In 1942, he joined the Army Air Force and served one year of his service in the Marshall Islands for the Secret Service testing hydrogen bombs. He was honorably discharged in 1949. In 1953, he moved to Grants Pass and started a dairy, which he operated until 1965. On July 29, 1985, in Reno, he married Helen A. Rono, who survives. He enjoyed going to casinos, playing cards and games, and fishing. In addition to his wife, survivors include a daughter, Lillyann Clark of California; two sons, Rodney and Danny George, both of Grants Pass; a sister, Romkjai Hoekstra of Holland; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.