Ted Steensma

Ted Steensma knew how to keep you on your toes. Call it a love for jokes or a love for making people laugh–no matter where he was, he brought smiles with him.

Theodore "Ted" Steensma was born the seventh of nine kids on September 8, 1923, on a farm in Minnesota. His older siblings quickly taught him about the most important things in life: games, jokes, food, and family.

His brothers constantly played pranks on Ted and unfortunate bystanders. They were known for tossing their underwear to the main level while company was over for dinner. And when Ted was a teen, his older brother Pete pranked him by using motor oil to "teach" him how to slick his hair back.

Life on the farm moved to a rhythm. Sundays were filled with church services and community activities nearly all day, and the rest of the week was filled with hard work. When Ted was 18, that routine forever changed. One Wednesday night at youth group, Ted spotted a pretty blond rushing into church a few minutes late. When he saw that she was trying to sit a few pews away, he made what was possibly the second greatest decision of his life: he shoved his friends over, got the girl's attention, and convinced her to sit with him.

Ted didn't waste any time in getting to know Bertha Struiksma, the vivacious blond from church. After a few months seeing one another, Ted's siblings decided that Ted and Bert were moving too slow for them. When the two lovebirds were 20, Ted's brother Andrew helped him propose with a very eloquent, "So why don't you guys just get married already?"

So they did.

After getting married, she and Ted farmed until 1953, when they moved to Artesia, California, to be near to family and friends. Wherever Bert and Ted went, people loved them. Bert was sassy, Ted was mischievous, and together they were an unstoppable force of fun and laughter. Marrying her, without a doubt, was the greatest decision he ever made.

The couple's life felt completed when they adopted their daughters Linda (in 1955) and Kathy (in 1961). While in California, Bert cleaned houses while Ted worked for a feed company. They stayed there for 18 years before moving to Pella, Iowa, where both worked at Pella Rolscreen Windows. As always, their weekends were packed with friends and family playing games–men versus women, where the men had to cheat in order to win.

No one could get enough time with Ted and Bert while they lived in one place, so it's a good thing they retired. They bought a motor home and toured the country, visiting family and friends from coast to coast. Ted loved to visit his girls and their families in Colorado and Tennessee, as well as his siblings and in-laws in California.

Savanah, Michelle, Briele, and Stephanie always knew they were loved by their Grandpa. His cheesey jokes fueled their love of laughing. He snuck Dutch peppermints into church for his granddaughters to snack on and never missed a chance to get ice cream in the afternoon (with a senior discount, of course). He only needed his family to be happy. That and good food, which he ate heartily and without question, and a daily nap–even in the middle of a game of dominoes or cards. Their Grandpa Ted was a joy to be around and always made everyone feel welcome and loved.

About ten years ago, Ted and Bert moved to the Clermont Living Center in Denver, where they set up shop in a small two-bedroom apartment that had just enough room for them and a cat the size and temperament of a small lawn mower. Ted stayed as friendly as ever, spreading his little jokes and smiles to everyone around. Soon he knew just about everyone by name, and even if he didn't, he would still greet everyone he saw. Sometimes when he went to get the mail, Ted would go sit and talk to total strangers just because he could. In 2003, he was diagnosed with dementia, but he didn't let it hold him back. He made sure to play billiards every afternoon, and he and his wife went to every community activity they could.

Of all the things Ted loved, from his vibrant wife to his daughters and grandkids, Jesus was loved the most. He always used to joke that he should've been a preacher, and sometimes he would even pretend that he had actually given the sermon. Ted's love for his savior overflowed as kindness from his sweet spirit. Even while he was nabbing your dinner plate when you got up for a glass of water, you knew he was doing it for a laugh, and somehow his little pranks made you feel more loved and more cared for than anything else he could've done.

As Ted's dementia worsened, he started to forget people's names, but he never stopped greeting new and old friends. When Bert went home to the Lord in 2014, Ted moved to the memory ward of the living center. He kept up his reputation as a jokester and was well-loved by everyone who took care of him or came to visit.

Ted Steensma, aged 93 years, passed away on the evening of December 20, 2016. There was no pain – only the answer to God calling him home in his sleep. He left behind daughter Linda Graham and son-in-law Mark and their children Michelle, Briele, and Stephanie; daughter Kathy Tate and son-in-law Larry and their daughter Savanah; an amazing extended family of siblings, nieces, nephews, and more.

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