Wilmina “Mina” Poppens, age 93, of Tea, South Dakota, passed away on Dec. 11, 2024, at the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center, Luverne, Minnesota.
Wilmina DeRuyter was born on June 27, 1931, at Rock Valley, Iowa, the daughter of Dick and Lena (Kooistra) DeRuyter. She grew up on farms near Rock Valley, Iowa and Hills, Minnesota, attending rural school. After completing the eighth grade she began working, ironing and baby sitting, to supplement the family income. She then continued her work life in window dressing at Shriver’s in Sioux Falls, John Morrell & Co., church secretary for the American Reformed Church, Tri-State Insurance, Lee’s Meats, and cleaned numerous homes in Sioux Falls. Later she worked for the Tea School District.
On May 2, 1950, Mina was married to Allen Franken at Christian Reformed Church, Hills, Minnesota. The couple lived in Valley Springs, Ruthton, Minnesota, Michigan and Luverne, Minnesota. Three children were born to this union. Husband Allen passed away on November 8, 1973. Mina was compelled to return to school and earned her GED to obtain better job prospects.
Mina married Edwin Poppens on March 24, 1984, at American Reformed Church in Luverne, Minneosta. The couple made their home on a farm near Tea, South Dakota. They enjoyed travel and attending gospel quartets.
Mina was an active and faithful member of Lennox Ebenezer Presbyterian Church. She taught Sunday school and belonged to the Christian Women’s group. She enjoyed sewing everything from doll clothing to wedding dresses. She was an excellent cook and baker who made countless pies, cookies, wedding cakes, and every grandchild’s birthday cake. She also enjoyed gardening, crafts and puzzles. Mina was known to wash her house and even shingle her own garage. One might wonder how she did it all. Well, Mina loved her coffee.
Grateful for having shared her life are her husband of over 40 years, Ed; children Lori Lou Taubert, Luverne, Kevin Jay Franken, Robbinsdale, Minnesota, and David Dean (Shelly) Franken, Canton; step-children: Janice (Al) Schmuck, Sioux Falls, Gordan (Lynn) Poppens, Tea, James Poppens, Tea, Sharon Poppens, Sioux Falls, and Kathy Day, Georgetown, Texas; 12 grandchildren, Seth Taubert, Matthew (Morgan Johnson) Taubert, Andrew (Nicolette) Schmuck, Jennifer (Taylor Maegaert) Poppens, Nicole (Dan) O’Neal, Daniel (Blair) Poppens, Dustin Poppens, Kristin Poppens, Adam Poppens, Samantha (Gabe) Gier, Makayla (Zach) Olson, and Gavyn Olson, and 15 great-grandchildren; sister, Carol (Richard) Hill, Fort Worth, Texas; sisters-in-law Shirley DeRuyter, Linda (Rich) Wissink, Fran DeRuyter, and Arlis Poppens; as well as a host of other relatives and friends.
Besides her parents and first husband, Allen, Mina was preceded in death by two grandsons, Ryan Schmuck and Brian Poppens; one great-granddaughter, Eirinn Donnelly; and seven siblings, Gert (Dick) Van Engen, John DeRuyter, Spark DeRuyter, Mary (Pete) Gunnink, Rich DeRuyter, Nellie (John) Schoonhaven, and Gerrit DeRuyter.
Services were at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, at Lennox Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, followed by fellowship time and then burial in the Pleasant View Cemetery, Valley Springs, South Dakota. Visitation, also at Lennox Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, with the family present, was from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
In lieu of flowers memorials are requested to Children’s Inn, Sioux Falls, or Gideon’s International. Dindot-Klusmann Funeral Home, Lennox, is assisting the family.
