Mattie Wilma Olivier Bogaards was born on August 11, 1926, to Albert and Nellie (Goemaat) Olivier.  She was baptized and made profession of her faith in the Third Reformed Church of Pella.  As a young woman, she taught in rural schools in the area.

On February 16, 1949, she was united in marriage with Gerald Bogaards at the Third Reformed Church.  To this union, four sons were born:  Kenneth Dean, Ronald Wayne, Loren Eugene, and Dennis Ray. She and her husband farmed for six years near Leighton where they were members of the Leighton Christian Reformed Church.

While the family lived in Leighton, Mattie taught Bible School there. Later, after moving to Pella, she served as a Sunday School teacher at First Christian Reformed Church.  She was a member of Covenant Reformed Church of Pella.

When her youngest son began school, Mattie started working at the Central Park Café in Pella where she stayed for twenty-five years, first serving as a waitress. Later she became the hostess and cashier there.

Mattie passed away at The Cottages in Pella on January 8, 2022, at the age of ninety-five.  Those left to cherish her memory are the following: her three sons and their wives; ten grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Pearl Van Waardhuizen and Ruth Van Hal both of Pella; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband in 2014, her son Kenneth in 2007, her parents, brothers Abraham and Willard (Mary Jane), her sisters Helena, Albertha, Johanna (Elmer) Slykhuis, Junella (Leon) Potter, and Evalena Graham.  Also preceding her in death were her parents-in-law Andrew and Henrietta (Menninga) Bogaards, brother-in-law Lawrence Bogaards and his wives Bertha and Harriet, sister-in-law Shirley Stursma and her husband Paul, brothers-in-law John Van Waardhuizen and Ray Van Hal.

Family:

Ron and Karen Bogaards – Des Moines, Iowa

Jennifer Bogaards

Andy Bogaards

Jordan Bogaards

Jared and Janice Frank

Paul Frank

Angie Frank

Loren and Cindy Bogaards – Pella, Iowa

Kendra and Drew Kaufman

Matthew Kaufman

Isabella Kaufman

Jared and Abby Bogaards

Jack Bogaards

Greta Bogaards

Darren and Natalie Bogaards

Tate Bogaards

Claire Bogaards

Dennis and Eileen Bogaards – Urbandale, Iowa

Emily and Jake Wilkinson

Ayla Wilkinson

Brooke Wilkinson

Sarah Bogaards

Covenant Reformed Church
Pella IA

Mid-America Reformed Seminary