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Henry Lee Nunnikhoven was born on February 8, 1937 to Abe and Anna (Van
Dusseldorp) Nunnikhoven. He passed away on January 31, 2023 at the Comfort House
in Pella at the age of 85 years.
On June 20, 1957, Lee was united in marriage with Norma Langstraat at Central
Reformed Church in Oskaloosa. They were blessed with four children.
Lee and Norma started farming in 1958 east of Pella. In 1965 they moved their family
to the farm southeast of Pella, where Lee was born and had grown up. Here Lee and
Norma raised their family, teaching them that hard work was its own reward,
commitment led to long-term happiness, and playing cards with friends was one of the
greatest pleasures in life.
In 1989, they left the farm and moved to their beloved acreage on the east side of
Pella. Lee went to work for Ring-O-Matic, where he worked for 22 years. This gave
him and Norma the opportunity to deliver pit cleaners to various parts of the country,
including Montana, Texas, and New York.
Antique tractors became a favorite interest for Lee. He restored his John Deere B and
Farmall 300 tractors and showed them off in many Tulip Time parades and tractor
rodeos as a member of the Red Rock Threshers Tractor Club. He loved mastering the
teeter-totter and helping at tractor pulls, threshing, and many other tractor activities.
He was also a member of the Dutch Masters Auto Club with his 1977 Chevy Caprice
Classic…his pride and joy.
When Lee and Norma attended their first Bluegrass Festival in 1985, he was hooked!
Over the years, Lee attended countless Bluegrass festivals and jams, joining in the
singing and making many wonderful, lifelong friends. He was fondly given the
nickname “Teddy Bear” after winning a teddy bear door prize at a festival, and that’s
been his name ever since. These festivals and friends were a magnet for Lee, and he
told many stories of driving home in the middle of the night after singing until the wee
hours.
In his retirement years, in spite of failing eyesight, Lee built scale-model replicas of four
barns and the North Porterville Schoolhouse, where he had attended school. He had a
great memory for details.
Lee will be remembered as hard-working, resourceful, and God-loving. He was loved
by and will be missed by many.
Lee and Norma’s family:
Marla and Daniel Comstock of Pella
The late Michelle Comstock
The late Michael Comstock
Hailey
Vernon Nunnikhoven of Otley
Nathan and Danielle Nunnikhoven
Madison, Noah
Scott and Chelsea Nunnikhoven
Alexis, Kaleb, Treyton, Jaydon, Logan, the late Benjamin, Annabelle
Jaren and Erin Nunnikhoven
Baby expected in August
Marcena and Guy Schwab of Pella
Hannah and Jordan Davis
Rachel Schwab
Marsha and Tim Vanden Hoek of Sully
Kelsi and Jacob Bowman
Berkley, Braxton, and baby expected in July
Brett and Sophie Vanden Hoek
He is also survived by his sister-in-law Dorothy Nunnikhoven of Pella.
Henry Lee was preceded in death by Norma, his wife of 64 years; his parents; granddaughter Michelle Comstock; grandson Michael Comstock; and great-grandson Benjamin Nunnikhoven.
To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.
Hospice of Pella
Pella IA
Lake View Camp
P.O. Box 836, Pella IA 50219