Joan Aalbers

Joan Steenhoek Aalbers passed away peacefully at her Presidential Meadows home in Manor, Texas on August 26, 2022, after a brief battle with a very aggressive form of metastatic breast cancer. She was 71.

She was born during a blizzard to Dale and Mary Steenhoek in Oskaloosa, Iowa on February 6, 1951. Raised as an all-American wholesome farmer’s daughter, she was well-groomed to be God-fearing as well as experienced in a variety of hard work on the family farm in the Pella, Iowa area. Such labor prepared her in the practical knowledge of keeping a house, culinary cuisine, raising, growing, and preserving one’s own food.

On a hot July 3, 1969, she married Gerald Aalbers, who at the time was in the US Army Security Agency. Those early years were rough with military separations for extended periods of time and 14 residences in a little over eight years. During that time, Joan was with her husband at Fort Hood, Texas, Cape Canaveral, Florida, Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and the Presidio of Monterey, California. She traveled with her husband on a tour to Berlin, Germany, and taught piano to several military dependents while there.

Joan got her medical education over a period of 12 years. She first became an LVN, and while working in that capacity, attended Nursing School and became a Registered Nurse. She attended Texas Woman’s University (Denton, Texas) and completed the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program in 1990. She worked as a Nurse Practitioner for over 25 years before retiring from the Texas Department of State Health Services after 24 years of service.

Joan had an avid, compassionate, servant’s heart.  She was a Baptist Pastor’s wife for more than 44 years, always filling the as-needed vacancies with her service, and for 12 of those years she was an Associate Minister of Music for Freedom Church in Manor, Texas.  She was President of the Presidential Meadows Homeowners Association Board for more than 10 years providing crucial leadership during some tough times. Joan enjoyed her leisure relaxing with a good book, her always melodious tunes emanating from her piano, or whipping up a new concoction in her Dutch farmhouse-style kitchen.

She was preceded in death by her father, Dale Delvin Steenhoek, her mother, Mary Helen Brummel Steenhoek, and her kid brother, Mark Lee Steenhoek. She is survived by her husband of more than 53 years, Dr. Gerald Aalbers Th.D., of Manor, Texas, and her brother, John and his wife, Debbie Steenhoek of Pella, Iowa.   She is also survived by her children: Scott and his wife, Kerry Aalbers of Burleson, Texas; Stan and his wife, DeAnn Aalbers of College Station, Texas; Sheila and her husband, US Navy Captain Terry Nemec of Atoka, Tennessee; and Shelby and his wife, Stephanie Aalbers of Mansfield, Texas. Additionally, she is survived by seven grandchildren: Scott Aalbers II, Sydney Aalbers, Gerrit Nemec, Caden Aalbers, Anezka Nemec, Zofia Nemec, and Stevie Aalbers, and a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews.

The family suggests memorials be given to Austin Baptist Church Debt Retirement Fund (www.AustinBaptistChurch.com).

Family visitation will be at Providence-Jones Funeral Home; 604 Highway 95 North; Elgin, Texas on Wednesday, August 31 from 5-7 PM.  A memorial service will be held at Austin Baptist Church, 7016 Ribelin Ranch Road, Austin, on Thursday, September 1, 2022, 10:00 AM with Pastor Jonathan Spencer officiating, assisted by Gerald Aalbers. She will be interred at a later date at Dallas/Fort Worth National Cemetery.

Services will be live streamed via the following link: https://boxcast.tv/view/memorial-service-nhprerarzlsbgwnxtsdg