Brenda Kay (DeJong) Bultsma was born on July 10, 1958 to Case and Edith (Brumbaugh) DeJong and passed away on February 1, 2025 surrounded by her family.
Memorial services for Brenda Bultsma, 66, of Platte, SD, will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Olive Presbyterian Church, Platte, SD. There will be a prayer service Friday evening at the church at 7 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the prayer service.
Brenda grew up on the family farm outside of Platte, SD along with her five brothers and sisters. She was active in 4-H and was a Boom’s Drive In alumna. Brenda graduated from Platte High School in 1976 and attended South Dakota State University before returning to Platte.
Brenda and David Bultsma were married on June 10, 1977. With the arrival of their son, Joshua, in 1979, Brenda’s life focus became clear. She was committed to staying home with her children and so she began to provide child care for other families. Bridget and Jarrod were added to the family in 1982 and 1987.
She became a certified Early Childhood Educator and a licensed day care provider. Some called her a “child whisperer” because she had a way of bringing out a child’s best qualities while helping them develop the skills that lead to a happy, productive life: kindness, curiosity, love of learning, sharing.
While she developed her day care and then preschool services, she also was an active mother. She taught Sunday School, brought treats for school, was a 4-H leader, served on community and church committees. Brenda thoughtfully cared for her parents and Dave’s parents as they aged and their health declined, providing meals, mowing their lawns, and driving them to appointments. As a neighbor, she was the one who had a meal to take to someone who had been in the hospital, someone who had a baby, someone who experienced a tragedy in the family.
Brenda gave back to her community in big and small ways. She was instrumental in bringing a ‘Governor’s House’ to Platte, which opened as a community daycare and preschool. She dedicated herself fully to getting Bright Beginnings Learning Center built, opened, and operating.
When Josh went to Iraq in 2004, she helped organize a support group for other families with deployed soldiers. The group wrote letters, sent care packages, and offered each other support during this anxious time. Eleven years later, she offered the same support when Jarrod deployed to Kuwait. She supported Jarrod’s wife who was home with a toddler and a baby by loading up the pick-up with a grandchild or two from Platte, a box of rolls from the bakery and drove to Wessington Springs to help in whatever way was needed.
Brenda always knew how to make lemonade out of lemons. Following her cancer diagnosis in 1995, she became a strong advocate for raising money for cancer research and awareness. She faced both cancer and heart failure with grit and determination, continuing to care for children throughout her treatments. After she was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, she continued to provide child care and early education even while her body was failing her.
Brenda and Dave were always a team, but never more so than in navigating the ALS journey. From her first symptoms to her diagnosis and throughout the next years, Dave and Brenda worked closely together to make decisions about her care. Dave took the “in sickness and in health” marriage vow and showed us what that really means. His precise, steady care for Brenda allowed her to remain home which was her goal.
She is survived by her husband of over 47 years, Dave Bultsma; three children Joshua (Julie) Bultsma Coy, Rory, Riata, Tayten and Rozi; Bridget (Jared) Bender - Hayes; and Jarrod (Jacki) Bultsma - Dawson, Hayden and Austen.
Brenda’s surviving siblings are Lloyd DeJong, Linda Pranger, Mary DeJong (Tate Profilet), Lyle (Sandy) DeJong, and Lois (Bob) Ziebol. She is also survived by her inlaws: Cheryl Reed, Beverly Antonsen, Jan Urban, Barb (Todd) Powell, Bill (Chandel) Bultsma, and Patricia (Bill) Frei; along with many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and all the children she taught and cared for over the years.
She was welcomed into heaven by her parents, Case and Edith DeJong and parents-in-law, Ted and Carol Bultsma, sister-in-law Judy DeJong, and brothersin- law Bill Pranger, Ray Urban, Kevin Antonsen and many other beloved family members.
ALS took so much from Brenda but never her focus on how to take the journey with grace, humor and kindness. Her hospice care givers, community helpers and family all felt her love. In the end she was condensed to her essence: a wise soul and a loving heart.
The family is so grateful for the wonderful hospice assistants and community volunteers, friends, relatives and neighbors who helped in so many ways. Your kindness will always be remembered.
In lieu of flowers memorials can be given to Olive Presbyterian Church.
