Kay Frances (Kading) Terpstra, 85, passed away Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, at her home in Monroe after battling pancreatic cancer. Funeral service was at 1:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 22, at Otley Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Monroe Senior and Community Center - The Gathering Place.
The daughter of Paul and Agnes (Carroll) Kading, Kay was born Feb. 26, 1940, in Knoxville. She attended Franklin Center Country School from kindergarten through eighth grade in rural Knoxville. She then went on to attend Pleasantville High School graduating in 1958. She enjoyed playing the saxophone in the high school band and participating in the local 4-H club.
4-H is where she learned to refinish furniture, sew, and bake (must be where she learned to make her most famous almond bars). After graduation, she began her nearly 40-year career with Equitable Life of Iowa Insurance Company in Des Moines. While there, she held many different positions with her last one being supervisor in the actuarial department.
Feb. 5, 1982, Kay was united in marriage to Vernon Terpstra at her cousin’s home near Pleasantville. To this union Vernon brought four children: Todd, Krista, Jodi, and Jill, which she lovingly welcomed as her own. The couple lived on a dairy farm west of Monroe all their married life until moving to town a little over one year ago. The couple enjoyed many activities together including playing on a coed volleyball league and a coed bowling league, attending all the “Kading Kousin” reunions, and playing various card games with several different family members and friend groups. Her greatest enjoyment came from her interactions with her grandkids and great-grandkids. She made sure their mailbox was never empty on a birthday or holiday, could never tell them “no,” and saved all the newspaper clippings their name and/or photo was ever in. Kay was also a tremendous help to Vernon in the dairy barn feeding the newborn calves and all her farm kitties.
Kay grew up going to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Melcher. She attended Otley Reformed Church all her married life where she enjoyed serving in many capacities including Vacation Bible School, the Tulip Time food stand, and Linger Longer coffee time every Sunday morning serving coffee and all the sweets one could eat.
Those left to cherish her memory include her husband of 43 years, Vernon of Monroe, and his four children and their families: Todd (Bonnie) Terpstra, Krista (Ron) Van Wyngarden, Jodi (Mike) Lanphier, and Jill (Cameron) McGinley.
She is also survived by her brother Charles Kading; sister Judy (Wil) Becker; brothers-in-law Rich (Mary) Terpstra, Virgil (Bertha) Terpstra, Ivan (Nancy) Terpstra, and Larry Rumer; sisters-in-law Viola Goemaat and Twyla Meyers; and nieces and nephews, as well as their beloved dog Pete.
Kay was preceded in death by her parents, sister Mary Ellen Kading, sister-in-law Marianne Kading, parents-in-law Dick and Minnie Terpstra, brothers- and sisters-in-law Alberta (Marion) Pol, Irene (Raymond) Bennink, Donna (Lee) Asher, Ed Goemaat, Marilyn (Marvin) May, and Julia Rumer.
