Sybil G. Bockert

Sybil Gweneth Bockert of Des Moines, Iowa, went home to be with her Lord on Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022.

Sybil was born on January 18, 1924, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Paul and Sue (Terpstra) Turk. She grew up in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and attended schools in Fort Dodge as well as Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan. She was a founding member of the Fort Dodge High School Alumni Association.

Sybil was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 51 years, John D. Bockert, her parents, Paul and Sue Turk, her sister, Naomi Turk Gunderson McDonnell, brother-in-law, LeRoy “Rusty” Gunderson, brother-in-law, Leo McDonnell, half-brother, Paul (Nancy) Turk, and grandson, Steven Bockert.

She is survived by her three sons, Mike (Ann), John (Shelley), and Daniel (Susan), her two half-sisters, Laurene (Ronald) Turk Hayward and Lynette (Jack) Turk Weidner, twelve grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a number of “adopted” grandchildren.

In her late teens Sybil began to sing professionally, performing with the Roger Haymes big band and hosting a live call-in radio show, where she would sing requests from the radio audience. After Sybil and John married, they enjoyed many years of square dancing together with the local dance community, and she continued to use her vocal talent as a square dance caller. She also worked several years in customer service at Iowa Power and Light, retiring in 1984.

Sybil had a special gift for bringing people together for fun and fellowship. She was actively involved in her neighborhood and with the picnics and gatherings of local sheet metal workers through her husband John’s work. She was devoted to her sons and their various activities as well. She and John both volunteered countless hours for school functions, the Highland Park Little League, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts, and Sybil was past president of the Scouts Mothers Club. Pancake breakfasts and chili suppers were regular events on her calendar. Sybil also chaired the fundraising committee when the North High School Band was invited to perform in Hawaii in 1972.

Sybil was a longtime member of the Mission Church in Urbandale, Iowa (formerly First Federated Church). Beginning in 1973, she supported and participated in several church ministries. She sang in church musicals and at special occasions, organized the church’s clothes closet for the needy, and was a faithful supporter of the church’s missionaries. Sybil was also active in Hannah’s Circle and Women Alone Serving, and she belonged to the Friendly Fellowship class and was its last surviving member.

Sybil’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren looked up to her throughout their lives as the spiritual matriarch of the family, and all of them were affected in countless ways by her love and her prayers—the two pillars of her life that stand out above everything else. She was used by the Lord to help bring many family members to Himself. Her heart grew bigger as her family grew larger, and each person received from her a full measure of love, attention, and concern.

Sybil also had a deep and abiding love for the Word of God. Her Bible had been read and written on and shared until it was literally falling apart and held together with duct tape. Her love for the Word led her to a ministry of sharing Our Daily Bread devotionals with everyone she could, and for many years she mailed them to out-of-town family members, praying that they would know the Lord and come to love the Word as well.

Another important part of Sybil’s legacy is her lifelong habit of sending personalized cards to everyone on birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and special occasions along the way. Even Halloween was an opportunity to send a Snoopy card. Anyone who knew Sybil knew that she could never get enough of Snoopy, a character who shared her optimistic and fun-loving approach to life.

During her long journey, Sybil made friends wherever she went. She was quick to laugh and intentional in her love. She looked beyond others’ faults to see their needs. When asked for advice, she would often respond with Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

One of Sybil’s granddaughters reflected on her passing, “I can’t help but feel there is something amazing and truly significant about Grandma going to heaven to meet Jesus on Easter Sunday, a day to celebrate forgiveness and new life and our risen King. It seems to me a great honor, and a reflection of her unwavering faith.”

In lieu of flowers, Sybil requested that contributions be made to the Mission Church, 12001 Ridgemont Drive, Urbandale, Iowa 50323

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