ln the early morning hours of Sunday, November 17, 2019 Jake Kroon peacefully left this earth to be with his Savior, Jesus Christ. Jake was born on March 15, 1925 to Dick and Gertie (Van Nieuwenhuizen) Kroon on a farm northwest of Lismore, Minnesota, the fourth of seven children. The family moved from Lismore to north of Leota where Jake graduated from Leota Christian School. He completed one year at Edgerton Western High School and returned to work on the farm at the height of the Great Depression. In March of 1946, Jake graduated from Reisch School of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa. He was an auctioneer for many years at the Luverne Sale Barn and later in Bozeman; it was a profession he enjoyed very much. On October 11, 1948 Jake married his sweetheart Georgia "Georgie" Ruth Pink. Their union blessed them with three boys — Tracy in 1951, Daryl in 1953, and Steve in 1956.
Following a lifelong dream to live in the West, Jake and Georgia packed their three boys and all their belongings and drove until they reached Bozeman, Montana. They found their perfect and forever home on Rocky Creek with room for their boys and Jake's horses. Jake started Kroon and Sons Construction where he worked alongside Daryl and Steve and ranched cattle on the side.
After a construction accident in 1982 and subsequent surgery, Jake was left without his short- term memory. He retired from construction and stayed active with small woodworking projects, spending time at Tracy's shop, and with his horses. Jake also loved collecting leaves and hiding them in phone books for Georgia to find. For more than half of their 71-year marriage, Georgia cared patiently for Jake and helped him keep track of his lost memories.
Jake was a lifelong member of the Christian Reformed Church, attending the Bozeman CRC for more than fifty years. Jake enjoyed many things in life — farming, auctioneering, fishing, hunting, camping, woodworking, and his horses. Later in life Jake became an avid birder and found delight in watching the fancy finches that would visit the feeders — that he had made in his woodshop - on their back porch. But above all, Jake cherished Jesus, his family, and deeply loved his Georgie.
Jake was preceded in death by his parents Dick and Gertie Kroon, older sisters Henrietta Hamm and Anne Lubben-Prins, and younger brother Rev. Johnny Kroon.
Jake is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Georgia, and his three sons Tracy (wife Rhoda), Daryl (wife Rita), and Steve. Jake has four grandchildren —Tracy’s daughter Ashley (husband Erik Diehl) and son Colter, and Daryl's two sons Nicolas and Daniel. He is also survived by his older sister Martha Brouwer, younger brother Dick Kroon (wife Hazel), and younger sister Adrianna (Hamm) Swanson. Special nieces, nephews, and cousins were an active part of his life.
Jake's family extends its sincere gratitude to the caring family at Hyalite Country Care and Hospice of Bozeman Health.
Visitation with the family will be Monday, November 25, 5 to 7p.m. at Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. A memorial service will be on Tuesday, November 26, at 10:30 a.m. at Bozeman Christian Reformed Church, reception following. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Brain injury Alliance of Montana, 3535 N. Broadway Unit 6, Missoula, MT 59808.
