Marian Hibma

A celebration of life for Marian Hibma, age 82, of Harris, IA, will be held on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at CrossWinds Church in Spirit Lake. Burial will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the Ocheyedan Cemetery. Visitation will be held Monday, December 22, at CrossWinds Church from 5-8 p.m.

Marian Clara Hibma, the daughter of Leo and Inez (Bruns) Balster was born on September 20, 1943, in Worthington, MN. She grew up on the family farm near Wilmont, MN, creating countless memories with her three sisters and two brothers. She graduated in 1961 from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School of Wilmont. After high school, she attended Presentation School of Nursing in Sioux Falls, SD, cultivating her caring, nurturing spirit towards helping others. After graduation, Marian worked as a RN at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, pouring compassion into her patients in the intensive care unit. After two years, she transferred to St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester and worked there until 1975, first as a post-surgical nurse and then as an infectious control nurse.

In the spring of 1975, through the witness of her sisters Viv and Jane, Marian came to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She was baptized by immersion on August 24, 1975, and transformed her life for Jesus. In the spring of 1977, she began working at the Worthington Hospital, where the head nurse invited her to a singles Bible study. She said on that particular night she met a certain guy named Joe Hibma. On June 17, 1978, Joe Hibma and Marian Balster were married by Joe’s brother-in-law, Wes Peters, at the Christian Reformed Church in Ocheyedan.

After having their daughter Joy in early 1980, Marian transferred her love of nursing to nurturing their children and helping with the farm animals, especially the baby pigs; Nathan was born in 1982, Julie in 1984, and Nick in 1986. Marian loved her kids and later her seven grandkids, hugely blessed by each one. She loved the kittens, gardening and flowers, reading and supporting her family in their many activities. Marian also loved her daily walks and painting reflections of Jesus. Most importantly, she passionately loved Jesus and was a strong prayer warrior. Over the years, she served in different ways at CrossWinds Church in Spirit Lake. On December 18, 2025, she joyously had her reunion with her Savior.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Joe Hibma, her daughter Joy (Jeremy) Pritchard, son Nathan (Sarah) Hibma, daughter Julie (Patrick) Stanzel, and son Nick (Dondi) Hibma, as well as her beloved grandchildren Charlotte, Anna, Noah, Esmé, Dietrich, Casper, and Macrina. Also, to cherish her memory are her sisters Jane (Marc) Eldal and Carol (Vern) Bell, sister-in-law Marcia Balster, sisters-in-law Laurel Hibma, Mim Ernst, Lois (Wayne) Hasselblad, Miriam Hibma, Judy (Lowell) Dykstra, brothers-in-law Dan (Bonnie) Hibma, Jerry (Nancy) Hibma, Steve (Lori) Hibma, as well as countless nieces and nephews.

Marian was preceded in death by parents Leo and Inez Balster and in-laws Pierce and Charlotte Hibma, sister Vivian Balster, brothers Jim and Dale Balster, brothers-in-law Bob Hibma, Wes Peters, Harold Ernst, and Paul Hibma and sisters-in-law Barbara Peters and Suzanne Hibma.