Obituary
Martin D. Geleynse
The Lord took home his faithful servant, Rev. Martin D. Geleynse, on October 1, 2021, at Huronview Home for the Aged in Clinton, Ontario, in his 97th year.
He is predeceased by his daughter Tina Aukema (2000), his beloved wife of 62 years Alida (Pouwels) (2012), son-in-law John Oegema (2013) and his daughter Ellie Duiker (2015).
He is survived by: Gerard Duiker (Wilma-Joy) – Willowdale, ON, Bart Geleynse (Wendy) – Osgoode, ON, Joyce Geleynse – Kemptville, ON, Carel Geleynse (Irene) – Kitchener, ON, John Aukema – London, ON, Nick Geleynse (Fanny) – Clinton, ON, Anneke Oegema – Kitchener, ON, Andy Geleynse (Yvonne) – Redding, California, John Geleynse (Melanie) – Los Altos, California, Jeff Geleynse – Stratford, ON
And 37 grandchildren and 46 great-grandchildren.
He is also survived by one brother and three sisters in the Netherlands along with many nephews and nieces.
He was dearly loved!
Martin’s faith
Martin dedicated his life to testifying to the love and faithfulness of God, his Father.
As a pastor, an identity that still filled his mind in the latter years of his life, he loved to preach and teach. He was a man of conviction, intensity and passion. He often looked beyond this world to the world to come. “Great is thy faithfulness!”
Life in the Netherlands
Martin was born on March 31, 1925, in Barneveld, The Netherlands, one of a family of 11 children born to Bartel and Maria Geleijnse.
After graduating from the Free University of Amsterdam he was called to the Christian ministry and served two congregations in the Netherlands (Winsum, Friesland and Roermond, Limburg) before immigrating to Canada in 1960.
Immigrating to Canada
In Canada he served Christian Reformed congregations in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and St. Catharines, Ontario before returning to school to attend Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he obtained his Master of Theology degree.
Following his studies, he spent some time in the Field Education office at Calvin Seminary before returning to the pastorate in Montreal, PQ. French was to become a new fulltime language for him as he took on the task of beginning Institut Farel in Quebec City in 1986. His final congregation was the Christian Reformed Church of Stratford, ON where he retired in 1990.