Henry Dykstra, age 79, a longtime resident of the Skagit Valley passed away October 29, 2023, in Mount Vernon, Washington.  He was born November 15, 1943, in Winsum, Netherlands to K.D. and Jeanette (Veldman) Dykstra, during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. When he was seven, he emigrated to the United States with his family, stopping briefly in New Jersey and California, before eventually settling in Skagit County.

Henry attended schools in Sedro-Woolley and Mount Vernon, where he graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1963.  He and his classmates shared many adventures during his high school days, and he loved to share and laugh about these stories.  He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1962 until his honorable discharge in 1968.  Henry was very patriotic and extremely proud of becoming an American citizen.

Henry married his high-school sweetheart, Charlotte Miller on July 31, 1964.  They immediately moved to their farm in Allen and began their life on the dairy farm together.  In 1972, they were proudly named Dairy Family of the Year.  They started their family and had three children, Eric, Chris, and Amy while living in Allen before selling the dairy and moving to Burlington in 1979.  After his farming days, Henry obtained his Real Estate License and worked for Garlinghouse Real Estate for several years.  He also worked to develop the pasture behind his home on Peterson Road into a 16-home cul-de-sac.  However, he never really fully retired from farming, and continued to work with cattle, mostly dairy cows, for the rest of his life.  He purchased the “Ranch” in Bayview in the mid-1990’s and went there daily to care for his cows.  At the time of his death, he was still actively raising cattle.  Nearly every week he would attend the livestock sale in Everson.  He loved the excitement of the auction and the camaraderie with his farmer friends.

Henry was very proud of each of his children and loved attending their sporting events and activities.  He placed a very high value on education and encouraged his children to work hard.  He enjoyed connecting with his children’s friends and was well-loved and very fondly remembered by each of them.  This connection carried on to his grandchildren, who were a complete joy to him.  He loved being involved in their lives, attending their events and spending quality time with them whenever he could.

Henry’s faith in God was so important to him.  He never wavered in his beliefs and was so faithful in attending church.  He went to Sunday School on the morning that he died.  He and Charlotte joined Emmanuel Baptist Church in 1992 and quickly became active members.  Henry loved being part of The Ambassadors Club, and he would come to services early specifically to spend more time chatting with his friends there.  He and Charlotte loved to socialize with their Emmanuel Baptist friends, and they spent many afternoons and evenings playing games, enjoying dinners, or hosting guests at their beach home on Samish Island.

Henry was very generous and enjoyed helping others whenever he could.  He befriended people who needed friends and helped people who needed help.  Connecting with people was one of his special gifts, and he was a familiar face at many regular stops around the county each day.

Henry and Charlotte enjoyed traveling together.  Their trips together include a group excursion to the Panama Canal, a trip to Branson, Missouri, an Alaska cruise with family, several trips to Mexico, and especially their yearly trips to The Whaler Kaanapali Beach on Maui.  He and Charlotte also loved visiting Amy, Adym, and Whitney at their different homes around the United States, most recently in St. Louis, Missouri.

Henry and Charlotte purchased their beach cabin on Samish Island in 1973, and they loved their times there together.  He especially loved crabbing and couldn’t wait until the season opened each summer.  He loved to be on the bulkhead cooking and cracking crab with his friends and family, and he would deliver fresh crab to anyone who wasn’t able to be there.  He always cherished everyone who was there, but also remembered anyone who was absent.

Henry is survived by his wife of 59 years, Charlotte; children, Eric and wife, Randi of Burlington; Chris and husband, Kelly of Bow; Amy and husband, Adym of St. Louis, MO; grandchildren, Blair, Lauryn, Erin and Whitney; sister, Alice Oosterhof of Visalia, California; brother, Douwe Dykstra and wife Ymjke of Newton,New Jersey; sister, Tietje and husband, Andy of Sedro-Woolley; sister-in-law, Joyce Muzzall of Walla Walla, WA; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Henry was preceded in death by his parents, K.D. and Jeannette Dykstra; father and mother-in-law, Marlin and Jessie Miller; sister, Hebeltje; brothers, Tunis, Henrik and Casey; nephews, Pete, John and Jeff Oosterhof, and Willie Young; brother-in-laws, John Oosterhof and Hugh Muzzall.

A Memorial Service and Reception will be held at 1:00pm, Monday, November 20, 2023 at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 1515 E. College Way, Mount Vernon, WA, with Pastor Herb Geeslin presiding.  Memorial Contributions may be made in Henry’s honor to Emmanuel Baptist Church.  All funds will be used to provide financial assistance for youth ministry activities.

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