Burdeen Alvin Sluiter

Burdeen Alvin Sluiter, 87, of Dumont passed away Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at the Grand JiVante Care Center in Ackley. Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m, Tuesday, May 13, at Faith Baptist Church, Hampton. Interment will be at the Dumont Cemetery. Visitation will be 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Monday, at Faith Baptist Church, Hampton. Woodley Funeral Home and Crematory, Hampton, is caring for Burdeen and his family.

Burdeen was born on May 30, 1937 in Hampton, Iowa to Adolph and Hattie (Hartman) Sluiter.  He was the youngest of three children. He graduated from Dumont Community School in 1955.  

Burdeen was united in marriage to Carolyn Dirksen on November 16, 1957 in Sheffield, Iowa.  The couple were blessed with three children: Deb, Diane, and Mike. 

In 1966, he and Carolyn bought the family farm where he lived until 2023.  He then moved to LaPorte City Specialty Care, and then in March of this year, he moved to Grand JiVante in Ackley.  

On March 19, 1969, Burdeen was saved by grace and was born again.  Robert Orr and Leonard De Buhr were having gospel meetings in Aredale. They spoke on Exodus 12 where God instructs the Israelites to smear the blood of a sacrificed lamb on their doorposts in a sign of faith that God would pass over the blood, sparing the Israelites while striking down the Egyptian’s first born. After the meeting, while Burdeen was driving west of Aredale going over the bridge, he realized the blood of Jesus Christ cleansed him from all his sin.  He trusted in what Christ had done on the cross which gives rest and peace. The work is finished!  At that moment, he had the assurance of a home in heaven, the promise of God’s salvation to give unto whosoever believes. 

Burdeen was an avid farmer for 63 years in the Dumont area and retired in 2018. He always wanted to care for the land that God had blessed him with.  After retirement, he enjoyed keeping up with the farming industry and the farmers in the area and rented out his ground to men he thought would care for the land as he did. Along with farming, he was a dairy farmer, raised pigs, fat cattle, and stock cows.  In his early years, he also drove semi.  He enjoyed going on trips to Mexico, Alaska, among other places. He so enjoyed every trip he took and made memories and friends everywhere he went.  

He will be remembered as a man who loved the Lord, liked to visit, had a good listening ear, liked going to farm shows and going on fishing trips to Canada with Paul, Harold, Grandpa Ken, Larry, Mike, and John. His words and sayings would always bring a smile to his friend’s and family’s faces: purtnear, getting old ain’t for sissies, dumb cluck, say what you mean and mean what you say, remember it only hurts till the pain goes away, the Lord will take care of it, and time will tell cause time always does.  

As the song, ‘Meet Me There’ says, Burdeen’s hope for everyone is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved with the assurance of a home in Heaven. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Carolyn; his three children, Deb (Rich) Sass, Diane (Richard) Pfertzel, and Mike (Jill) Sluiter; his nine grandchildren, Ryan (Brooke) Kampman, Adam (Anna) Kampman, Aaron Kampman, Logan Pfertzel, Ellie Pfertzel, Alona Pfertzel, Michelle (Zach) Lancaster, Nikki Sluiter, and Josh (Chelsea) Sluiter; his 13 great grandchildren, Landen, Kaelyn, Uriah, Emilie, Skylar, Remington, Graham, Harper, Savannah, Easton, Mylee, Hallie, and Justin; and close family friend, Larry (Becky) Henderson, along with several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. 

Burdeen was preceded in death by his parents, Adolph and Hattie Sluiter; his sister and brother-in-law, Harold and Arlene Seeger; his infant brother, Harold Sluiter; and his nephew, Doug Seeger.