Meet your neighbor: Janessa and Trent Hoekstra

Meet the Hoekstra family. They are Janessa, Trent, their two-year-old son Jonas, and their dog Jax.

Janessa and Trent moved to Winfield six and a half years ago, shortly after their marriage. Janessa was born in Mt. Pleasant to Lisa and Kevin Kongable. She has a younger brother, Kaleb, who is a Behavioral Health Consultant at the University of Iowa and lives in Iowa City with his wife, Hannah (they were just married in July this past summer).

Janessa grew up on a farm near Mt. Union. She attended WMU from Kindergarten through 9th grade and then transferred to Mt. Pleasant Christian School where she graduated in 2012.

Both Janessa and Trent are graduates of Iowa Wesleyan University, where they met in 2013. Following her college graduation in 2016, Janessa worked as a Behavioral Health Intervention Services Counselor, Admissions Counselor for Iowa Wesleyan, and then as an Activities Coordinator at Sunrise Terrace.

“Now I am self-employed, running my Etsy Business, Little Iowa Creations and getting to be a stay-at-home mom,” Janessa shared.

Trent was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His parents are Bill and Jan Hoekstra. He has one older sister, Alyssa (Hoekstra) Hallberg, who lives in Cedar Rapids with her husband, Troy, and they are expecting their first baby, a girl, in the spring of this coming year.

Trent is a 2011 graduate of Cedar Rapids Washington High School and a 2015 graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University. Before starting his own business, “Hoekstra Electric” here in Winfield, he had several other positions.

“After graduating from Iowa Wesleyan University, I worked for Henry County Conservation as a Park Ranger/Naturalist,” Trent said. “After that, I was a Lab Technician at HCHC in Mt. Pleasant. Next, I worked for Atwood Electric Inc. in Sigourney, Iowa, where I became an Apprentice Electrician, later becoming a Journeyman Electrician, and now a Master Electrician running ‘Hoekstra Electric’ here in Winfield."

Trent and Janessa were married on September 9, 2017 at Spirit Hollow Golf Course in Burlington, Iowa. They moved into Janessa’s Grandma Amy’s house in February of 2018. Her grandparents were Rev. Brown Garlock and Amy Lou. Rev. Garlock was a minister at the Winfield United Methodist Church here for several years. Amy Lou was also a vital part of the church and the community. Among her many contributions, she was a church choir director and had directed several cantatas during their time in Winfield.

“We love how close-knit and kind the people in Winfield are,” the couple said when describing why they chose Winfield for their home, adding, “We wouldn’t want to raise our family in any other small town, we love it here!”

Trent and Janessa have enjoyed family trips that included cruises to the Caribbean or fishing in Minnesota.

They welcomed their son Jonas on October 19, 2022 and both consider their role as Jonas’s parents their main joy and focus in life.

When asked if they have a bucket list, they answered that the number one thing on Janessa’s bucket list was “to see the Northern lights. Luckily this past summer we were able to see them from our own backyard.” She also added that “learning the entire Thriller dance so she can perform it at any given time" will be the next to be crossed off her list!

Trent said he, “not only wants to grow Hoekstra Electric, but to see his son grow up playing sports, sitting in an uncomfortable lawn chair or hard bleachers every game day and night, ha!”

When asked what her favorite things to do, Janessa answered, “My favorite things are first, being a mom and second being crafty. I mostly create wooden signs and tumblers for my Etsy business, but I have recently picked up on embroidery thanks to my Grandma Wilma!”

Trent said his favorite things to do are, “being a dad to Jonas. I also like fishing and golfing.”

“Be a good person and just do the right thing,” is what Janessa’s advice is to the youth. Trent’s advice is, “The price of being nice is ‘free,’ adding, “We both wish everyone in the world could just get along.”

Trent also added this piece of advice, “Don’t buy cheap crap. Save your money so you can afford quality things, then you don’t have to buy it twice.”

Thank you to Janessa and Trent for sharing their story with us.

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