Personal Life of John Westra

John Westra is an entrepreneur with a net worth of more than $1.7 million. This success stems from his role as partner at NuWave Technology Partners, a business services firm.

He owns a property in Wisconsin which he uses to deduct a management fee from his rental income. Unfortunately, he failed to provide Kathy with annual accountings of this income as required by the 1999 order.

Early Life and Education

John Westra was born on April 9, 1926 in Rock Rapids, Iowa and raised there before moving to Sioux Falls, SD where he attended school.

He wed Joye Greenfield in 1950 and they made their home on a farm northeast of Centerville, Iowa. As both members of Ireton Christian Reformed Church, he served as deacon for many years.

He was also a member of the Delaware Reformed Church. Throughout his life he was an active farmer, buying and selling livestock. His faith in Christ was strong; he read Bible stories avidly. Additionally, he enjoyed traveling to sale barns and stockyards to see livestock being sold. Survived by his wife Carol, three children, and seven grandchildren, he leaves behind behind him a legacy that will last for generations to come.

Professional Career

On Thursday, the University of Nebraska named John Westra as director of its Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff. As its largest academic unit, this center houses research and extension centers for all areas of agriculture throughout Nebraska.

Since 2006, Professor Michael Westra of the Florida International University School of Agricultural Economics has been teaching production, natural resource and environmental economics to impact agriculture. In 2006 he was named to CFANR’s faculty. His work has been published widely in journals; he’s also a founding member of SAERE (Society for Agricultural & Rural Economics). Married to Judith Hagedoorn with three children – Michael from North Haledon; Pamela Abma from Wyckoff; and John from Pequannock – Westra from North Haledon

Achievements and Honors

John Westra has had an immense effect on his community. As a scholar, author and professor, his works in hydrology and water resources have been published widely.

Westra has earned numerous honors throughout his career. He was named a Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Week and recognized by the National Association for College Baseball as a National Scholar Athlete.

He was a part of two collegiate teams that won MIAA regular season titles, as well as being part of the Calvin men’s basketball team that advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Recently, he was honored with the LSU AgCenter/Louisiana MarketMaker’s Market Ready Training Program award for his role in helping more than 200 farmers prepare to sell their products into wholesale markets.

Personal Life

A personal life is the set of activities and relationships one chooses to pursue in their free time. These can either be private or public pursuits.

John Westra relished life’s moments with his family and friends. He was an adoring husband, father, grandfather and friend that loved to laugh and smile.

John Westra enjoyed watching football games in his free time. Additionally, he participated in cheerleading at the University of Washington and served as social chairman for the Huskies.

He was born in Zuidlaren, Holland and immigrated to Canada with his parents. A passionate Husky fan, he had many friends within the Huskies community as well as being an accomplished social chairman. Sadly, his wife, children and grandchildren will miss him greatly as will siblings and other family members.

Net Worth

John’s net income was largely from his law firm. In 2000 and 2001, he claimed a management fee as a deduction from gross rental income from Schmale Road office building; this represented an important portion of his net rental income. Furthermore, John acknowledged that deducting this fee resulted in an increase in his monthly loan payment on the Schmale Road property, thus decreasing his rental income.

According to the marital settlement agreement incorporated into the 1999 order, John was required to use the net rental income from Schmale Road office building for his sons’ college expenses. Kathy alleged that John willfully violated these terms by: (1) selling the Schmale Road property in an effort to circumvent contributing rental property income towards college costs; and (2) depleting his net income by deducting a management fee from gross rental income.