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DR. LYLE L. VANDER WERFF
Dr. Lyle Vander Werff, age 72, of Orange City, passed away on Monday, April 23, 2007, at the Heritage House Nursing Home in Orange City.
There will be a memorial service on Thursday, April 26, at 11:00am, at the American Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Keith Krebs, the Rev. Lizbeth Moss, and the Rev. Harlan Van Oort will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. There will be a family prayer service on Thursday, at 9:45am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.
Visitation will be after 2:00pm on Wednesday, with the family present from 6:00pm to 7:30pm, at the funeral home.
Lyle Lloyd was born on July 12, 1934, at Stickney, South Dakota, the son of Evert and Mabel (Krutsch) Vander Werff. He was raised at Lynden, Washington, Denver, Colorado, and on a farm at Stickney, where he graduated from their high school.
He attended Northwestern Junior College in Orange City, Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, both in Holland, Michigan, and Princeton Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Edingburgh in Scotland.
On August 22, 1958, Lyle married Phyllis Lovins in Grandville, Michigan.
He was a Reformed Church in America pastor in Cloverhill, New Jersey, and an R.C.A. missionary in Kuwait. In 1967, they moved to Orange City, where he was a professor of religion at Northwestern College, retiring in 1998.
In 1985, Dr. Vander Werff was named Northwestern's Teacher of the Year, and in 1996, he was given an honorary doctorate degree from Keiwa College in Japan. He also received the Christian Education Award from the School of Christ Foundation in Hong Kong in 1999.
He invested many years working with international students at Northwestern. He was also a member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. He enjoyed fishing, photography, reading, and writing.
In late 2003, he became a resident of the Heritage House.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years; a son and his wife, David and Beth Vander Werff, of Orange City; two daughters and their husbands, Kathryn and Brad Gabel, of Pasadena, California; and Kristyn and Sean Howe, of Orange City; eight grandchildren, Andrew and Matthew Vander Werff; Heather and Jacob Gabel; and Jessica, Michael, Aaron, and Julia Jean Howe; his mother, Mabel Vander Werff, of Denver, Colorado; three brothers, Alvin Vander Werff, of Denver; Delmar Vander Werff, of Curtis, Nebraska; and Leeland Vander Werff, of Hastings, Nebraska; and three sisters, Charolette Muilenberg and Mavis Palmer, both of Denver; and Elaine Simon, of Casas, Washington.
He was preceded in death by his father and two brothers, Floyd and Merlin.
Memorials may be directed to the Vander Werff Scholarship for International Students at Northwestern College.
CLARENCE L. VER STEEG
Mr. Clarence Ver Steeg, age 84, of Evanston, Illinois, formerly of Orange City, passed away on Monday, July 2, at the Mary McGaw Care Center of the Westminster Presbyterian Home in Evanston.
There will be a graveside service on Thursday, July 5, at 10:30am, at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. The Rev. Dr. Perry De Groot will officiate. There will be a prayer service on Thursday, at 10:00am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City. Visitation with the family will be the half hour before the prayer service on Thursday at the funeral home.
Clarence was born on December 28, 1922, in Orange City, the son of John A. and Anne (Vischer) Ver Steeg. He was raised in Orange City, where he attended Northwestern Junior College. He graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City and received his Ph. D. in American History from Columbia University in New York.
On December 24, 1943, he married Dorothy Ann De Vries in Texas, where he was stationed with the United States Army Air Force during World War II. He was a highly decorated officer, who navigated many combat missions on a bomber in the South Pacific Ocean.
About 1950, Clarence and Dorothy moved to Evanston, Illinois, where he began a long career with Northwestern University. He was a full professor of history, specializing in the colonial and revolutionary period. He also served as dean of graduate schools and was chairman of the faculty planning committee, during a time of expanding the physical campus of Northwestern. He was especially proud of the new library, which has become an important center of study and research.
His contributions to Northwestern have been recognized by many awards and academic chairs, including the Clarence L. Ver Steeg Distinguished Professorship. In retirement, he continued to be consulted about university matters.
Mr. Ver Steeg was also a prolific author, composing dozens of scholarly books and textbooks for students. He studied the lives of many of our country's founding fathers and received a prize for his biography of Robert Morris. His wife was a full partner with him, doing research, editing, and preparing manuscripts.
The Ver Steegs have lived at the Westminster Presbyterian Home for the past ten years. They are members of the North Minster Presbyterian Church in Evanston, and they enjoyed traveling.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy, of more than 63 years; his son and his wife, John C. and Jane Ver Steeg, of Washington, D. C.; a sister, Nelvina Ver Steeg Thomas, and three sisters-in-law, Sadie, Susanna, and Wilmina Ver Steeg, all of Orange City; and a brother-in-law, Warren L. De Vries, of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He was preceded in death by eight brothers, Benjamin, Gysbert, Harold, Jake, Lawrence, Marion, Wilbur, and infant Clarence; and three sisters, Carrie, Henrietta, and Mable.
PETER M. ANDRINGA
Mr. Peter Andringa, age 68, of Cherokee, formerly of Orange City, passed away on January 10, 2010, at the Prairie View Nursing Home in Sanborn.
There will be a celebration of his life on Saturday, January 23, from 1:30pm to 4:30pm, at the Washington High School auditorium in Cherokee, with a tribute at 2:00pm.
There will be a family gathering on Saturday, from 9:30am to 10:30am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City, followed by a graveside memorial service at 10:45am, at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City, with the Rev. Harlan Van Oort officiating.
Peter was born on January 15, 1941 in Orange City, the son of Dick and Annie (Van Gelder) Andringa. He was raised and had his early schooling in Orange City.
After graduating from high school, he first attended Dordt Junior College in Sioux Center and then graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After attending Calvin Theological Seminary for a brief time, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Northwestern College in Orange City.
“Mr. A”, as his students called him, was a completely-devoted Iowa high school English teacher, first at Sioux Center High School, then at Rockwell City - Lytton, and finally in Cherokee, where he spent most of his career working with the students of Washington High School. He especially enjoyed coaching the activities involving speech and drama.
Peter also loved music, gardening, reading, and everything associated with Christmas. Finally, he had a kind-hearted concern for all animals, especially his cat, Merlin.
Survivors include a sister, Jeanette De Groot, of Orange City; a brother-in-law, Delmar Netten, of Pella; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Margaret Van Heuvelen, and her husband, Ben; and Renzella Netten: two brothers, Marion Andringa, and his wives, Harriet Jean and Alma; and Raymond Andringa, in infancy: and a brother-in-law, Clarence De Groot.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to The Peter Andringa Scholarship Fund, Post Office Box 801, Cherokee, Iowa 51012.
PLEUNIA P. BUNTSMA
Mrs. Pleunia Buntsma, age 90, of Orange City, passed away on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, at the Pioneer Memorial Home in Orange City.
There will be a memorial service on Friday, December 4, at 9:00am, at the Pioneer Memorial Home in Orange City. The Rev. Jonathan Opgenorth will officiate. Interment will follow at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Arrangements are with the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.
Pleunia Pietertje was born on August 6, 1919, in Sassenheim, The Netherlands, the youngest of nine children of Karel and Mietje (Vis) Drost. She was raised in The Netherlands, where she attended secondary school.
In the 1940s, she married Willem Buntsma in Sassenheim. In 1954, they immigrated to Canada, settling in the Toronto, Ontario, area. They moved to Boone, Iowa, in 1961, and in 2006, she moved to Orange City. She became a resident of the Pioneer Home in 2007.
For about 25 years, Mrs. Buntsma was a nurse's aide at the Woodward, Iowa, State Hospital-School. She also did housekeeping in private homes in Boone and Ames, Iowa.
She was a member of the Assembly of God in Boone and was affiliated with the Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City.
Pleunia enjoyed reading, gardening, knitting, and other handwork.
Survivors include her three children, John Buntsma, and his wife, Cheryl, of Orange City; Charlie Buntsma, of Dixon, Missouri, and his wife, Millie, of Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Irene Koppang, and her husband, Jerry LaFlex, of Bloomington, Minnesota; four grandchildren, Katherine (Stephen) Ash, Katie Buntsma, Trina (David) Morrison, and Jonna (Adam) Keim; and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be directed to the Pioneer Memorial Home.
W. RICHARD DEETS
Worth Richard “Dick” Deets, age 73, of Orange City, Iowa, passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by family on Monday, December 7, 2009.
There will be a funeral service on Saturday, December 12, at 10:30am, at the American Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Keith Krebs will officiate. Interment will follow at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Visitation will be after 4:00pm on Friday, with the family present from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.
Dick was born in Winterset, Iowa on June 18, 1936, to Worth H. and Mildred (Young) Deets, who farmed 160 acres outside of town. They moved to Earlham, Iowa, and later to Des Moines, Iowa where he graduated from North High School. He was a member of the Iowa Air National Guard between 1954 and 1962, serving as a Pharmacy Specialist. Dick attended Drake University in Des Moines, and graduated in 1959 with a degree in Pharmacy. While at Drake, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, where his fraternity brother introduced him to his future wife, Ellene Guse.
They were married on August 29, 1959, and moved to Orange City, Iowa, in 1961. Shortly after moving to Orange City, they purchased the Village Drug. Many will remember Dick as the pharmacist there for over thirty years. After selling the store in the mid 1990's, Dick spent the next thirteen years working at Family Pharmacy in LeMars, Iowa, as well as Valley Pharmacy and Pember Drug in Rock Valley, Iowa. In 2003, Dick was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. He moved to the Happy Siesta Nursing Home in Remsen, Iowa, on December 29, 2008. On December 2, 2009, he returned to his home in Orange City.
Dick was a member of the American Reformed Church, serving as Building Fund Treasurer, Sunday School Teacher, Deacon and Elder. One of Dick's special gifts was ministering to those in need. He delivered church bulletins to shut-ins, offering prayer and a listening ear. He was a faithful Chancel Choir member for over three decades.
He served the citizens of Orange City as a member of the Chamber of Commerce for over 45 years. He was also a charter member of the Jaycees, where one of the biggest tasks he undertook was the county-wide polio clinic. He was honored as the Jaycee of the month for January, 1968. He was a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission for 22 years, the last 19 years as Vice-Chairman. He belonged to the Northwestern College Booster Club. He enjoyed golfing and was a member at the Landsmeer Golf Club. Dick loved to sing and for a number of years, he sang bass in Meester Zangkoor, a Master of Song Chorus.
As a member of the American Pharmaceutical Association and the Iowa Pharmacist Association, Dick served on various committees and was a member of the House of Delegates. He represented the Iowa Pharmacist Association at many national conventions. For two terms he also served on the Board of Trustees.
In the 1990's his journey of faith lead him to attend Promise Keepers for several years. As a result of this experience, a number of men from the American Reformed Church started a Thursday night prayer group that he attended faithfully.
Dick loved spending time with his family and celebrated fifty years of marriage on August 29 of this year. He also enjoyed playing golf, bowling, photography, and fixing almost anything around the house and at his rental properties. Some might remember that Dick earned his pilot's license and loved flying.
Grateful to have shared Dick's life are his wife, Ellene; his brother, William (Jackie) Deets of Perry, Iowa; his five daughters, Pam Deets of North Sioux City, South Dakota; Jennifer (Brian) Steele of Vermillion, South Dakota; Valerie (David) Pace of Ocean Springs, Mississippi; Erica (Robert) McAlpine of Hull, Iowa; and Belinda Deets (Shane Jones) of Westfield, Iowa. He will also be missed by his ten grandchildren, Ryan and Eddie Deets, Tyler and Aaron Steele, Rachel and Sarah Pace, Whitney, Kyle and Austin McAlpine, and Noah Jones.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Worth and Mildred Deets, and many special aunts and uncles.
The family wishes to thank Conrad Harthoorn, Jay DeJong, and Robin Miskimins for many acts of kindness, the Orange City Area Home Health and Hospice for their loving care, and the Memory Loss Support Group.
Memorials may be directed to the Orange City Area Home Health and Hospice, the Senior Companion program, or the special music fund at the American Reformed Church.
KATHRYN A. DOORNINK
Mrs. Kathryn Doornink, age 78, of Orange City, passed away on Saturday, December 26, 2009, at the Heritage House Nursing Home in Orange City. There will be a funeral service on Tuesday, December 29, at 1:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City. The Rev. Keith Krebs will officiate. Interment will follow at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Visitation will be after 4:00pm on Monday, with the family present from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the funeral home.
Kathryn Ann was born on August 27, 1931, in Iowa City, the daughter of Ralph and Ruth (Paulsen) Freyder. She was raised in Iowa City, where she graduated from the University of Iowa, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1953. There she was a member of the Tri-Delta Sorority and the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
On December 20, 1952, she married James Dennis Doornink in Iowa City. For short periods, they lived in Orange City, and then in Seattle, Washington, and Yuma, Arizona, while he was in the military. In 1956, they settled on the Doornink family farm north of Orange City, and in 1965, they moved into Orange City.
In 1967, Mr. and Mrs. Doornink worked together as Doornink Insurance. In 1969, she became employed at the House of Orange, a women's clothing store, and in 1972, they purchased The Basket Shop, all in Orange City. From 1987 to 1993, she enjoyed working at Hardees in Orange City.
In 2004, “Kay” became a resident of the Happy Siesta Care Center in Remsen, and in July of 2007, she transferred to the Heritage House.
When she was raising her children, she taught Sunday school classes and directed Christmas programs at the American Reformed Church in Orange City. Later, she served on the board of directors of the Maurice-OrangeCity High School Pride of the Dutchmen Band, helping raise funds for uniforms and trips. She also helped organize Girl Scout and Cub and Boy Scout troops.
Mrs. Doornink served on the first board of directors of the Sioux County Historical Society and she was an officer of the Orange City Women's Club, helping to start the Sioux County Concert Series. She was also active in the Orange City Tulip Festival. She enjoyed spending time with her family, including several summers at Lake Okoboji, traveling, flower gardening, decorating her home, making crafts, and playing the piano.
Survivors include her husband of just over 57 years, Jim; three daughters, Sue (Rod) Postma, of Sheldon; Ann Van Otterloo, of Rochester, Minnesota; and Linda (Terry) Mulder, of Maurice; a son, Bill Doornink, of Spirit Lake; twelve grandchildren, Andrea Vollink, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Lori Vollink, of Sheldon; Natalie (Trevor) Seibold, of Ames; Todd (Ali) Van Otterloo, of Algona; Tim Van Otterloo, of Ames; Emily Van Otterloo, of Pomeroy; Cody Mulder and Megan (Pat) De Boer, all of Orange City; Tyler Mulder, of Cedar Falls; Kim Zeutenhorst, of Iowa City; and Caleb Mulder and Alex Mulder, both of Maurice; and two great-grandchildren, Casey and Taylor Van Otterloo.
Memorials may be directed to the Orange City Arts Council.
DARLEEN L. DORSCHNER
Mrs. Darleen Dorschner, age 92, of Orange City, passed away on Wednesday, January 6, 2010, at the Heritage House Nursing Home in Orange City.
There will be a funeral service on Saturday, January 9, at 2:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City. The Rev. Keith Krebs will officiate. Interment will follow at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Visitation with the family will be the hour before the service on Saturday at the funeral home.
Darleen LaVonne was born on February 19, 1917, in rural Bushnell, South Dakota, the daughter of Forest and Matilda (Youngers) Potter. When an infant, her family moved to a farm near Primghar, where she graduated from high school in 1935.
On September 27, 1941, she married Orville Leland Dorschner in Clarion. During World War II, she was a school teacher in Moneta. After the war, they lived in Primghar for a short time and then settled in Orange City, where she was a homemaker. Mr. Dorschner passed away on January 24, 1982, in Mountain View, California.
In 2002, Mrs. Dorschner became a resident of the Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community in Orange City. In 2003, she transferred to the Heritage House.
She was a member of the American Reformed Church in Orange City, where she participated in the women's organizations. She was also active in the Orange City Community, especially with the Tulip Festival and Cub Scouts. She enjoyed fishing and gardening, particularly flowers, and she was an accomplished artist in both painting and drawing.
Survivors include her two sons and their wives, Kim and Linda Dorschner, of Randolph, Nebraska; and Jay and Janie Dorschner, of Orange City; six grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Dortha Dorschner, of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a brother, Forest, Jr., as a young child.
Memorials will be directed to Northwestern College in Orange City, for a scholarship in their theatre or art departments.
