The Rev. Delbert J. Vander Haar

VANDER HAAR, VAN DYKE, VAN ES, NELSON, MAASSEN, POSTHUMA

Posted By: Ruth Maring - Volunteer (email)
Date: 11/18/2006 at 07:22:06

The Clinton Herald
Published: November 17, 2006 01:02 pm

The Rev. Delbert J. Vander Haar

Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Hope Reformed Church, 77 W. 11th St. Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes Inc., Mulder Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

SERVICES: 11 a.m. Monday at the church with the Revs. Gordon Wiersma and Timothy Vander Haar officiating.

HOLLAND, Mich. — The Rev. Delbert J. Vander Haar, 83, died Wednesday.

The body will be cremated.

Inurnment will be in Pilgrim Home Cemetery.

He was born April 20, 1923, in Holland to Walter and Hilda Van Dyke Vander Haar.

He graduated from Hope College and Western Theological Seminary and received a master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University, California.

He was ordained in the Reformed Church in America in 1947 and served pastorates for 13 years at Trinity Reformed Church, Fulton, Ill., and Bethel Reformed Church, Sheldon. For nine years, he was co-director of the RCA’s Youth Department, based in New York City, where he developed Reformed Church Youth Fellowship, directed the summer Caravan volunteer program for college students and organized work camps in Annville, Ky.; Brewton, Ala.; Winnebago and Macy, Neb.; and Dulce and Mescalero, N.M. He also was a leader at National Youth Assemblies and was treasurer of the International Christian Youth Exchange.

In 1969, he was appointed secretary of the RCA’s Western Regional Office in Anaheim, Calif., and also became the denomination’s coordinator of Family Life Ministries. He also organized the RCA’s Family Festival in Estes Park, Colo., in the summer of 1972. In 1973, he and his family moved to Orange City where he continued to serve as coordinator of Family Life Ministries and also became secretary of stewardship development and mission education until his retirement from the RCA in 1989.

In 1989, he accepted a pastorate at Yokohoma Union Church, Japan, and served there until 1992. In 1992, he and his wife retired to Holland where he served as an assistant minister of pastoral care at Hope Church for seven years. He and his wife received the Hope College Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998. He served as president of Hope College’s 50-year Circle and as a board member of the Hope Academy of Senior Professionals.

Survivors include his wife; children, the Rev. Timothy (Susan) Vander Haar of Muskegon, Mich., David (Lynn) Vander Haar of Minneapolis, Philip (Anne) Vander Haar of St. Paul, Minn., and Jane (Rowland) Van Es of Limuru, Kenya; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; one sister, Helen (Donn) Nelson of Elgin, Ill.; one sister-in-law, Margaret Vander Haar of Grand Rapids, Mich.; sisters- and brothers-in-law, John (Harriet) Maassen of Venice, Fla., Edith Maassen of Zeeland, and Leona (Clarence) Posthuma of Waupun, Wis.; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorial may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation or Reformed Church of America.

Death date: Nov. 15, 2006