Ray Van Valkenburg 1891-1963

VAN VALKENBURG, VANVALKENBURG, VAN VALKENBERG, LUCAS, ANDERSON, BRADLEY

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 1/3/2011 at 22:42:58

Former City Employee Dies at Age of 71
Ray VanValkenburg [Van Valkenburg], 71, died at his home at 4 p.m. yesterday when a heart condition proved fatal.

Mr. VanValkenburg was an employee of the city of Estherville from 1939 until his retirement in 1956, working first in the gas department and later in the water department.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Union Baptist church with the Rev. Rawlin J. Johnson officiating. Burial will be at Oak Hill cemetery.

Mr. VanValkenburg was born Nov. 6, 1891, at Storm Lake, son of Alfred and Rosie VanValkenburg. He lived eight years in the Storm Lake area and then came with his family to Emmet county in 1902.

He was married to Thankful Lucas, Feb. 13, 1913, at the Presbyterian parsonage in Estherville. Following their marriage they lived for a time at Cedar Rapids and Chicago while Mr. VanValkenburg was employed by the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific and Baltimore and Ohio railroads as a car repairman.

They returned to Estherville where, after 1939, Mr. VanValkenburg was employed by the city.

He was a member of Union Baptist church, the K.P. lodge and Dhul Fakar.

He is survived by his wife, two sisters, Mrs. George Bradley (Janet) of Gonzales, Calif. and Mrs. Oscar Anderson (Nellie) of Fort Dodge; and a brother, James W. of Estherville. He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers and one sister.

Friends may all at the Fuhrman funeral home from Saturday evening until 10 a.m. Monday when the body will be taken to the church. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, August 2, 1963)