William Jansen Vandenberg 1899-1975

VANDENBERG, VAN DEN BERG, HOLMGREN, REINDER, TORDOFF, OOSTEEN

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 2/14/2012 at 20:36:47

Accident Claims Estherville Man
Estherville – Estherville’s first pedestrian fatality in 22 years, William Jansen Van Den Berg [Vandenberg], 76, Estherville died Tuesday at Holy Family Hospital.

He had suffered a fractured right femur, dislocated right shoulder and other injuries Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 13 when he was apparently struck by a 1972 car driven by Robert Spencer Knight, 1405 North Sixth Street, Estherville. That accident occurred on North Sixth Street, south of 12th Avenue North.

Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Calvary Gospel Assembly with the Rev. R.W. Wuerch officiating and burial at the East Side Cemetery.

Mr. Van Den Berg was born February 4, 1899 at Oosterbeeck, Holland, to Gerrit and Jennie Reinder Van Den Berg and was educated in Holland.

He came to Springfield, S.D. in 1920 and moved to Estherville in 1934. He was married to Freida Holmgren at Naper, Neb. on February 14, 1935. Mr. Van Den Berg had been employed at the John Morrell and Co. plant until his retirement in 1964. Since his retirement he had done yard and garden work around Estherville. He had been a member of the Calvary Gospel Assembly.

Survivors include his wife, Freida, Estherville; one daughter, Mrs. Henry (Lillian) Tordoff, LeMars; two grandchildren, Bill and Marilyn Tordoff; and one sister, Mrs. Hermina Oosteen, Monroe, Ore. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and four sisters.

Friends may call at the Henry Funeral Home, Estherville, until noon Thursday when the body will be taken to the church for the funeral services. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, August 20, 1975)

$100,000 Suit Filed in Death of Pedestiran
Estherville – A $100,000 suit has been filed seeking damages for an August pedestrian death in Estherville. Frieda Vandenberg, executrix of the estate of William J. Vandenberg, deceased, has filed the petition against Robert S. Knight of Estherville in Third Judicial District Court in Emmet County.

According to the petition, William Vandenberg had been mowing grass Aug. 13 on North Sixth Street between 11th and 12th Avenues North and had stepped into the street to turn the mower around when he was struck by the auto driven by Knight. He died of his injuries Aug. 19.

The petition alleges that Knight failed to keep a proper lookout, keep his vehicle under control, failed to sound his horn or apply his brakes and was operating at a dangerous and excessive rate of speed.

The suit is seeking $20,000 for the costs incurred by the decedent and $80,000 for the estate. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, December 2, 1975)