Den Besten, Harold – 1920-2009

BRANDERHORST, DEN BESTEN, JANSEN, VAN DORT, VAN ZEE, VRIEZELAAR

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 1/11/2010 at 14:36:37

Harold Den Besten, 89, of Pella died Christmas Day at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House.
Harold had been a jobber for Pella food products along with Hiland Potato Chip route in the area. He is survived by his wife, Wilma; his son, Tim Den Besten of Knoxville, Iowa; his sister, Jeannette Jansen of Newton; and a brother, Ivan Den Besten of Bowling Green, Ohio.
A funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home in Pella. Visitation will be after 11 a.m. Monday at Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home. Memorials may be given for the Christian Opportunity Center.
Source: Newton Daily News; Monday, December 28, 2009

Additional information from Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home website:
Harold Den Besten was born on June 25, 1920, in Corsica, South Dakota. He was the third of five children of Gerrit and Fredreka Van Zee Den Besten. During the first years of his life Harold moved with his family to Holland, Michigan where his father founded the Holland Hitch Company, which is still in business. In 1929 the family returned to South Dakota and in 1937 moved to Pella, Iowa where Harold enrolled in the Pella Public Schools. He graduated from Pella High School with the Class of 1938. Harold served his country during World War II as a radio operator in the United States Army. His military commitment remained a very vital part of Harold’s life. Following his discharge he was visable and remained active with the Van Veen- Van Hemert American Legion Post No. 89 of Pella and had served as Commander in 1977 and 1978. In 1946, an only child, Timothy Den Besten, was born to Harold and Betty Vriezelaar Den Besten. After entering school at the age of 5 years, Tim suffered an attack of Polio-Encephalitis which changed his life forever. He is now a resident at the Marion County Care Facility at Knoxville, Iowa and has been a client at the Christian Opportunity Center in Pella for over 30 years. Most notably, Harold was widely known for establishing a Pella food route where as a jobber he sold Pella food products along with Hiland Potato Chips in the area. In 1960 he and Wilma Marie Van Dort, a daughter of Willem and Emma Branderhorst Van Dort, were married. Harold retired from his business in 1974 at which time he sold the business to Adrian Rozeboom. Harold and Wilma enjoyed many happy retirement years together and in 1973 they built an apartment house at 832 Franklin Street which they owned and operated the remainder of their married life. Upon his retirement Harold busied himself in a large variety of programs and projects to which he often was heard to comment he didn’t know how he ever had time to work. Some of these involved politics, the Pella Historical Society and the Pella Historical Trust. On Christmas Day, December 25, 2009, he passed away at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House in Pella at the age of 89 years. Harold is survived by his wife, Wilma; his son, Timothy Den Besten of Knoxville, Iowa; his sister, Jeannette Jansen presently of Pella; a brother, Ivan Den Besten and his wife, Myrl of Bowling Green, Ohio; a sister-in-law, Alice (Fred) Den Besten of Holland, Michigan; along with 10 nieces and nephews. Harold was preceded in death by his parents, Gerrit and Fredreka Den Besten; and two brothers: Cornelius Den Besten and Fred Den Besten. Harold was a charter member of the Covenant Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa that was established in 1998 after a lifetime membership in Christian Reformed Churches and cherished his return to the church worship his parents knew and in which he grew up.