Brand, Clarence H. – 1921–2011

BRAND, DE COOK, GEDDES, GOODYK, KREBER, LEE, MC CANNON, VAN ZEE, VANDE KROL, VANDER HART, VANDER WILT, WANDERS

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 3/24/2011 at 17:39:54

Clarence H. Brand, 89, of Pella, Iowa, formerly of Sully, Iowa, passed away early Thursday morning at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House in Pella.
Clarence, husband of the late Vera (Vander Wilt) Brand, is survived by three daughters, Connie (Tom) Vander Hart and Ladonna (Terry) Van Zee, all of Pella, and Bonita (Ronald) Kreber of Waukee.
A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 21, at the First Reformed Church in Sully. Interment will follow in the Sully Cemetery in Sully. Visitation will begin Sunday morning at the Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home in Pella, where the family will be present from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Memorials may be given for the Hospice of Pella Comfort House in Pella or the First Reformed Church in Sully to be designated for a kitchen fund.
Source: Newton Daily News; Friday, March 18, 2011

Additional information from Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home website:
Clarence Henry Brand was born on November 2, 1921 to John and Cato Cora (Wanders) Brand. He was raised on his parent’s farm southwest of New Sharon, Iowa. Already as a young lad, Clarence loved the outdoors, farming, and livestock.. Clarence attended the Success Country School through the 8th grade and rode his pony nearly every day. Clarence loved to tell stories.
Clarence and Vera began dating and were married on September 7, 1943, in a parsonage in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Both Clarence and Vera were well matched in their love of the outdoors and farming. Following their marriage they moved a house onto Clarence’s parent’s farm. Later they rented Bill Vos’ farm near New Sharon. In 1954, they moved to their permanent farm home one mile north of Sully, Iowa where they lived and worked side by side until August 2010.
Clarence and Vera were blessed by the birth of four children: Connie Louise in 1946, Gary Eugene in 1949, Ladonna Mae in 1955 and Bonita Joy in 1962. Clarence loved livestock, particularly his cattle. He was a leader of his children’s 4-H club, Lynn Grove Hustlers for 20+ years. Clarence found great joy in assisting his children, grandchildren, and neighbor children showing cattle at the county and state fairs. He rarely missed the opportunity to attend the Jasper County fair or the Iowa State fair often attending other county fairs for pure enjoyment. His favorite memory was when his son, Gary, won Grand Champion Steer at the Jasper County Fair. Clarence especially enjoyed spring when the baby calves were born and evaluating whether one would be worth showing at the fair. Clarence loved his family, the outdoors, driving his tractors, and singing hymns to his Lord and Savior while planting his crops. He enjoyed fox hunting, Lynnville-Sully sporting events, gospel sings, fishing, cattle sales, and listening to the radio. Clarence and Vera remained on the farm until health required a move to Vriendschap Village in Pella, Iowa in August 2010. Though difficult, Clarence and Vera moved together as they always did all things until Vera’s death on November 18, 2010. Clarence told Vera he would see her soon and we knew he would not wait long to join her in heaven never wanting to be apart.
The “1921” model, as he often referred to himself, went home to be with Jesus and his wife on March 17, 2011, at the age of 89 years while being cared for at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House in Pella.
Living to honor his name and carrying on his blessing and legacy are his three daughters and their families:Connie Vander Hart and her husband, Tom of Pella, IA, Karen and Dirk Ryals of Pella, IA,Jeffrey and Jessica,Kadin Lee, Sheri and John Geddes of Zeeland, MI,Matthew and Ashley;Ladonna Van Zee and her husband, Terry of Pella, IA,Kayla and John McCannon of Urbandale, IA,Lucas and Rylie,Kelli Van Zee of Gaithersburg, MD, Tyler Van Zee of Pella, IA; Bonita Kreber of Waukee, IA, Michael, Austin and Colton Kreber of Waukee, IA. Clarence leaves his younger sister, Frances Alberta, and her husband, Armand De Cook of Sully; and the following sisters-in-law and brother-in-law: Freda (Vander Wilt) Goodyk of Knoxville, Iowa, Lester and Deyonna Vander Wilt of Pella, Ruth (Orval) Vander Wilt of Newton, Kansas and Artie (Carroll) Vander Wilt of Sully.
Clarence was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Vera Brand; his son, Gary Brand in 1989; his son-in-law, Ronald Kreber in 2002; a great-grandson, Nicholas McCannon in 2006; his parents, John and Cato Brand; his parents-in-law, Neal and Mayme (Vande Krol) Vander Wilt; and the following brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Wildo and Agnes Vander Wilt, Carroll Vander Wilt, Orval Vander Wilt and Wiebe Goodyk. Clarence was a faithful member of the First Reformed Church in Sully, Iowa.