Vanderpol, Thelma Louise Jansen – 1943-2017

DE GOEY, HACKERT, HARTHOORN, JANSEN, LANSER, VAN WYK, VANDER WEERDT

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:27

Vanderpol, Thelma L. Vanderpol, 74, of Sully, passed away Thursday evening, May 11, 2017, at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House. Funeral services were Tuesday, May 16, at Sully First Reformed Church. Interment was in Sully Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested for Bethany Christian Services or Many Hands for Haiti.
Thelma Louise Jansen was born Feb. 5, 1943, near Kellogg. She was one of five children born to Henry G. and Cora (Harthoorn) Jansen. Her parents later moved north of Lynnville, and Thelma graduated from Lynnville-Sully High School in Sully. During high school, she played basketball and was named a Future Farmers of America Sweetheart. Thelma was introduced to Glenn Edwin Vanderpol, and they dated for two years. Aug. 31, 1961, she and Glenn were united in marriage at the Sully Christian Reformed Church.
Thelma and Glenn lived northwest of Sully for 15 years and moved to their present location in 1976. During this time, she was a cook at Sully Christian School and cleaned houses for several years. Most importantly, she was a devoted homemaker and farmer’s wife to her husband, Glenn. Glenn and Thelma retired from farming in 1998. She used her domestic skills as a witness to her family and friends in an unassuming way. Her handwork, consisting of quilts, afghans, and crocheted items, was shared with many people. She made profession of her faith at Sully First Reformed Church where she had served as a Sunday School volunteer, youth choir director, choir member, participated in sewing days, and remained a faithful, active member.
Thelma encountered eye problems for many years, eventually losing sight in one eye, battled cancer for four years, and most recently was diagnosed with an Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma in March 2017.
Those who will cherish her memory are her faithful husband, Glenn; three children, Michael Wayne Vanderpol of Sully, Carrie Beth Vanderpol and Randy Vander Weerdt of Searsboro, and Matthew Allen (Trisha) Vanderpol of Clive; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; her 100-year-old mother, Cora Jansen of Grinnell; her brother, Donald (Karen) Jansen of Grinnell; her sister, Jan (Ryk) De Goey of Sully; two sisters-in-law and two brothers-in-law: Verna and Kenneth Hackert, Wanda and Melvin Lanser, all of Lynnville; along with several nieces and nephews.
Thelma was preceded in death by her father, Henry G. Jansen; her brother, Gene Jansen, who was killed in 1971; and her sister, Marjorie Jansen; twin granddaughters, Madison and Mariah Vanderpol who died in infancy; and her parents-in-law, J. Arthur and Wilma (Van Wyk) Vanderpol.
She was a loving, caring person who will be missed by many people.
Source: Hometown Press (Sully, IA); May 17, 2017