Vos, Johanna Ruth (Van Den Berg) 1925-2019

VOS, VAN DEN BERG, DEN HARTOG, SKEFFINGTON, DEVINE, ANDRE, SPAULDING, MCCRACKEN, BREMER, BUMP, VAN WYK, DE VRIES, ZWANK, VAN HAAFTEN, DE RONDE, GOSSELINK

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:40

Jo Vos
October 15, 1925 - July 13, 2019

Johanna Ruth (Van Den Berg) Vos was born October 15, 1925, on the family farm near Otley, Iowa. She was the fourth of eight children born to Johannes and Alpha (Den Hartog) Van Den Berg. She grew up on the family farm and attended Fair Oaks school through the eighth grade. She was never really much of a farm girl and did not like helping with chores. As her Dad said, “Johanna liked to milk the cows from the barn door.” When she was old enough she moved to Pella, Iowa. She worked at Rolscreen for three years and then she got a job at the JC Penney store which she enjoyed very much. Times were still difficult on the farm and she sent some of her paycheck home each week to help her parents. Throughout her life she maintained the importance of giving to others.

Johanna enjoyed skating at the roller rink on the 2nd floor of the Pella Legion Hall building. There she met and fell in love with a young man named Melvin Vos. On February 27, 1947 Jo and Mel were united in marriage at the Otley Reformed Church in Otley. Their marriage was loving and enduring. It was made special with shared goals and shared faith, surrounded by large families and many friends, and nurtured by Johanna’s patience and care.

Johanna and Melvin were blessed with three children, Jerry Dean, Kristen Sue and Stuart M. Johanna ran a busy household filled with love, laughter and conversation. Many memories revolved around her lively kitchen table. She was also an avid antique collector and spent many Saturdays at auctions and sales. She had an impeccable eye for decorating and took great care to create beautiful flower bouquets from her garden.

She was, first and foremost, a woman steadfast in her faith. She lived her faith every day trusting in Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She was an active, faithful member of the First Reformed Church in Pella She supported her church in many ways through many decades. Not always with the loudest voice, but always in doing the work necessary to support her church family...volunteering, helping and being involved on a daily basis. For many years she was in charge of creating the luncheons that often accompanied special events and she took great pride in this important contribution. Church played a central role in her life and her faith carried her through the years.

Johanna passed away on July 13, 2019, at The Cottages in Pella at the age of 93 years. She is survived by her three children and their families:

Jerry Vos and Pat Skeffington of Minburn, Iowa
Rylan and Courtney Vos
Clara Vos
Dean Vos
Coda Skeffington-Vos
Aiden Skeffington-Vos
Hadley Skeffington-Vos and Gregg Devine
Sadler Devine
Rylo Devine

Kristen and Donald Andre of Pella, Iowa
Sara Andre and Peter Spaulding
Rory Spaulding-Andre
Grady Spaulding-Andre
Jeffrey and Heather Andre
Morgan Andre
Cameron Andre
Shawn McCracken
Caitlyn McCracken
Owen McCracken

Stuart and Barbara Vos of Pinehurst, North Carolina
Brian and Kristen Bremer
Melissa Bremer and Chris Bump
Eric Vos

She is also survived by her brother, Rev. John Van Den Berg; and the following sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Angeline Van Den Berg, Paul and Marilyn (Van Wyk) Vos, Arie Boot, Gertrude (Vos) De Vries, and Dale Vos.

Johanna was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Vos in 2015; her parents, Johannes (Joe) and Alpha Van Den Berg and her parents-in-law, Nicholas A. and Henrietta (Zwank) Vos; and the following siblings: Junella (Lester) Van Haaften, Wilma (Neal) De Ronde, Josephine (Howard) Gosselink, Delos Van Den Berg, Marjorie (Paul) Vos, and Alveretta Boot.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 18, 2019 at 10:00 am, First Reformed Church, Pella, Iowa.
Interment will follow in the Oakwood Cemetery, Pella, Iowa

Visitation will begin after 1:00 pm Wednesday with the family present
from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at First Reformed Church.

Memorial contributions are suggested for the
First Reformed Church to be designated for Ladies Aid projects. ~ The Van Dyk - Duven Funeral Home, Pella, Iowa 13 July, 2019.