Vander Molen, Lawrence 1933-2019

VANDER MOLEN, NIEUWSMA, BRUXVOORT, WIELARD, DOBBINS, LAVERMAN, DE PRENGER, MCCONVILLE, VANDE NOORD, RINEHART, STEENHOEK, HAUSTEIN, BOERM, FYNAARDT, VAN EE, DE COOK, VANDER HART, CLINE, HOL, GROENENDYK, STAM, BOUMA, HESSING

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:30

Lawrence Vander Molen
February 24, 1933 - November 26, 2019

Lawrence Vander Molen began his earthly life on February 24, 1933, in Mahaska County near Taintor, Iowa. He was the seventh of eight children that were born to Lewis and Katie (Nieuwsma) Vander Molen and grew up with his older brother, Bernard, and six sisters: Anna, Greda, Hilda, Rachel, Cathryn and Pauline. Lawrence attended the Peoria Christian School in Peoria, Iowa and shared riding his pony, Midget, to school. Lawrence and Mary Ann Bruxvoort met while attending catechism class at the Second Christian Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa and were united in marriage on June 23, 1954, at the First Christian Reformed Church in Oskaloosa, Iowa. To this union four children were born: Gary Wayne, Lowell Craig, Lucinda Diane, and Vernon Leon. Lawrence had a cream truck route and later moved to a farm near Tracy, Iowa, where he began farming and drove a truck for the coal mine. In 1963 they moved east of Pella where he continued farming. They farmed all their married life of 65 years and Lawrence never completely retired. He eventually started Pella Feed Service and went there daily while his sons, Gary and Vernon, continued to operate the business. Lawrence, a hard worker, enjoyed life on the farm and he and Mary Ann enjoyed traveling. On November 21, 2019, he was injured in a fall at home. As a result of his injuries he entered his eternal home on Tuesday, November 26, 2019, while at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House in Pella at the age of 86 years. Lawrence was a humble, kind, and caring person, and also had a sense of humor. He will always be remembered by his wife, Mary Ann, their four children and spouses, 11 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. They are:
Gary and Sandi (Wielard) Vander Molen of Pella, IA
Jeremy and Tina Vander Molen
Tyler, Brett, Emily, Megan
Brian and Angela Vander Molen
Noah, Maddox, Emmett
April and Travis Dobbins
Alex, Drew
Russell Vander Molen (1982-1985)

Lowell and Julie (Laverman) Vander Molen of Pella, IA
Joel Vander Molen

Cindy De Prenger of Monroe, IA
Leah and Ben McConville
Ashlea, Regan
Kari and Tim Vande Noord
Trevor, Brantley, Klay
Scott De Prenger and Danielle Rinehart
Bradly and Giulia De Prenger
Logan, Caleb

Vernon and Carla (Steenhoek) Vander Molen of Pella, IA
Heidi and Marcus Haustein
Esmae
Makenzie Vander Molen and fiance Brendon Boerm
Katie Vander Molen

Of his original family Lawrence leaves behind three sisters and their husbands: Rachel and Lester J. Fynaardt of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Cathryn (Ed) Van Ee of Pella, Pauline and Donald L. De Cook of Indianola, Iowa; his sister-in-law, Henrietta (Paul) Vander Hart of Pella; and the following brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Marvin and Betty Bruxvoort of Pella, Gerald and Shirley Bruxvoort of Oskaloosa, Joyce (Bruxvoort) and Darrell Cline of Oskaloosa, Barbara Bruxvoort of Ft. Collins, Colorado, and Reuvena (Stan) Bruxvoort of Oskaloosa. Lawarence was preceded in death by a grandson, Russell Vander Molen; his parents, Lewis and Katie Vander Molen; three sisters and their husbands: Anna and Marion Hol, Greda and Paul Vander Hart, Hilda and Edward H. Groenendyk; his brother, Bernard Vander Molen and his wife, Alida (Stam); his brother-in-law, Edward Van Ee; his parents-in-law: Guy and Tena (Bouma) Bruxvoort; and the following sisters-in-law: Sylvia and Dorothy Ann Bruxvoort, twins, Doris (Bruxvoort) and John Hessing, Bernard and Dora Bruxvoort, and Stanley Bruxvoort. Lawrence was baptized at the Peoria Christian Reformed in Peoria, Iowa and made profession of his faith at the Second Christian Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa where he remained a loyal and faithful member having served as a Cadet counselor, an Elder, and a Deacon.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, November 30, 2019 at 10:30 am,
Second Christian Reformed Church, Pella, Iowa.
Interment will follow in Black Oak Cemetery near Pella, Iowa.

Visitation will begin Friday after 11:00 am at Van Dyk– Duven Funeral Home where the family will be present from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

Memorial contributions are preferred for CHAMP Camp, a five-day camp for children requiring breathing assistance that Lawrence’s grandchildren have volunteered with, or to the Pella Comfort House. ~ The Van Dyk ~ Duven Funeral Home, Pella, Iowa 26 Nov 2019.