Van Zee, Martin W. 1910-2001

VAN ZEE, BUWALDA, LOURENS

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 8/21/2005 at 16:22:16

PELLA - Martin W. Van Zee, 90, of Pella and formerly of Prairie City, died Wednesday, Aug. 1, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

His funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Covenant Reformed Church in Pella, the Rev. Carl A. Heuss and the Rev. John H. Piersma officiating. Burial: Oakwood Cemetery, Pella. Memorials: Pella Christian High School or Crossroads of Pella. Visiting hours are open today at Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home in Pella, with family present 6:30-8 p.m. today.

Martin W. Van Zee was born Oct. 29, 1910, near Prairie City, to William M. and Dora Buwalda Van Zee. He graduated from Prairie City High School in 1928.

On July 18, 1936, he married Gertrude Lourens in Prairie City. He was employed by the Maytag Co., in Newton. After his marriage he farmed in the Prairie City area for many years. In 1966 he and Gertrude moved into Prairie City. Martin worked at Vernon Manufacturing Co. for 12 years and retired in 1978. He then became a salesman for the Des Moines/Winterset Monument Co. They moved to Pella in 1990.

His hobbies were fishing, gardening, golfing and woodworking. He had been and elder and a deacon at Prairie City Christian Reformed Church, where he was a member for many years. At the time of his death he was a member of Covenant Reformed Church in Pella. He also had been a board member for Prairie City Christian School.

He is survived by his wife, Gertrude; four children and spouses: Dorothy Ann and Kenneth J. Monsma of Pella, Donald Ray and Beth Rosencrans Van Zee of Iowa City, Merwin Gene and Nancy Howard Van Zee of Denison, Texas, and Marlene Jane and Charles Veenstra of Sioux Center; 12 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Ann (Andrew) Van Zee of Pella.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Andrew and Harold Van Zee; and two sisters, Gertrude, wife of the late Gysbert Branderhorst and Ernest Swenson, and Wilma, wife of the late Ernest Vogelaar.

The Oskaloosa Herald, August 3, 2001