Van Ee, Johanna Stoffolina (Meulpolder) 1924-2006

VAN EE, MEULPOLDER, ZWEEDYK

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 12/1/2006 at 20:19:04

Johanna Stoffolina Meulpolder was the fourth child born to Stoffel and Johanna Zweedyk Meulpolder. She was born on August 2, 1924, in Pella, Iowa after her parents had arrived in the United States from the Netherlands. Her brother, Pieter, and sisters, Pieternella and Adriana accompanied her parents when they came by ship in 1923 and later her sisters, Helen and Gardena and her brother, Raymond, were born. The family lived on several different farms in the Pella area. Johanna attended the Battle Ridge, European III, and Flint Ridge Country Grade Schools through the 8th grade. As a young girl she helped out on the farm with all the chores, but mainly taking care of the chickens and picking corn and milking cows, by hand of course.

Johanna met Wilbur Lester Van Ee when they lived on opposite sides of the Thunder Creek and knew each other for only about a year before they were married on January 1, 1942, at Lancaster, Missouri. The first four years of their marriage was spent on a rented farm without electricity 6 miles northeast of Pella. Their first two sons were born then, Richard Lee on June 24, 1944 and Verlan Ray on June 16, 1946.

Johanna and Wilbur were then able to buy a place of their own and in 1946 bought a 40 acre farm a couple of miles closer to Pella. Johanna and Wilbur were so happy to own their own land because their family had never owned land before. After the loss of two baby boys, each born two years apart, finally a baby girl was born, Kathleen Joan on July 2, 1952, and then on November 2, 1954, their second daughter, Colleen Ruth, was born. Providing for their family eventually led Johanna and Wilbur to find enough land to farm which they could not find so Wilbur bought a tiling machine and began doing custom bulldozing work with his first dozer that he had purchased in 1950.

Johanna was mainly a homemaker and mother, keeping very busy with their four children. The first 10 years of their marriage, Johanna had baked all their own bread, before they started buying bread in the store that wasn't even sliced at that time. She took great pride in the cleanliness and neatness of their home, yard, vegetable and flower garden. Johanna was not afraid of work. From 1968 to 1970, Johanna worked at the Pella Canning Factory pushing the cans into line for the Hi-C drinks. For several years she and her sister, Helen Van Vark, enjoyed wallpapering for people. Then from 1983 to 1989, she worked part-time at the Pella Hatchery, setting the eggs to be put into the incubator and also taking the newly hatched chicks out.

During this time Johanna made time for and enjoyed playing volleyball and bowling for many, many years. She had been a captain of one of the volleyball teams in the Pella Recreation League and for several years was in charge of open gym for volleyball at the Community Center in Pella. She participated in several city and state volleyball and bowling tournaments. Despite her busy schedule Johanna was always ready to have the grandchildren come. She always took time to spend with them and make their favorite- PANCAKES! As busy as she was, Johanna loved to embroider and had made many pillowcases, wall hangings and quilts. She liked to collect bells and always loved animals, feeding birds, cats, ducks, geese and of course the family dog, Smokey and then Hogan.

Johanna and Wilbur enjoyed living on their farm northeast of Pella until their health needs necessitated additional care. Wilbur attended to Johanna's needs as long as his health permitted and passed away on May 18, 2004, having just observed his 90th birthday. Johanna, a resident in the Sheltered Care Unit at the Pella Regional Health Center since December of 2003, remained there until being transferred to Jefferson Place in Pella in June of 2004. She was lovingly and well cared for there until becoming a patient at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House where she passed away early Tuesday morning, September 12, 2006, at the age of 82 years, 1 month and 10 days. She will fondly be remembered as a loving mother, mother-in-law, grandmother to 8 grandchildren and great-grandmother to 5 great-grandchildren.

Johanna is also survived by two sisters: Jean (Gerald) Terpstra and Gardena (Frances) Van Vark; her brother, Ray Meulpolder and his wife, Donna; her brother-in-law, George(Helen) Van Vark all of Pella; her sister-in-law, Marie (Pete) Meulpolder of El Sabrante, California; a brother-in-law, Vernon Van Ee and his wife, Edna also of Pella; and a sister-in-law, Ruth (Van Ee) and her husband, Bill Saholt of Whitefish, Montana.

Johanna was preceded in death by her husband, Wilbur Van Ee; her infant sons; her daughter, Kathy Loynachan, who passed away August 12, 1999, at the age of just 47 years; her son, Richard Van Ee on June 7, 2006 , at the age of 61 years; her parents, Stoffel and Johanna Meulpolder; her brother, Pete Meulpolder; her sisters: Nellie and her husband, Charles Moore and Helen (George) Van Vark; her brothers-in-law: Gerald Terpstra and Frances Van Vark; and a sister-in-law, Christine (Vernon) Van Ee.

Johanna had been a longtime member of the Third Reformed Church in Pella and when the Heartland Reformed Church was organized she became a charter member there and an active member of the Willing Workers Society. Her late husband, Wilbur, had helped clear the land with his dozer for the construction of this church.

Her family will always remember Johanna as a devoted wife and a loving mother, grandmother and sister. She was a hard working person who loved working at home, mowing the lawn and helping with the fieldwork. She liked to be busy and kept busy bowling, especially playing volleyball, and attending all sporting events, especially those of her grandchildren. She enjoyed attending Gospel Sings and was a faithful worker in the church food stand during Tulip Time. Johanna was always ready and willing to lend a helping hand when and where ever needed.

For those desiring memorials may be designated for the Dementia Unit at Jefferson Place or for the kitchen at the Heartland Reformed Church at Pella.

The Pella Chronicle, September 29, 2006