De Wit, Raymond 1921-2007

DE WIT, VAN REES, SCHURING

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/28/2008 at 21:22:47

Raymond De Wit was born on March 13, 1921, at 1011 Columbus Street in Pella, Iowa. He was the youngest of three children that were born to Martin Gysbert and Gertrude Marie Van Rees De Wit.

Ray attended the Pella Public Schools and graduated from Pella High School in 1940 where he was a star basketball player. Ray then attended Central College in Pella for two years.

During World War II, he enlisted in the United States Army on September 10, 1942, and served in the South Pacific, including the Hawaiian Islands, Marshall Islands, Philippine Islands, Okinawa and Korea. After receiving his Good Conduct Medal and a Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two bronze stars, he was honorably discharged on December 18, 1945.

On November 18, 1954, he was united in marriage with Gladys Nina Schuring, a daughter of Cornelius (Neal) and Carrie Vander Wal Schuring. They were married in their newly purchased home at 1115 Columbus Street in Pella by the Rev. Russell Redeker, Pastor of the Third Reformed Church. To this union one daughter, Elaine Kay, was born on November 29, 1957.

Ray worked in the City Office for the City of Pella for 36 years. He retired as the Deputy City Clerk in March of 1983. During this time Gladys worked as a clerical secretary. Ray and Gladys lived all their 48 years of married life in Pella and spent their retirement years living at 1214 West Third Street. Gladys passed away on August 18, 2003 just prior to her 76th birthday.

Ray was a lifetime member of the Third Reformed Church in Pella. He had been a member in good standing of the Van Veen- Van Hemert American Legion Post No. 89 of Pella continuously for nearly 60 years.

Four days following his 86th birthday, on Saturday evening March 17, 2007, Ray passed away in the Long Term Care Unit at the Pella Regional Health Center in Pella where he had been a resident just 4 days.

Those who will cherish his memory are his daughter, Elaine and her husband, Don De Kock of Pella; one granddaughter, Renee and her husband, Scott Davis, now of Mayer, Minnesota; his brother-in-law, Henry A. Klein, a resident at the Westridge Nursing and Rehab Center in Knoxville, Iowa; and a sister-in-law, Georgia B. (Schuring) Steenhoek, a resident in the Long Term Care Unit at the Pella Regional Health Center in Pella.

Ray was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys; his father, Martin G. De Wit, on July 11, 1978 and his mother, Gertrude M. De Wit, on December 2, 1983; his mother-in-law, Carrie Schuring, on October 15, 1953 and his father-in-law, Neal Schuring, on April 6, 1976; his oldest sister, Florence Ver Meer, on October 3, 1991 and her husband, Dick J. Ver Meer, on August 7, 1996; his older sister, Esther (Henry A.) Klein, on May 10, 2001; and a brother-in-law, LeRoy E. Steenhoek, on February 7, 2007.

Ray was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who enjoyed sharing chocolate candy bars with his family and those who were special to him.

For those desiring, memorials may be designated for the Third Reformed Church or the Van Veen-Van Hemert American Legion Post No. 89 of Pella, Iowa.

The Pella Chronicle, April 20, 2007