Van Wyk, Jerry L. 1948-2014

VAN WYK, NIEUWSMA, VANDER LINDEN, BOUWMAN, LUCAS, ANDERSON, HOVEN, HOLLON, BEERENDS, HUNER, DEBOER, HUYSER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 6/24/2015 at 15:12:16

Jerry L Van Wyk

Funeral Services will be held on
Friday, September 5, 2014 at 1:30 p.m.
Trinity Reformed Church, Pella, Iowa
Interment with military honors will follow in the Graceland Cemetery at Pella, Iowa

Visitation will begin Thursday afternoon at the Trinity Reformed Church where the family will be present Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be designated for the Texas/Mexico Mission Trips through Trinity Reformed Church.

On November 10, 1948, Leonard William and Gretta (Nieuwsma) Van Wyk gave birth to their first son, Jerry Lee, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He was welcomed home by an older sister, Emily Lucille, and grew up with four younger sisters, Connie Marie, Lora Ruth, Cora Mae, and Norma Jean, and two brothers, Robert Dean and Neal Glen. Jerry attended the Battle Ridge Country Grade School near Pella, Iowa and the Pella Christian Grade School. He graduated from Pella Community High School in Pella with the Class of 1967.

In anticipation of the military draft he enlisted in the United States Armed Services in January, 1969. Jerry served in active duty with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War as an explosive ordinance specialist and a sharp shooter. He was awarded a Bronze Star and was transferred into the Army Reserves prior to his honorable discharge in January, 1975.

While working for Frundt Seed Corn in Pella, Jerry met Nancy Lou Vander Linden, a member of his detasseling crew. Jerry and Nancy were united in marriage on June 14, 1974, at the Peoria Christian Reformed Church in Peoria, Iowa. Jerry and Nancy remained best friends and together raised four children: Jeremy Cornelius, Nicole Dawn, Jayme William, and Jonathan Lee. Initially they lived in Pella, where he worked for Van Sittert Plumbing & Heating.

In 1980 they moved to Nancy’s family farm near Peoria. He then began to work for Pella Corporation, where he continued to work for 27 years.

For the last 15 years, Jerry raised quail and pheasant. After retiring from Pella Corp, he worked part-time for Gritters Electric. Jerry had a strong work ethic, which he learned from his father Leonard. This is a value that he has passed down to his children. Jerry went on mission trips for over 30 years. This included trips to Texas/Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Jerry loved to be outdoors, as evidenced by his love for deer hunting and trail riding on his 4 wheeler (Chicken). He also loved spending quality time with his grandchildren and was overjoyed by the recent birth of the family’s “miracle baby.” A cherished memory is the whole family gathering to celebrate Jerry and Nancy’s 40th wedding anniversary this past Memorial Day weekend. In July, 2014, Jerry entered the University of Iowa Hospital to receive treatment for Amyloidosis, where he remained hospitalized until he passed away on Labor Day, September 1, 2014, at the age of 65 years.

Those who will cherish his memory are his wife, Nancy, their four children and their spouses and 7 grandchildren. They are:
Jeremy and Glenda (Henle) Van Wyk of Pella, Iowa, and their children: Gillian, Gracyn and Jeryn; Nicole and Todd Bouwman of Runnells, Iowa, and their son, Titus; Jayme and Barbie (Tanchuk) Van Wyk of Des Moines, Iowa, and their children, William, Caleb and Claire; and Jonathan Van Wyk of New York, New York. Jerry leaves his seven siblings and their spouses: Emily (LeRoy) Lucas of St. Charles, Missouri, Connie (Michael) Anderson of Altus, Oklahoma, Lora (James) Hoven of Albia, Iowa, Cora (Audie) Hollon of Milan, Missouri, Norma (Harlan) Beerends of Sully, Iowa, Robert (Alice) Van Wyk of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Neal (Cathy) Van Wyk of Otley, Iowa; his father-in-law, Cornie Vander Linden of Pella; and the following brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Ken (Pam) Vander Linden of New Sharon, Iowa, Lois (Terry) Huner, Betty (Bernie) DeBoer of Littleton, Colorado.

He will also be remembered by numerous nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

Jerry was preceded in death by parents, Leonard and Gretta Van Wyk, and his mother-in-law, Tracy (Huyser) Vander Linden.

Jerry was baptized and made profession of his faith at the First Reformed Church in Pella and was an active member of the Trinity Reformed Church in Pella. He was a member of the VFW, Post 5242, the Van Veen-Van Hemert American Legion Post No. 89 of Pella, and the North American Hunting Club. ~ The Newton Daily News, Newton, Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa Wed 3 sept 2014