Vander Leest, Walter

VANDER LEEST, DE PENNING, VANDER KAMP

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 7/21/2005 at 17:44:31

Funeral services for Walter Vander Leest, 89, of Pella, formerly of Sully, were held August 10, 2002 at the First Reformed Church in Sully, Iowa, with Leo Renaud and Jerry Morningstar officiating. Music was provided by organist Dee Vander Wilt and special music by Lisa Jansen and Craig Vander Leest; and Dan and Sandy Vande Krol. Memories of Grandpa by Lori Wenzel.

Interment was at the Sully Cemetery in Sully. Casket bearers were his grandsons - Randy Vander Leest, Brent Vander Leest, Kirk Vander Leest, Mark Vander Leest, Craig Vander Leest, Troy Vander Leest, Justin Vander Leest and Scott Vande Krol. Honorary casket bearers were his granddaughters - Lori Wenzel, Lisa Jansen, Susan Abbott and Angela Vander Leest.

Walter Vander Leest was born on October 28, 1912 in Jasper County. He was the fourth child of Neal and Gora (De Penning) Vander Leest.

On March 15, 1934 he was united in marriage with Irene Vander Kamp at Sully. To this union, five children were born: Arland Keith, Merlyn Eugene, Duane Lee, Sandra Kay, and Warren Dean. As a young man, Walter purchased a cream truck. This was the beginning of his life in the trucking industry. Walter and Irene lived their entire married life in Sully.

Walter enjoyed traveling with his wife, Irene, "checking" on his farms, and enjoying his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He never knew a stranger. Walter had a stroke in September 1995 but continued living at home for two and a half years.

Since then, he has been a resident at the Pella Regional Health Center until the time of his death. He reached the age of eighty-nine years, nine months and nine days. Walter accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior at a young age and was in happy fellowship with those gathered to the name of the Lord at rural Sully.

He is survived by his wife, Irene Vander Leest of Sully, five children and their spouses: Arland and Arlene (Laverman) Vander Leest of Sully; Merlyn and Dorothy (Vande Krol) Vander Leest of Pella; Duane and Karen (La Benne) Vander Leest of Sully; Sandra and Daniel Vande Krol of Sully; and Warren and Mary (Caster) Vander Leest of Sully; twelve grandchildren and twenty-six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers: Vernon Vander Leest of Montezuma and Robert Vander Leest and his wife, Doris, of Grinnell; and four sisters: Wilma and her husband, Bill Van Genderen of Mountain Grove, Missouri, Dorothy Lane of Sigourney, Helen and her husband, Fred Schmidt of Sully, and Evelyn Roll of Colfax.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Neal and Gora Vander Leest; his step-mother, Mary (Ver Steegt) Vander Leest; four brothers: James, Clifford, Lester and Verlan Vander Leest; and four sisters: Geraldine Vander Leest, Gertrude Ver Steegh, Cora Van Wyk and Viola Vander Leest.

Arrangements were handled by Garden Chapel Funeral Homes, Inc.

Memorials may be made to the Hospice of Pella.

The Pella Chronicle, August 16, 2002