Olivier, Arie Jay 1917-2006

OLIVIER, KROON, RYNDERS, NYHUIS, DOCKTER, DEWIT, VANT HUL, BOMGAARS

Posted By: Viv Reeves (email)
Date: 3/29/2008 at 18:34:03

From the Sioux County Capital-Democrat, Orange City, (Sioux), Iowa, Thursday, December 7, 2006, Page 4, Columns 4-6:

Arie J. Olivier

Arie J. Olivier, 89, of Sioux Center died on Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Sioux Center Community Hospital.

A memorial service was held on Wednesday morning, Dec. 6, at First Reformed Church of Sioux Center, with Rev. Roger Voskuil officiating. Interment was held prior to the memorial service in Hope Cemetery of Hull.

A prayer service was held prior to the memorial service at First Reformed Church.

Visitation was held on Tuesday afternoon and evening, Dec., 5, with the family present from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the fellowship hall of First Reformed Church of Sioux Center.

The Olivier Family prefers memorials to Gideons International.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.

Condolences may be sent at www.MFHonline.com.

Arie Jay Olivier joyfully went to be with God after a brief illness.

He was born September 18, 1917, on a farm near Hull. He was the only son of John and Maggie (Kroon) Olivier.

He attended a rural school near Hull and graduated from the Hull High School. He perfected his carpentry skills, which he would utilize the rest of his life, by working with his brother-in-law John Nyhuis in Tacoma, Wash.

Arie entered the army in March of 1944, where he worked as a radio operator (Tec/4) and continued to broaden his carpentry skills by repairing bridges in WWII. He was in the 133rd Engineer Combat Battalion serving in the European theater. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge under General Patton and he was honorably discharged in April 1946.

On August 3, 1950, Arie married Esther Rynders, also of Hull, and they moved to Sioux Center to live while Arie continued to build his construction business, spanning from homes to large-scale custom projects. In sharing about his work he fondly recalled his work building and remodeling churches in northwest Iowa.

While a long-time member of First Reformed Church of Sioux Center, Arie was a man of many passions. He loved to fish, see the beauty in nature and talk on his HAM radio. His greatest commitment was his love for the Lord and honoring his calling to witness for Christ to all he came in contact with. He loved to share the "Good News" of Jesus through handing out Gideon Bibles as an active member of the Western Camp of Gideons International.

Avid about politics, his interest intensified as a Reagan conservative. He was very active in the Republican Party and was appointed as honorary Colonel under Terry Branstad while he was the governor of Iowa. Arie actively campaigned for the election of Christians in government.

Most of Arie's life skills were "self taught". He mastered the guitar and enjoyed playing all kinds of stringed instruments. Even up until his final days he still enjoyed playing for area nursing homes.

He is survived by his wife Esther of Sioux Center and their children Eileen (David) Dockter of Los Gatos, Calif., Melody (Jerry) DeWit of Alton, and Armand J. (Jami) Olivier of Charlotte, N. C.; sisters Gertrude Vant Hul and Dorothy Bomgaars, each of Sioux Center; three nephews, Alvern Nyhuis, Norman Nyhuis and Norwin Bomgaars and five grandchildren, Joel (April) DeWit, Elliot DeWit, David DeWit, Austin Olivier and Alexis Olivier.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Gertrude, sister Nellie Nyhuis, brother-in-law John Nyhuis and nephew John Nyhuis, Jr. and brothers-in-law Nick Bomgaars and Don Vant Hul.