DeJong, Thomas I. 1914-1998

DEJONG, DEZEEUW, DRAGSTRA

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg (email)
Date: 11/21/2011 at 10:16:35

Thomas I. De Jong
May 13, 1914—May 2,1998
Thomas I. De Jong, 83, of Orange City died Saturday, May 2, at the Heritage House Nursing Home in Orange City.
Services were at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Christian Reformed Church in Orange City with the Rev. Timothy Ouwinga officiating. Burial was in West Lawn Cemetery.
DeJongwas born May 13, 1914, in Hull, the son of Isaac and Grace (De Zeeuw) De Jong. He moved with his family to Orange City, where he graduated from Northwestern Academy. He served in the U. S. Armed Forces during World War II. He married Tena Dragstra December 5, 1945, in Orange City. The couple lived in Orange City, where he operated several businesses including De Jong Hatchery, Twi-Lite Motel and Tom’s Apple House. He entered the Heritage House in April , 1996.
He was a member of First Christian Reformed Church, where he served on the consistory as a deacon and elder, and on the founding board of directors of Unity Christian High School in Orange city.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter and her husband, Marla and Gene Koning of Orange City; four sons, Irwin and his wife Judy and Calvin and his wife Kathy, all of Orange City, Will and his wife Lavonne of Port Orchard, Washington, and Paul Thomas of Main United Arab Emiretes; 15 grandchi1dren five sisters, Elsie Bruxvoort of Cutierville Michigan, Nellie Hengeveld of Sioux Center, Jeannett Bylsma of Orange City, Gertrude De Jong of Holland, Michigan, and Irene Smeenk of Grandville , Michigan.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Henrietta Mantel; a brother, Gilbert; and two brothers and a sister in infancy.
Source: Sioux County Capital of May 7, 1996