De Vos, Herman John 1937-2016

DEVOS, ADDINK, HOUTSMA

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting (email)
Date: 7/19/2016 at 19:40:43

Mr. Herman De Vos, age 79, of Orange City, passed away on Friday, July 1, 2016, at his residence.

There will be a funeral service on Thursday, July 7, at 10:30am, at the First Christian Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Mark Vande Zande will officiate. Interment will follow the service at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Visitation will be after 5:00pm on Wednesday, with the family present from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in
Orange City.

Herman John was born on June 10, 1937, in Sioux Center, Iowa. He was the fourth of six children born to Joe and Alice (Addink) De Vos. “Herm” attended school in Sioux Center. At an early age, he entered the work force, initially working for area farmers and then working at a filling station. Herman married Myrtle “Mert” Houtsma on June 11, 1957, in Orange City. They made their home in Sioux Center, and he began working for the Sioux Center Creamery.

In the early 1960’s, Herman started a lifelong career as a truck driver. He initially drove for Sam P. De Jong Trucking. Later he bought his first truck, starting De Vos Trucking. Herm traveled all over the United States and enjoyed the opportunity to see different places. He eventually began pulling for a division of KayDee/Nutraflo, which allowed him the opportunity to drive closer to home. In 1998, Herm sold his truck and entered semi-retirement. Not being one to “sit around”, Herm helped haul/deliver trailers for Orange City Trailer sales. He later started working for Noteboom Oil, driving their tire delivery route and maintaining their car washes in Orange City. He enjoyed the daily chance to joke and tease with his friends Corey, Nick, and Chad. Despite battling leukemia for the last number of years, Herm continued to stay active and help as much as he could with the car washes.

As a trucker, free time was limited, but Herm enjoyed annual fishing trips to northern Minnesota with his brother Jack and friend Eugene "Oots" Altena. Herm and Mert also enjoyed seeing the United States together while traveling on their motorcycle. Herm took great pride in his motorcycle, adding endless amounts of chrome, and he had fun entering it in many area car and cycle shows.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 59 years, Mert; their three children, Valerie (Keith) Imhoff, of Ventura, Iowa; Jeff (Tammy) DeVos, of Slayton, Minnesota; and Brad (Valerie) De Vos, of Orange City; eleven grandchildren, Joseph Simmelink, Allison Frederick, Chuck (Britt) Bangert, Jamie (David) Svoboda, Travis Imhoff, KC De Vos, Nicole Van Wyk, (fiancé Josh Thompson), Kayla DeVos, Bobbi Jo Imhoff, Kaley (Tim) Becker, and Holly (Chris) Starkenburg; ten great grandchildren, Shelby, Kaden and Addison Svoboda; Natalie and Macy Frederick; Landon Bangert; Keegan and Braden Van Wyk; Addyson Thompson; and Clayton Starkenburg; three sisters, Jane Den Ouden, of Seney, Iowa; Nupe Jeltema, of Orange City, Nell DeGooyer, of Maurice, Iowa; two sisters-in-law, Dolly De Vos, of Sioux Center; and Geneva De Vos, of LeMars; and Mert’s sister, June (Al) Huizenga, of Stoughton, Wisconsin.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a grandson, Myles Alan DeVos; two brothers, Jack and Marv DeVos; four brothers-in-law, Casey Den Ouden, Jim Jeltema, Don De Gooyer, and Palmer McKinzie; and Mert’s sister, Alice McKinzie.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.