TenClay, Ralph Rev. 1921-2003

TENCLAY, RENSKERS, ROZENDAAL

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:33

TenClay, Ralph Rev. 1921-2003

SiouxLand Press Nov 26, 2003

THE REV. RALPH G. TEN CLAY The Rev. Ralph Ten Clay, age 82, of Orange City, passed away Wednesday, November 19, at the Orange City Municipal Hospital Long Term Care Facility. A memorial service was held on Saturday, November 22, at ll:00am, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Steven Vander Molen and the Rev. Timothy Ten Clay officiated. Interment was prior to the service at East Lawn Cemetery in Sheldon. Visitation was after 4:30pm Friday, with the family present from 6:30pm to 8:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

Ralph Gerard was born March 15, 1921, in Emmons County, ND, the son of Henry and Minnie (Renskers) Ten Clay. He was raised in North Dakota, where he attended elementary school in Hull and graduated from high school in Strasburg. He also graduated from Central College in Pella, and Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI. He pursued further study at the University of California at Berkley. During World War II, he served in the United States Army, receiving an honorable medical discharge after a training accident.

On June 14,1946, he married Jane Rozendaal in Harrison, SD. In 1948, he was ordained into the ministry of the Reformed Church in America at Hope Reformed Church in Westfield, ND. He was Pastor of the First Reformed Church in Racine, WI, from 1950 to 1955, the Christian Park Reformed Church in Indianapolis, IN from 1955 to 1961, the Hamilton Reformed Church in Hamilton, MI, from 1961 to 1967, the First Reformed Church in Rock Valley, from 1967 to 1975, and the First Reformed Church in Evansdale from 1975 to 1982. From 1982 to 1986, he was Chaplain at the Mayo Medical Complex in Rochester, MN. The Rev. and Mrs. Ten Clay then moved to Orange City, where he was Minister of Parish Life at the First Reformed Church until 1991. They continued to live in Orange City, becoming residents of the Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community in January of 1999. On December 16, 1999, Ralph transferred to the Long Term Care Facility.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years; six children, Elliott Ten Clay and his wife Sherele of Homewood, IL; Lowell Ten Clay and his wife Connie of Green Bay, WI; Eloise Crow of Irvington, NY; Donovan Ten Clay and his wife Vicki of Ames; Twila Ten Clay of Sioux Falls, SD; and Charla Ten Clay of Orange City; twelve grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, three step-greatgrandchildren; a sister, Edna Haack of Sanborn; four brothers, Charlie Ten Clay and his wife Ruth of Sheldon; Ellsworth Ten Clay and his wife Betty of Zeeland, MI; Thelmar Ten Clay and his wife Lois of Portland, OR; and Eugene Ten Clay of Mesa, AZ; a brother-in-law, Herman Webb of Baker City, OR; three sisters-in-law, Lucille Ten Clay of Zeeland; Irene Ten Clay of Sanborn; and Arlene Ten Clay of Orange City; and numerous nephews and nieces. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three sisters, Margaret Webb, Hattie and her husband Henry Van Bruggen, and Elsie Ten Clay; six brothers, William Ten Clay and his wife Tillie, Dick Ten Clay and his wife Jennie, the Rev. Henry Ten Clay, John Ten Clay, the Rev. Albert Ten Clay, and an infant; brother-in-law, John Haack; and sister-in-law, Norma Ten Clay. Memorials may be directed to the Reformed Church in America, Synod of the Heartland, New Church Development.