De Haan, Leland "Lee" Andrew 1931-2020

DEHAAN, PLENDER, VANROOYEN

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:33

Mr. Leland “Lee” De Haan, age 89, of Orange City, passed away on Wednesday, December 30, 2020, at the Happy Siesta Health Care Center in Remsen.

There will be a funeral service on Saturday, January 2, at 10:30am, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Mark Haverdink will officiate. Interment will follow the service at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Visitation with the family will be on Friday, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the Church. The Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City is in charge of arrangements.

Leland Andrew was born on June 17, 1931, to Henry G. and Margaret Gertrude (Plender) De Haan. He grew up on his family’s farm near Alton and attended country school. When he was a teenager, his parents moved to a farm north of Orange City and Lee started attending the Newkirk High School, graduating in 1948 at the age of 16.

On October 23, 1951, he was united in marriage to Leora Mae Van Rooyen at the Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City. The couple made their home near Hospers until Lee was drafted into the United States Army, serving in Germany for eighteen months. Following his honorable discharge, he returned to northwest Iowa, where he and Leora briefly made their home on a farm place west of Orange City before settling on what would become their own farm east of town. He and Leora remained on that land until 1991, when they moved to a home overlooking the farm. Lee was blessed to be able to do what he loved and continued helping on the farm well into his eighties. In November of 2020, he became a resident of the Happy Siesta Health Care Center.

Mr. De Haan was a life-long member of the First Reformed Church, where he had served as a deacon and an elder as well as Sunday School Superintendent. In earlier years he was active with his children in the local 4H program. He was also a member of the Pressman-Kosters American Legion Post in Orange City and had been on the boards of the Sioux County Cattleman’s Association, the Orange City Elevator, and the Maurice-Orange City School District.

After retiring from daily farm operations, Lee used his time to drive school bus for MOC-Floyd Valley, and was well liked by the students, he also spent many hours working at Hope Haven’s Wheelchair Ministry in Orange City. Lee was an avid fan of the Northwestern Red Raiders and supporter of the college. He enjoyed attending gospel quartet concerts and his children and grandchildren’s various extracurricular activities, as well as going camping and taking family vacations.

Survivors include his wife of more than 69 years, Leora, of Orange City; five children, Lee Ann, and her husband, Arlen Smit, of Orange City; Douglas De Haan, and his wife, Kathy, of Sioux City; Darwin De Haan, of Wanaque, New Jersey; Craig De Haan, and his wife, Sandra, of Orange City; and Cindy, and her husband, Scott Schubert, of Dakota Dunes, South Dakota; seventeen grandchildren, Angela (John) Peterson, Stephanie (Eric) Schwebach, A.J. (Lisa) Smit, Karina (Drew) Nonnemacher, Cody De Haan, Jesse (Christine) De Haan, Matt De Haan, Krystin (Steven) Gilligan, Kali (Marc) Spoelstra, Skylar De Haan, Shane De Haan, Dalton De Haan, Paxton De Haan, Chadon De Haan, Jazlin De Haan, Ashtyn (Adam) Ackerman, and Amber Schubert; 22 great-grandchildren; a brother and his wife, Roger and Dianne De Haan, of Orange City; two sisters-in-law, Nelvina De Haan and Irene Pennings, both of Orange City; as well as several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents and his wife’s parents, Walter and Nell Van Rooyen, he was preceded in death by a three-month old son, Alan Jay De Haan; a brother, Glenn De Haan; two sisters-in-law, Nelva Jean Van Rooyen; and Kathleen, and her husband, Gerrit Rozeboom; and two brothers-in-law, Jacob “Jack” Van Rooyen, and his wives, Marie and Willie; and Gerrit “Gary” Pennings.

Memorials may be directed to the Leland and Leora De Haan Nursing Program Scholarship at Northwestern College or Talking Bibles International.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.