De Jong, Arlene Mae (Mrs. Raymond) 1938-2021

DEJONG, VANROEKEL, HARMAN

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 12/18/2021 at 13:43:33

Mrs. Arlene De Jong, age 83, of Orange City, passed away on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at Whispering Heights in Rock Valley.

There will be a memorial service on Saturday, November 13, at 11:00am, at the First Christian Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Harlan De Jong will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. There will be a family prayer service on Saturday, at 10:00am, at the church. Visitation with the family will be on Friday, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, at the church. Arrangements are with the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

Arlene Mae was born on June 18, 1938, near Boyden, the daughter of Howard and Wilhelmina (Van Roekel) Harman. She was raised on her family’s farm near Boyden and attended the Boyden Public School. Following her graduation from high school, she started working at The Capital newspaper in Orange City.

She was united in marriage to Raymond De Jong on July 10, 1959, in Boyden. They made their home in Orange City, where she was a homemaker and did the bookkeeping for Ray’s business, De Jong Excavating. Later in life she worked as the secretary at the First Christian Reformed Church in Orange City. Ray passed away on December 31, 2006, in Sioux City, after more than 47 years of marriage.

Mrs. De Jong was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church, where she participated in various women’s groups and Bible studies as well as Senior Christian Fellowship. When her children were young, she was also active in the Monica Society of the Orange City Christian School.

In earlier years, Arlene enjoyed bowling and was a member of the Orange City Women’s Bowling League. She also liked to sew and crotchet, decorate cakes, go camping, and had a large collection of bird figurines. Most importantly, she loved spending time with her family and friends.

Survivors include her four children, Delmar De Jong, and his friend, Val, of Alton; Marlene, and her husband, Galen Van Maanen, of Rock Valley; Edwin De Jong, and his wife, Susan, of Orange City; and Wayne De Jong, and his wife, Becky, of Hull; ten grandchildren, Rebekah, Jaris, Bryce, and Trent Van Maanen; Lance (Sara) De Jong, and Amanda (Reece) Harnack; Dylan and Chase De Jong; and Brandi and Kyle Keleher; five great-grandchildren; a brother-in-law and his wife, Wilbur and JoAnn De Jong, of Orange City; and five sisters-in-law, Rose, and her husband, Norman Te Grotenhuis, Priscilla, and her husband, Otto Huizenga, and Delores De Jong, all of Orange City; Arlene Menninga, of Laughlin, Nevada; and Sue De Jong, of Woodville, Wisconsin.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her brother and his wife, Lester and Rosemary Harman; six brothers-in-law, Peter (Lois) De Jong, Sam (Nellie) De Jong, Julius De Jong, Marvin De Jong, Marion De Jong, and Howard Menninga; and a sister-in-law and her husband, Rena and Hans Kloosterman.
Memorials may be directed to the Orange City Christian School.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.