Te Grotenhuis, Leola Fern (Mrs. Eugene) 1924-2022

TEGROTENHUIS, VANDERWILT, VANWYK

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting (email)
Date: 7/22/2022 at 18:46:57

Mrs. Leola Te Grotenhuis, age 97, of Orange City, passed away on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at the Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City.

A visitation with the family present will be held on Monday, June 13, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City. A prayer service will take place on Tuesday, June 14, at 10:00am, at the funeral home, followed by interment at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. There will be a memorial service on Tuesday, at 11:00am, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City with the Rev. Mark Haverdink officiating.

Leola Fern was born on her family’s farm north of Orange City on July 16, 1924, the youngest of eleven children born to Arie & Jenny (Vander Wilt) Van Wyk. She grew up on the farm and attended a nearby country school through the eighth grade. When the weather was nice, she and her sister, Irene, rode their horse Trixie to school, and the horse would walk back to the farm. She graduated from the Newkirk High School in 1942, one of fourteen in her class. As a young woman, Leola, sang in a sextet often performing in area churches.

After graduation, she attended Westmar College in Le Mars, for three months, where she obtained a teaching certificate. For two and a half years Leola taught in three different country schools while her fiancé, Eugene Te Grotenhuis, was serving in the Army with the 149th Engineers. On January 8, 1946, one month after “Gene” returned from World War II, he and Leola were married at the First Reformed Church in Orange City. They made their home on the same farm where Leola was born, and together they raised three sons and a daughter.

Leola was a talented homemaker, seamstress, cook, and gardener. She maintained a large garden that provided not only fresh vegetables in season but also canned produce throughout the year. She loved being outside on the farm and working alongside her father, and then her husband. She also loved children, and she and Gene opened their home to provide foster care to various boys and girls both on the farm and after moving into Orange City in the spring of 1973.

After moving into town, Leola worked at a variety of jobs and volunteered with several different organizations. By far her greatest joy was to be available for her family, even to the extent of having a crib set up in a spare bedroom for grandchildren in need of a nap. Because of their homes' location, grandma and grandpa became the perfect stopping place for their grandchildren in need of an ice cream treat after a fun afternoon at the pool or the park. Leola had the gift of hospitality and loved having friends over and always had a coffee pot on for visitors. Leola and Gene had a close group of camping friends that they looked forward to spending time with each summer.

In 2010, the couple became residents of the Pioneer Memorial Home in Orange City. Gene passed away on February 25, 2012, in Orange City, after more than 66 years of marriage, and in August of 2020, Leola moved to the Prairie Ridge Care Center.

Leola was a faithful member of First Reformed Church, where she had been a member of the Mary Martha Circle, taught Sunday school and Catechism classes, and was a fervent prayer warrior. She also helped make saucijsjes for the church’s Tulip Festival food stand into her late eighties.

While Leola witnessed many changes to the world in her 97 plus years, one constant was her steadfast faith and love of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Every conversation in the last few years ended with questions to her children and grandchildren, “Do you love Jesus? Do you read your Bible and pray? Are you attending church?” Nothing else mattered more to her then seeing her family in heaven some day!

She is survived by three children and their spouses, Gary and Linda Te Grotenhuis, of Orange City; Jane and David Van Gorp, of Iowa Falls; Doug and Peggy Te Grotenhuis, of Orange City; a daughter-in-law, Allyson Te Grotenhuis, of Greencastle, Indiana; thirteen grandchildren, Jeff Te Grotenhuis, of Des Moines; Kris (Jason) Olson, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Todd (Diane) Te Grotenhuis, of Orange City; Joshua Te Grotenhuis, of Fishers, Indiana; Abby (Matt) Chatelain, of Bentonville, Arkansas; Joe Van Gorp, of Peoria, Illinois; Paul (Kyla) Van Gorp, of Cedar Falls; Stephen (Lindsey) Van Gorp, of Pella; Rebekah Van Gorp, of Iowa Falls; Gabbie Van Gorp, of Cedar Falls; Jennifer (Benjamin) Grev, of Winona, Minnesota; Sarah Te Grotenhuis, of Denver, Colorado; and Aaron Te Grotenhuis, of Orange City; and eighteen great grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Daniel; four siblings in infancy; three brothers, Mitch, John, and Gilbert Van Wyk; and three sisters, Sophia De Graaf, Greta Veld, and Irene Vellinga.

Memorials will be directed to the First Reformed Church in Orange City.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.