Vander Zwaag, Peter Leo 1932-2024

VANDERZWAAG, DOKTER, VANRAVENSWAAY

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/6/2024 at 14:23:34

Mr. Peter Leo Vander Zwaag, age 91, of Orange City, passed away on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at the Crown Pointe Estates in Sioux Center.

A visitation with the family present will be held on Wednesday, January 17, from 1:00pm to 2:00pm at the Middleburg Free Grace Reformed Church in Middleburg. There will be a funeral service on Wednesday, at 2:00pm, at the church with the Rev. Mark Schwarz officiating. Interment will follow the service at the Capel Township Cemetery near Middleburg. The Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City is in charge of arrangements.

Peter Leo was born on August 26, 1932, in Orange City, the son of Jacob and Arta (Dokter) Vander Zwaag. He was raised in the Middleburg and Newkirk areas, where he attended country school. He graduated from the Newkirk High School before enlisting in the United States Army in 1954, serving for two years before being honorably discharged.

On September 30, 1958, he was united in marriage to Madaline Van Ravenswaay in Sheldon. Together they made their home and raised their family near Middleburg until moving to Colorado for a short time. They later returned to Northwest Iowa and settled in Orange City. Peter enjoyed farming in his younger years and working as a custodian for the MOC-Floyd Valley School District until his retirement at the age of 65. After retiring, he worked part-time mowing lawns for the city of Orange City. “Maddie” passed away on December 30, 2017, in Orange City, after more than 59 years of marriage. For the past several months Peter had been a resident at the Crown Pointe Estates in Sioux Center.

Peter Leo was a member of the Middleburg Free Grace Reformed Church. He enjoyed going bowling, tending to his vegetable and flower gardens, playing cards, making puzzles, and refinishing antique furniture. He also liked to take pictures, and his family is grateful to him for capturing so many of the special moments in their lives.

Survivors include his four children, Wanda, and her husband, Leroy Wichers, of Le Mars; Darwin Vander Zwaag, and his wife, Barb, of Rock Valley; Cheryl, and her husband, Owen Aberson, of Sioux Center; and Jeff Vander Zwaag, and his friend, Andrea Kuehl, of Ames; eleven grandchildren, Anthony Wichers; Lindsay, and her husband, Zach Sexton; Mason Wichers; Chelsey, and her husband, Cory Van Maanen; Dustin Vander Zwaag, and his wife, Katie; Jesse Vander Zwaag, and his wife, Abby; Jasmine, and her husband, Greg Boer; Ashley Aberson; T.J. Aberson; Joshua Vander Zwaag; and Jordan Vander Zwaag; nineteen great-grandchildren, with two more on the way; two sisters, Jackie Punt, of Sheldon, and Sherrie Vander Zwaag, of Montrose, South Dakota; and a sister-in-law and her husband, Gert and Cort Victoria, of Sheldon.

In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by a brother, Kenneth Vander Zwaag; a sister and her husband, Lois and Paul De Jong; two brothers-in-law, Wiz Punt, and Richard Van Ravenswaay, and his wife, Wilmina; and two sisters-in-law and their husbands, Lela and Loren Van Heuvelen, and Henrietta and Willis Bolt.

Memorials will be given to the Middleburg Free Grace Reformed Church and Sioux Center Health Hospice and Home Care.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.