Rev. Bert DEN HERDER

DEN HERDER, MOL, BEUKELMAN, VOS, HARLE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:50

December 18, 1923 –--- June 30, 2018

Funeral services for Rev. Bert Den Herder, 94, of Edgerton, Minn., formerly of Luverne, Minn., were held Friday, July 6, at 10:30 a.m. at the Luverne Christian Reformed Church. Burial will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery near Luverne.

Bert Den Herder was born December 18, 1923, to Eibert and Tillie (Mol) Den Herder in Sioux Center, Iowa. He was baptized in the First Reformed Church in Sioux Center and later made his profession of faith there in December of 1941. He attended Sioux Center Public School and later went to Northwestern Classical Academy and Junior College in Orange City, Iowa.

On June 24, 1948, Bert was united in marriage to Clara Beukelman at the First Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center. Their union was blessed with six children. In 1950 Bert enrolled at Calvin College and Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich. He graduated from seminary in May of 1955 and answered his first call to minister the gospel in a church in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, in October of that same year, where he served until 1960. Bert and Clara moved their growing family as he was called to minister the gospel next to Burnaby from 1960 to 1964 then to Chilliwack, both in British Columbia, Canada, from 1964 to 1967. In October of 1967, they moved back to the United States; first in Luverne serving the Christian Reformed Church from 1967 to 1980 and lastly, in Kanawha, Iowa, from 1980 to 1989. In April of 1989 the couple formally retired and settled in Luverne. Reverend Bert continued to remain active in local church life.

In 2013, he and Clara moved to the Poplar Creek Apartments in Luverne. After sharing 66 years of marriage with his beloved, Clara, she was taken to glory on September 5, 2014. Bert continued to reside in their apartment until September 2015, when he became an active resident at Edgebrook Care Center in Edgerton where he continued to use his gifts to share God’s word.

On Monday, June 25, 2018, Bert entered the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., where on Saturday, June 30, 2018, he was received into His heavenly home at the age of 94 years.

Most recently, Bert was a member of Luverne Christian Reformed Church. He loved being active in the life of the congregations he served and other Christian Reformed Churches whenever he was needed. He enjoyed gardening, reading, and playing scrabble with Clara.

Bert will be lovingly remembered by his six children, Lois Vos of Newton, Iowa, Phyllis and her husband Kenneth Vos of Luverne, David and his wife Mittie Den Herder of Grand Rapids, Mich., James and his wife Debra Den Herder and Calvin Den Herder, all of Luverne, and Mary and her husband Kurt Harle of Clear Lake, Iowa; 17 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; other family and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Clara; great-granddaughter, Juniper Den Herder; parents, Eibert and Tillie; and a son-in-law, Roger Vos.

Edgerton Enterprise --- Edgerton, Minnesota
July 10, 2018