Van Kooten, Henry R. 1926-2017

VAN KOOTEN, DIELEMAN, VELDHUIZEN, MEYERS, VAN MAANEN, PARKS, HIXSON, HARTSON, BEUKELMAN, SCHMITT, LANGSTRAAT, SCHUTTE, THIELEN, UNDERWOOD, VER MEER, JANSEN, DE JONG, HARTHOORN, VAN WYK, DE BRUIN, BRANDERHORST, KLOOSTERMAN, VOS, HARSSELAAR, VAN GILST

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 1/25/2017 at 12:45:16

Henry R. Van Kooten
October 24, 1926 - January 20, 2017

Henry Raymond Van Kooten was the oldest son of Cornelius and Jennie (Dieleman) Van Kooten. He was born on October 24, 1926, near Sully, Iowa. Henry attended the Sully Christian Grade School and was baptized and made profession of his faith at the Christian Reformed Church in Sully. On April 7, 1948, he was united in marriage with Virginia Tanna Kloosterman and to this union six children were born: Judith, Kenneth Allen, Sheryl Ann, Eileen Kay, Marcia Faye, and Verna Lou. Henry and Virginia farmed around the Sully area for 12 years before moving to Pella, Iowa. For the next 14 years they continued to farm alongside a dairy operation. In 1974 Henry made the decision to quit farming and start a farm tiling and trenching business which he did until he fully retired in 2001 at the age of 75. Henry loved tiling and had truly found his passion for work! In 1987 Henry survived a trench cave in while working near Otley, Iowa and was buried alive. Through the help of many people onsite who dug him out, he was life-flighted to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa and only suffered minor injuries. Henry has also survived two heart attacks during his life time along with other various medical conditions. Through it all Henry remained faithful to God and stated “The Lord has been good to me!” Although Henry loved nothing more than “digging in the dirt”, he also enjoyed bowling and going for coffee time at Dutch Mill Lumber and Vermeer Iowa. In 2006 Henry and Virginia moved into Pella and relocated to MidTown Apartments. In 2014 when additional assistance was needed for Virginia they moved to Vriendschap Village. In April of 2015 Henry broke his hip requiring rehabilitation and additional skilled care. The additional need for on-going daily assistance for both Henry and Virginia necessitated them to move to The Cottages in July of 2015. Henry passed away there on Friday, January 20, 2017, at the age of 90 years. At the time of his death Henry was a member of the Second Christian Reformed Church in Pella where he had served as an Elder and Sunday School teacher.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 68 years, Virginia Van Kooten and his five daughters and one son and their families. They are:
Judy and Marvin Van Veldhuizen of Oskaloosa, Iowa
Scott and Sandy Van Veldhuizen
Nate and Lydia Van Veldhuizen
Blake Van Veldhuizen
Noah Van Veldhuizen
Lydia Van Veldhuzien
Kimberly and Marv Meyers
Kaylin Meyers
Lucas Meyers
Jacob Meyers
Andrew Meyers
Melanie and Kevin Van Maanen
Jenna Van Maanen
Erika Van Maanen
Karson Van Maanen
Kristen and Tommy Parks
Jarrod Parks
Treyton Parks
Jillian Parks
Ken and Linda Van Kooten of Deer Park, Texas
Dana Van Kooten and Tammy Riddle Lake
Cody Van Kooten
Seth Van Kooten
Derek Van Kooten
Riley Van Kooten
Damion and Tina Van Kooten
Ethan Van Kooten
Belladonna Van Kooten
Sheryl Hixson of Pella, Iowa
Jason and Wendy Hartson
Kennedy Hartson
Kyler Hartson
Jeremy and Sarah Hartson
Taylor Hartson
Jacob Hartson
Hope Hartson
Judah Hartson
Selah Hartson
Josh and Christy Hixson
Lilybeth Hixson
Jaiden Hixson
Ember Hixson
Jace Hixson
Danielle and Lee Beukelman
Japheth Beukelman
Samantha Beukelman
Eileen Van Kooten-Schmitt of Dallas Center, Iowa
Hunter and Laura Schmitt
Connor Schmitt
Marcia and JR Pearson of Pella, Iowa
Tabitha and Jason Langstraat
Triston Langstraat
Teagan Langstraat
Dustin Schutte (Jillian Thielen)
Ryker Schutte
Bauer Schutte
Paige and Adam Underwood
Kylie Underwood
Brantley Underwood
Verna and Tim Ver Meer of Pella, Iowa
Tyler Ver Meer
Ryan and Monique Ver Meer
Of his original family of nine siblings Henry leaves the following sisters and brothers and their spouses: Cornelia and Charlie Jansen of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Delia and Johnnie De Jong of Sully, Iowa, Delmer and Wilma Van Kooten of Pella, Iowa, Norma and Carroll Harthoorn, Edward and Judy Van Kooten all of Sully; and sisters-in-law: Lois (Clarence Van Kooten) and her husband, Norman Van Wyk, Grada De Bruin, Pauline Branderhorst, and brother-in-law and sister in law, Elmer and Darlene Kloosterman all of Pella.

Henry was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Duane Schmitt; his great-grandson, Reuben Van Veldhuizen; his parents, Cornelius and Jennie Van Kooten; two brothers, Clarence Van Kooten and Daniel Van Kooten; his sisters Jean and her husband, Kenneth Vos and Ida and her husband Alberthus Harsselaar; his parents-in-law Case and Elizabeth (Van Gilst) Kloosterman; and brothers- in- law, Junior De Bruin and Marvin Branderhorst. Henry lived out his faith to his family. His children often recall their parents’ evening ritual of kneeling by their bedside to pray and their daily reading of the Bible.

Funeral Services will be held
Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 10:30 a.m.
Second Christian Reformed Church, Pella, Iowa
Interment will follow in the Oakwood Cemetery at Pella

The visitation will begin Monday after 1:00 p.m. at the Second Christian Reformed Church in Pella where the family will be present Monday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Memorial contributions are encouraged for the Second Christian Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa. ~ The Van Dyke - Duven Funeral Home, Pella, Iowa 20 Jan 2017.