Diekevers, Marvin Arthur 1926-2024

DIEKEVERS, VERHOEF, VANDENBRINK

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 10/11/2024 at 16:04:45

Mr. Marvin Diekevers, age 98, of Sheldon, formerly of Hull, passed away on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at Sanford Sheldon Medical Center.

A visitation with the family present will be held on Monday, September 30, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the American Reformed Church in Hull. A private family prayer service will take place on Tuesday, October 1, at the church, followed by interment at the Hope Cemetery in Hull. There will be a celebration of life on Tuesday, at 10:00am, at the church with the Rev. Mark Cercone officiating. The Oolman Funeral Home in Hull is in charge of arrangements.

Marvin Arthur was born on May 28, 1926, at his family’s home in Boyden. He lived a great life and was loved by so many people! Even if he didn’t remember your name, he ALWAYS remembered the blue ’78 Chevy he sold you. His charismatic, generous nature ensured that Marv truly never met a stranger.

Marv had a wonderful sense of humor and love for fun. His parents, Edward and Adriana (Ver Hoef) must have had a lifetime of stories raising their family, Walter “Ole”, Carrie, Thelma “Sus”, Gerrit “George”, Adrian “Rusty”, Harold “Pat” and Marvin “Fritz”. If you knew the Diekevers brothers, I’m sure you’ve heard many hilarious stories from their youth in Boyden. Marv served our country during WWII and while on leave, married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Vanden Brink, on September 7, 1945. They took a brief honeymoon, driving a ’32 Chevy, before moving to Indianapolis to finish out his service. In August of 1946 they moved back and made their home in Hull. Marv began working as a parts manager for the local Chevrolet dealership, eventually buying and running D&S Chevrolet, until his retirement in 1991. They had two children, Paula and Mark.

He served on several boards for the Iowa Automobile Association, on the KVDB radio station board, was an Iowa State Bank director, served on the board of Inspiration Hills, as well as the Hull Industrial Development Board and the Hull City Council. He was also a member of the Wegman-Koele American Legion Post for years. Marv was a faithful member of the American Reformed Church in Hull, serving as a Deacon, an Elder, and a Sunday school teacher and youth sponsor. As hard as Marv worked, he also knew how to have fun. In the summer, if he wasn’t on the golf course, you could catch him on the lake slalom skiing from sun up to sun down, fanning the water high above his head, with the rope between his knees to get the kids to cheer. He’d spend hours in the water teaching people to ski. And in the winter, he was on his snowmobile seeing how fast he could go. Marv and Dot traveled extensively, visiting all 50 states and more than 20 foreign countries. Marv loved road trips and the longer the better. He would say, “We’ll swing around!” Even if it was a 2,500-mile detour.

He adored children and if he wasn’t busy snuggling a baby, he was on the floor playing with the kids. He and Dot rarely missed an event, game, concert, or milestone involving their grandkids. And when the GREAT-grandkids came along, they leveled-up even more! “Special Days” with the Greats started, trips to the candy store, days on the golf course, tea and Oreos, and of course they went to their events too! And it wasn’t just activities that Marv was present for, he had a genuine interest in people and routinely asked questions about how you were doing and what you were up to. He listened with a caring heart and a genuine interest in your life. He was wise and encouraging. He always had a pocket full of Certs mints, a toothpick in his mouth, and wore his Izod socks with the Alligator on the inside, so he could see it when he crossed his legs, as everyone should!

Survivors include a daughter and her husband, Paula and Pete Hamill, of Sheldon; a son and his wife, Mark and Rose Diekevers, of Peoria, Illinois; five grandchildren, Chad Hamill, and his wife, Beth; Holly, and her husband, Loren Kamstra; Anne, and her husband, Cole Wilson; Amy, and her husband, Jake Sutton; and Whitney Diekevers; sixteen great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents and wife, Dot who passed away on May 25, 2011, in Sioux Center after more than 65 years of marriage, he was preceded in death by two sisters and their husbands, Carrie and Vernon Ingalls and Thelma and Elmer Kooiman; four brothers and their spouses, Walter and Bertha Diekevers; George and Lucille Diekevers; Adrian and Nelvina Diekevers; and Harold and Ruth Diekevers.

In Marv’s honor, memorials will be given to Orange City Area Home Health and Hospice.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.