Mark De Prenger was born on August 24, 1921, near Leighton, Iowa. He was the first of three children that were born to John and Dena Van Roekel De Prenger. Mark attended country grade school at Centennial School near Leighton and graduated from Pella Public High School in Pella, Iowa with the Class of 1939. In October of 1944 Mark was drafted into the United States Navy. Mark was awarded a World War II Victory Medal and was honorably discharged in July of 1946 as a Third Class (Fireman) Water Tender.
On June 18, 1947, he was united in marriage with Esther Mae Veldhuizen at the Ebenezer Reformed Church in Leighton. To this union two children were born: Cynthia and Daryl J. De Prenger. Mark and Esther lived south of Leighton for a short time following their marriage during which time Mark was employed at a feed and grain business. They then moved to the De Prenger farmstead where Mark continued to farm until the end of his working lifetime. He was first in partnership with his father and then farmed on his own for many years. During the last 15 years he was in partnership with various tenants.
After living on the farmstead for 52 years, Mark and Esther moved to Pella, Iowa in 1998. The De Prenger farmstead later was recognized as a Century Farm. Farming was and continued to be a significant part of Mark's life. Mark and Esther enjoyed their retirement years on the farmstead near Leighton and in Pella where he spent a good deal of his time with his family and reading. They spent winter months with friends and family in south Texas for several years. In 1996 Mark was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He and Esther coped graciously with the limitations of this disease and were able to remain together in their residence until April of 2008. Mark then became a resident in the Long Term Care Unit at the Pella Regional Health Center in Pella and passed away on Thursday afternoon, May 15, 2008, in the Medical/Surgical Unit of the hospital. He attained the age of 86 years, 8 months and 21 days.
Those who will cherish his memory are his wife of nearly 61 years, Esther M. De Prenger; his daughter and a son-in-law: Cynthia and Kenneth Vander Wal of Oak Brook, Illinois; his son, Daryl J. De Prenger of Arlington, Virginia; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren: Sonja Vander Wal, Steven Vander Wal and his wife, Kristi and their two children: Benjamin and Abigail, David Vander Wal, Daniel Vander Wal and his wife Renee, and Kevin Vander Wal. Of his original family Mark leaves his sister, Blanche and her husband, Herman Wyngarden of Oskaloosa, Iowa; his sister-in-law, Wanda (De Prenger) and her husband, Tom Stangel of Pella; two brothers-in-law and their wives: Elmer and Carolyn Veldhuizen, Wayne and Leona Veldhuizen all of Oskaloosa; a brother-in-law, Burl (Ruth Veldhuizen) Roudybush of Muscatine, Iowa; and two sisters-in-law: Martha (Henry) Veldhuizen of Oskaloosa and Dorothy Grubb of Pella.
Mark was preceded in death by his parents: John and Dena De Prenger; his parents-in-law: Jacob and Ada Van Zee Veldhuizen; stepmother Betty Veldhuizen; his brother, Warren De Prenger; three brothers-in-law: Edward, Arnold and Henry Veldhuizen and a sister-in-law, Ruth Roudybush.
Mark was a life-long member of the Ebenezer Reformed Church in Leighton where he served faithfully on the consistory and as a Sunday School teacher. He was a member of the Farm Bureau and the Van Veen-Van Hemert American Legion Post No. 89 of Pella, Iowa; and as a World War II veteran is entered in the National World War II Registry of Remembrances and was privileged to be present at the May 2004 Dedication ceremony of the newly constructed National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Mark's priorities in his life were his family, farming and the church.
Memorials may be given for the Benevolent Fund of Ebenezer Reformed Church.
Van Dyk- Duven Funeral Home