Neal and Dena were married in the parsonage of the First Reformed Church by Rev. Fred Lubbers. With only their parents present.
VAN ROEKEL, NEAL AND DENA (SNELLER)
Neal Van Roekel was the first child born to Henry C. & Allie (Vander Ploeg) Van Roekel on January 7, 1905 at the farm located 4 1/2 miles west of SiouxCenter. Dena Sneller was born on April 9, 1905 to Henry & Dena (Koerselman) Sneller. They were married in the parsonage of the First Reformed Church by the Rev. Fred Lubbers on February 15, 1928 with only the parents of the couple in attendance.
Neal attended rural school for seven years and then had to stay home and help with the farm work. When he was 15 years old his father bought their first car and Neal got to drive it and felt pretty proud.
After their marriage Neal and Dena began farming, renting a 60-acre farm two miles west of Sioux Center, where they lived for one year. They then moved further west and farmed for 9 years near Highland, then they rented 160 acres 3 miles east of Sioux Center where they lived for 19 years. In the early 1930's sows were sold for $1.85 a hundred and times ware very hard. During those hard years they also experienced many severe dust storms. Electricity came to the farm in the late 1940's.
There ware the good times also. Working closely with the neighbors during oat harvesting time, followed by a "threshers picnic" marked the end of the summer harvest time. Of course, there always were the annual school picnics that nobody wanted to miss.
Neal Van Roekel Family, about 1935 L-R: Del-
mar (3 Dec. 27 was 2), Neal, Alvina (6 Dec. 29
was 5), Dena, Gerald (1 yr. March), Bernice
(4 Oct. 19 was 3) Van Roekel
In 1957 Neal and Dena built a new house in Sioux Center where they lived for 17 years. They then sold that house and bought another one at the south end of Sioux Center where they still reside.
Neal served on the consistory of the First Reformed Church of Sioux Center, as well as on the Board of the Co-op Creamery. After moving to town he was employed by the Community School as school bus supervisor, he operated the city street sweeper, and also drove a livestock and grain truck for local truckers. The first vacation they took was when they went to Denver, Colorado to get their daughter who had been working there.
The following children ware born to Neal and Dena:
1. Alvina, born Dec. 29, 1928 at Sioux Center. She married Donald Van Gorp on August 29, 1950 at the Little Brown Church at Nashua, Iowa. They have five children and raside at rural Clarkfield, Minnesota.
2. Bernice was born October 19, 1930 at Ireton, IA. She married James Moss on July 18, 1951 at Sioux Center, and farm east of Sioux Center. They have four children.
3. Delmar was born December 27, 1931 at Ireton, and at the age of 6 years he became ill with scarlet fever, was sick for less than a week, and passed away on Feb. 1, 1937. They ware quarantined and the funeral service was held the following day outside the farm home on a cold winter day.
4. Gerald was born March 5, 1934 at Ireton. He married Darlene Doornink on June 28, 1955 at Sioux Center. They farm north of Carmel and have five children.
Neal and Dena presently have three children, 14 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren.
by Ellen Van Roekel
Between 10th St. & 1st E-W roads, row 18 east of west entry road.
Neal 1905-2001 Dena 1905-1999:
MRS. NEAL (DENA) VAN ROEKEL
Born: April 9,1905, Sioux Center, Iowa
Died: February 21, 1993, Sioux Center, Iowa
Services at the First Reformed Church, Sioux Center, Iowa at 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, February 23, 1993. Burial in the Memory Gardens Cemetery, Sioux Center, Iowa on Tuesday, February 23, 1993. Arrangements by Vander Ploeg's
Mrs. Neal Van Roekel (nee Dena Sneller) passed away Sunday afternoon in Sioux Center, Iowa at the age of eighty-seven years. On February 15, 1928, in Sioux Center, she was united in marriage to Neal Van Roekel, who now survives. They farmed in the Sioux Center area until 1957 when they retired and moved into town.
She is survived by three children: Alvina, Mrs. Don Van Gorp, of Clarkfield, Minnesota; Bernice, Mrs. James Moss, of Sioux Center, Iowa; and Gerald and his wife, Darlene, of Rock Valley, Iowa; fourteen grandchildren; thirty-two great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild. She s also survived by three sisters and two brothers: Jennie, Mrs. Orin Franke, of Ireton, Iowa; Grace De Boer of Sioux Center, Iowa; William H. Sneller of Sioux Center, Iowa; Agnes Sneer of Le Mars, Iowa; and Raymond Sneller of Parker, South Dakota.
She was preceded in death by one son, Delmer, on February 1, 1938; three great-grandchildren;three brothers: Ed, Gerrit, and Henry; and three sisters: Jennie, Bertha Cleveringa, and Gertrude Statema.
Vander Ploeg's Funeral Home, Sioux Center.
NEAL H. VAN ROEKEL
Born: January 7, 1905; Sioux Center, Iowa
Passed Away: October 7, 2001; Sioux Center, Iowa
Age: 96 years, 9 months
Funeral Service: Tuesday; October 9,2001, First Reformed Church, Sioux Center, Iowa Interment: Memory Gardens Cemetery, Sioux Center. Iowa
Neal was the son of Henry C. and Allie (Vander Ploeg) Van Roekel. He was raised in rural Sioux Center. On February 15, 1928, he married Dena Sneller at Sioux Center. They farmed at Sioux Center, moving into town in 1957. Neal was a school bus driver for seventeen years and for a few years, he was employed by the City of Sioux Center.
Mrs. Van Roekel passed away February 21, 1993, in Sioux Center. In February of 2000, he became a resident of the Sioux Center Community Health Center. Mr. Van Roekel was a lifelong member of the First Reformed Church, where he had served on the consistory as a deacon. He enjoyed music, and he and his wife liked to travel. Family devotions were very important to him.
Survivors include his two daughters and their husbands, Alvina and Donald Van Gorp of Clarkfield, Minnesota and Bernice and James Moss of Sioux Center; a son and his wife, Gerald and Darlene Van Roekel of Sioux Center; fourteen grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren; and one brother and four sisters, Tena Sneller, Henry Van Roekel, Cynthia Van Regenmorter, Harriet Meendering, and Ellen Van Roekel, all of Sioux Center.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a son, Delmar, in 1938; three great-grandchildren; three brothers, Garret, Tony and John Van Roekel; and three sisters, Fannie Van Roekel, in 1916, Fannie Sneller, and Carrie Franken.
Oolman Funeral Home, Orange City.
Delmer Van Roekel was born December 27, 1931 at Ireton, Iowa. When he was 6 years old he became ill with scarlet fever. Delmer was sick for less than a week and passed away on February 1, 1937. His family was quarantined and the funeral service was held the following day outside the farm home on a cold winter day.