Obituary for Viola M. Uithoven
VIOLA MAE UITHOVEN was born on April 24, 1933 to Abraham and Martha (Van Wyk) Van Roekel
on the farm near Sioux Center, Iowa.
When she was in the third grade her family moved to Minnesota.
Her father was able to purchase a farm two miles west of the town of Beaver Creek.
She attended school in Beaver Creek and graduated with the class of 1950.
Following school, she worked as a realtor for a year in Luverne, Minnesota.
During this time, she also started dating a childhood friend that she met through church, Marcus 'Mike' Uithoven. The couple had a short courtship as Mike was headed to the Korean War. Mike asked her to marry him on December 8th and they were married less than two weeks later on December 18, 1951 at the Valley Springs Reformed Church. Mike left for the service in January of 1952 and Viola moved out to be near him at Fort Knox, Kentucky during basic training. When he left for Korea she returned to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where she lived with a girlfriend and worked in the office at Hossenstein Steel.
In the fall of 1953, Mike returned home and they lived and farmed near Valley Springs for the next eight years. The couple then moved to Beaver Creek where they farmed for six years before settling in Luverne, Minnesota in 1968. Viola was a homemaker for her family and later began a home daycare that she continued for the next 22 years. Mike and Viola both retired in 1996 and they began spending their winters in Mesa, Arizona and also enjoyed spending summers at their lake place in Lake Benton, Minnesota.
On Tuesday, October 13, 2020, while at her residence at the Good Samaritan Society - Poplar Creek Estates in Luverne, Viola went to be with her Lord at the age of 87 years, five months and 19 days.
Viola was a member of the American Reformed Church in Luverne. She taught Sunday School and helped with youth programming in her younger years. She enjoyed sewing, golfing, listening to music, entertaining for family and friends and traveling. Viola and Mike traveled to 50 states and many European countries as well. One of her favorite trips was going to Holland and meeting members of her extended family. The couple remembers fondly the times they spent with other families on Mike's softball teams, sharing food, laughter and good times. Viola always knew what they would be doing on Labor Day, 4th of July and Memorial Day ... softball tournaments! Above all, Viola loved her husband and children. Even in hard times, she knew you had to just keep going, keep on digging and keep on loving. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who cherished time with her family.
Viola is remembered by her husband, Mike of Luverne; five children, Gary (Marcia) Uithoven of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Greg (Marilyn) Uithoven of Magnolia, Minnesota, Leanne (Jim) Zarling of Fairmont, Minnesota, Glen Uithoven of Worthington, Minnesota, and Lisa Uithoven of Omaha, Nebraska; 10 grandchildren, Heather (Jeff) Andre, Shannon Uithoven, Megan (Chad Sieddel) Uithoven, Marcus Uithoven (fiancé, Ashlee Placencio), Adam (Linda) Uithoven, Annie (Nick) Bork, Aric (Cassie) Uithoven, Kathryn (Billy) Moses, Tom Siebert and Zeven Sanders; 20 great-grandchildren; three siblings, Robert 'Bob' (Jenny) Van Roekel of Brandon, South Dakota, Donald 'Don' (Verlys) Van Roekel of Surprise, Arizona and Roger (Mary) Van Roekel of Beaver Creek; and other family. She was preceded in death by her parents; and two grandchildren, Amanda Uithoven and Shawn Uithoven.
Obituary for Marcus "Mike" Junior Uithoven
MARCUS "MIKE" JUNIOR UITHOVEN was born on June 7, 1930 to Jacob and Jennie (Ruiter) Uithoven. He spent his childhood on the family farm near Valley Springs, South Dakota where he lived with his parents, grandparents and his younger brother. He attended country school near their farm. His Grandpa would walk with him every morning to school and be there at the end of the day to walk home with him again. Mike’s family only spoke Dutch at home so it was quite the transition heading to school and learning English. During his school years and through adulthood, Mike loved to play sports. He excelled at basketball in high school and graduated with the Valley Springs class of 1948. Following school, he helped his family on their dairy and crop farm.
It was during this time that he also started dating Viola Van Roekel, a childhood friend that he had known through their church. The two fell in love. Mike was drafted into the Army and was scheduled for service beginning in January of 1952. With that in mind, Mike knew that Viola was the one for him and while they were on their way to Sioux Falls for a date night, he looked over and asked her to marry him. The couple was married on December 18, 1951 at Valley Springs Reformed Church. Mike left for Army basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky in January. Mike then got his orders to be sent overseas, he was headed to Korea. He remembers arriving in Inchon, Korea by boat and marching to the front lines. Monsoon rains were relentless and they had to use their steel helmets to empty the water in their foxholes. After some time, he was stationed at T bone Hill where he guarded prisoners of war from the North and then was sent to White Horse Mountain to complete his service. He was honorably discharged on the 27th of July, 1953. Upon returning home, Mike and Viola made their home in Valley Springs for the next eight years were Mike farmed and worked at John Morrell in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The young family moved to a farm near Beaver Creek, Minnesota where they farmed for six years. As the times were hard with farming, Mike went to work driving truck for a couple of years for M & JR Hakes. In 1968, Mike took a job with Iowa Beef Producers in Luverne. They purchased a home on the edge of town that they lived in for over 50 years. At IBP, Mike worked as a painter for a number of years and then out in the cattle yards. Mike retired from IBP in 1996. During their retirement years, the couple enjoyed heading to Mesa, Arizona for winters.
In August 2017, Mike entered the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne. Viola preceded him in death on October 13, 2020. On Monday, November 29, 2021, Mike went to be with his Lord and family in heaven at the age of 91 years, five months and 22 days.
Mike was a member of the American Reformed Church in Luverne. The couple taught Sunday School and were church youth counselors in their younger years. Mike was an avid softball player and was a member of several teams. The couple remembers the good times that softball games and tournaments brought, being with friends that had the same ages of kids and always knowing what your plans were for Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. He also enjoyed golfing, a good game of horseshoes, heading to the couple’s lake place in Lake Benton, Minnesota and traveling with Viola. Mike loved his family and he wants people to remember 'be kind to one another and love each other'.
Mike is survived by his five children, Gary (Marcia) Uithoven of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Greg (Marilyn) Uithoven of Magnolia, Minnesota, Leanne (Jim) Zarling of Fairmont, Minnesota, Glen Uithoven of Worthington, Minnesota, and Lisa Uithoven of Omaha, Nebraska; 10 grandchildren, Heather (Jeff) Andre, Shannon Uithoven, Megan (Chad Sieddel) Uithoven, Marcus Uithoven (fiancé, Ashlee Placencio), Adam (Linda) Uithoven, Annie (Nick) Bork, Aric (Cassie) Uithoven, Kathryn (Billy) Moses, Tom Siebert and Zeven Sanders; 21 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Viola; two grandchildren, Amanda Uithoven and Shawn Uithoven; parents, Jacob and Jennie Uithoven; and his brother, Dick Uithoven.