Gerrit De Bruin Sr., 87, of Rock Valley died Tuesday, March 24, in a hospital Rock Valley of long illness. Services were at 10:30 a.m Thursday in the First Christian Reformed Church. The Rev. Roger Bultman officiated. Burial was in the VaIley View Cemetery. Family visitation was from 7:30 to 9 p.m Wednesday in the Porter Funeral Home in Rock Valley.
Mr. De Bruin was born June 26, 1893 in the Netherlands. He came to the United States when he was 17 years old. He married Coba Kragt, March 6, 1917 at Rock Valley. She died Nov. 14,1967. He owned and operated the Home Meat Market in Rock Valley for 57 years.
Survivors include five sons; Gerrit J and Delmar, both of Rock Valley, Peter of Toledo,. Ohio, Harvey of Worthington, Minn., and Stanley of Larchwood; one daughter Mrs John (Agnes) Van Slolten of George; two sisters, Mrs Martin Bliek of Denver Colo., and Mrs John Van Den Toorn of Corona, Calif.: 23 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren.
Rock Valley Bee April 2, 1981
She was born September 12, 1918 and lived in the Rock Valley area and was a graduate of the Rock Valley Christian school. She attended Western Christian High and Calvin college at Grand Rapids, and later worked at Presbyterian hospital in Chicago. She married Herman Vander Ploeg February 14, 1946.
Survivors include her husband, one daughter; Kathy, 15, and three sons, Bruce 13, Arlyn 8, and Douglas 6, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit De Bruin, one sister, Mrs. John Van Sloten; five brothers, Gerrit, John Peter, Harvey and Stanley, and her grandmother Mrs. Marie De Bruin.
Source: Rock Valley Bee - 02 April 1964
Herman Leroy Vander Ploeg, age 57, Hull, Iowa died December 17 at a hospital in Sioux Center, Iowa. Services were at 10 A.M., December 20 in the First Christian Reformed Church at Hull. The Rev. John Fondse officiated. Burial was in Amsterdam Township Cemetery at Kanawha under direction of the Kraai Funeral Home of Hull.
Mr. Vander Ploeg was born August 12, 1919, at Kanawha. He married Pearl De Boer July 25, 1966, at Kanawha. The couple moved to the Hull community in 1966.
Survivors include the widow; five sons, Bruce Vander Ploeg, Arlen Vander Ploeg, Philip Roskamp, Palmer Roskamp and Preston Rosekamp, all of Hull; three daughters, Mrs. Corwin (Catherine) Schaaf of McBain, Michigan, Mrs. Harlan (Patricia) Moss of Sioux Center and Miss Paula Roskamp of Des Moines; four sisters, Mrs. John (Trena) Cooper of Britt, and Mrs. Tom (Delia) Belger, Mrs. Raymond (Ann) Blank and Miss Irene Vander Ploeg, all of Kanawha, and five grandchildren.
Source: Sioux Center News - 29 December 1976
Mr. De Bruin was born April 10, 1921, on a farm south of Inwood, Iowa, the son of Gerrit and Coba (Kragt) De Bruin. He worked as a butcher at his father's Home Meat Market in Rock Valley, and later at a butcher shop in Alvord, Iowa. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, from Oct. 31, 1942, to Nov. 11, 1945.
He married Lorraine Splear on Aug. 21, 1946, in Rock Valley. He owned and operated De Bruin TV Sales and Service. He was an avid fur trapper in the area.
Survivors include his wife; a son and his wife, Gary and Donita De Bruin of Vernon Hills, Ill.; three daughters, Joanne and her husband, Donald Decker of Centreville, Md., Sandra and her husband, Arlen Horne of Brigham City, Utah, and Nancy Wilson of Waterloo, Iowa; three brothers and their wives, Peter and Janet De Bruin of Millbury, Ohio, Harvey and Nellie De Bruin of Worthington, Minn., and Delmer and Pauline De Bruin of Rock Valley; a sister and her husband, Agnes and Albert Heronemus of Little Rock, Iowa; a sister-in-law, Cleone De Bruin of Larchwood, Iowa; and two grandchildren, Kristen and Laura De Bruin.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Stanley De Bruin, and a sister, Marie Vander Ploeg.
Rock Valley, IA: Lorraine De Bruin, 89, of Rock Valley, Iowa died Thursday, May 07,
2015 at Whispering Heights in Rock Valley.
Visitation with the family present will be 3-4 p.m., Sunday, May 10, 2015 at Porter
Funeral Home in Rock Valley.
A private family service will be held at a later date.
Condolences for the family may be left online at www.porterfuneralhomes.com.
Lorraine Bertha De Bruin, daughter of Bernard and Bertha (Hamann) Splear, was born February 18, 1926. She was a graduate of Rock Valley High School and went on to receive her teacher's certificate.
Lorraine was united in marriage with Gerrit (Butch) De Bruin on August 21, 1946. The couple made their home in Rock Valley, where in addition to raising four children, Lorraine had a variety of jobs. She worked as a librarian at the public library, worked at the law office of McGill & McGill Law, and she ended her career working at Valley State Bank. Lorraine was an avid reader and enjoyed bowling league, dancing with Butch, putting together puzzles and playing on the computer.
Lorraine is survived by her four children, Joanne (Donald) Decker of Mattawan, MI; Sandra (Arlen) Horne of Ferndale, WA; Gary (Donita) De Bruin of Kalamazoo, MI and Nancy Wilson of Cedar Falls, IA; two granddaughters, Laura (Ryan) Fouty of Paw Paw, MI and Kristen De Bruin of Kalamazoo, MI; and one niece, Kathy Splear of Rock Valley.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Bernard and Bertha Splear; husband, Butch De Bruin; and brother, Robert (Beverly) Splear.
Porter Funeral Home
Altho not really my Uncle we always called him "Uncle Pete" he married Jan and they had one son Walter. Uncle Pete and his wife raised, bred and showed German Shepard's. Uncle Pete loved to play solitaire, and that was what you could always find him doing in his spare time.
Aunt Jan was a wonderful women, she was not actually my Aunt she was my moms best
friend, we spent much time there growing up and always called her our Aunt.
She raised and showed German Shepards.
Winning many awards and trophy's.
She was a stay at home mom and house wife. She loved to collect antiques and had allot of family heirlooms. She lived in Toledo for many years. Later after her and Uncle Pete retired they moved to Arizona were she passed away.
Her obituary is published in the Toledo Blade March 2, 2013 and reads a follows.
Janet Mae De Bruin, late of Yuma, AZ joined her husband Peter in Glory on February
28, 2013.
She was a house wife and mother all her life.
She was a life Member of the Toledo Kennel Club, The German Shepard Dog Club of Toledo,
and the Yuma Humane Society.
Surviving is her son, Walter De Bruin of Holgate, and granddaughters, Sherri Ward of
Montpelier, Patti De Bruin of West Chester, and Margie Golden of Defiance.
With many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Arrangements are being handled by Yuma Mortuary.
September 10, 1927 - March 13, 2016
Mr. Harvey "Butch" De Bruin, age 88, of Sheldon, formerly of Worthington, Minnesota, passed away on Sunday, March 13, 2016, at the Sanford Senior Care in Sheldon. There will be a memorial service on Thursday, March 17, at 11:00am, at the First Christian Reformed Church in Hospers. The Rev. Marvin Leese will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service at the Hospers Cemetery. There will be a family prayer service on Thursday, at 10:00am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Hospers, with the Rev. Cory Van Sloten officiating. Visitation will be after 4:00pm on Wednesday, with the family present from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the funeral home.
Harvey Earl was born on September 10, 1927, in Rock Valley, the son of Gerrit and Coba (Kragt) De Bruin. He was raised in Rock Valley and served in the United States Navy for two years. On May 12, 1949, he married Nellie Marie Van Dyke in Marion, North Dakota. He began his career in meat processing at his parents' meat market in Rock Valley. He then worked for Ray Smit in Boyden and the Woudstras in Orange City and Hospers. They made their home in Hospers, where he owned and operated Hospers Produce for a few years.
After the business burned, they moved to Worthington, where he became a federal meat inspector for southwest Minnesota. In retirement, they wintered in Yuma, Arizona, for 23 years. In July of 2015, they became residents of the Christian Retirement Home in Sheldon, and on February 1, 2016, he transferred to Sanford Senior Care. Butch was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, spending summers at Round Lake, Minnesota. He passed down his love of fishing to his daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife of 66 years; three daughters, Carol Fliear, of Matlock; Darla, and her husband, John Vande Weerd, of Alton; and Lonnie, and her husband, Lyle Gorter, of Escondido, California; nine grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and other relatives.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son-in-law, Larry Fliear; four brothers and two sisters.
Nellie Marie was born on May 19, 1926, in Marion, North Dakota, the daughter of George
and Johanna (Lengkeeck) Van Dyke.
She lived there until moving to Orange City, where she met her future husband,
Harvey "Butch" De Bruin.
Nellie and Butch were united in marriage on May 12, 1949, in Marion, North Dakota. As a homemaker, Nellie followed her husband's career, living in Hospers, then moving to Minneapolis and Worthington, Minnesota. In July of 2015, they moved into the Christian Retirement Home, in Sheldon. Later in life, they enjoyed wintering in Yuma, Arizona, for 23 years. Butch passed away on March 13, 2016, after more than 66 years of marriage. In August of last year, Nellie became a resident of Sanford Senior Care Sheldon, where she died on August 10, 2021. Mrs. De Bruin was a member of the First Christian Reformed church in Hospers, and she very much enjoyed connecting with others in person and through her mobile phone.
Survivors include her three daughters, Carol Fliear, of Matlock; Darla, and her husband, John Vande Weerd, of Alton; and Lonnie, and her husband, Lyle Gorter, of Escondido, California; nine grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; a brother, Harry Van Dyke; and two sisters-in-law, Gloria Van Dyke and Cleone De Bruin.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son-in-law, Larry Fliear; four brothers; and one sister. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital or the Ronald McDonald House.
(Oolman Funeral Homes)
Delmer was born April 16, 1929, in Rock Valley, the son of Gerrit and Coba (Kragt) De Bruin. He married Pauline Pember on Oct. 30, 1951. Together they lived in Rock Valley, where he worked for Van Zee's and in Hospers, Iowa, a few years. He then began his dream job as a mail carrier in 1959. He retired from the Post Office on July 1, 1989, after 30 years of service. Following his retirement, the couple wintered in Arizona, something he loved to do. He also enjoyed golfing and golfed on a league for several years. He was an active member of Pioneer United Methodist Church for more than 50 years.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Pauline; daughters, Paula Homer of Longmont, Cob., and Cheryl Morrow of Brighton, Colo.; grandchildren, Jamison and Nichelle Morrow and Jeremiah, Kayla and Jesse Homer, all of Colorado; his brothers, Peter De Bruin of Yuma, Ariz., and Harvey De Bruin of Worthington, Minn.; a sister, Agnes Heronemus of Little Rock, Iowa; and many other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Marie Vander Ploeg; and brothers, Stanley and Gerrit Jr. De Bruin.