Cemetery is located 1.5 miles east of Maurice.
Grave is located in the 1st N-S row west of the East entrance road.
Mrs. E. Van Roekel Is Fatally Injured Dec. 30
Mrs. Elmer (Gertrude Van Roekel), 63, of Maurice died at the Orange City hospital about 9.15 p. m. Monday, December 30, of internal injuries sustained earlier that day (about 4:15 p.m. ) in a car-semi-truck accident on U. S. Highway 10 about 2½ miles west of Orange City.
Mrs. Van Roekel's husband, Elmer, 61, driver of the car, is confined to the Orange City hospital with internal injuries. His condition was described Tuesday as "fair".
A large semi-truck driven by Lloyd Dolphin, 30, of Hospers (traveling east) jackknifed across the highway in front of the oncoming Van Roekel car (a 1968 Oldsmosbile) as the driver attempted to go around a stalled Sioux City milk truck parked on the southside of the highway according to Acting Sheriff Darrell Roetman. Dolphin was uninjured.
Sioux Center News 1969-01-02.
Mrs. Elmer Van Roekel is killed
An accident that occurred on Monday afternoon took the life of Mrs. Elmer Van Roekel, 63, of Maurice. Lloyd Dolphin of Hospers driving a semi-trailor truck, lost control trying to avoid a truck that was broken down and parked on the shoulder. The parked truck was owned by Sioux City Milk Producers. Dolphin's truck jackknifed and was hit by the car driven by Elmer Van Roekel.
The accident occurred at 4:15 p.m. on highway #10, two and one-half miles west of Orange City.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Roekel were taken to the Orange City hospital, where Mrs. Van Roekel died about 9:00 p.m. Mr. Van Roekel suffered internal injuries and is termed "In fair condition." At the time of the accident, according to Patrolman Art Jonker, the "wind chill factor" was 63 below zero. Helping Patrolman Jonker investigate the accident were Patrolman Bill Miller and Sheriff Darrell Roetman.
Funeral service arrangements for Mrs. Van Roekel were pending at the time The CAPITAL went to press on Tuesday. Mrs. Van Roekel's death was the 10th traffic fatality in Sioux County this year.
Sioux County Capital 1969-01-02.
Eugene Van Roekel, of Harrison, formerly of Maurice, Iowa, passed away
unexpectedly Tuesday Nov. 22 (2016) in his Arkansas home with his wife of
58 years by his side.
Eugene Elmer was born on March 16, 1937, in Orange City, Iowa, and was the only child of Elmer and Gertrude (Brink) Van Roekel.
He graduated from Maurice High School in 1954 and Northwestern College in 1956. After graduating, he spent two years working as a bookkeeper with Roggen and Ford in Orange City.
On March 29, 1958, he married his high school sweetheart, Darlene Stallbaum, in the Maurice First Reformed Church. The couple moved to his home farm near Maurice, where he spent many years raising cattle and hogs and growing corn. Eugene always sought progressive methods of improving the land and growing his farming business. He truly loved his daily interaction with the livestock and could always be found with his dogs by his side.
In 1990, Eugene and Darlene moved to Orange City, and he spent 10 years working for Agri-Edge in Sioux Center and Kraai Furniture in Orange City.
In 2001, the Van Roekels retired to their current home in Harrison. He was grateful to be able to entrust his land to the competent care of Mark, Rob, and the late Bruce Kuiken. He looked forward to his regular trips to Iowa to survey the progress of their crops and spend time with friends and family.
While living in Arkansas, he enjoyed traveling to bluegrass music festivals and spent many evenings running the sound system for local jam sessions while his wife sang, played mandolin, and fiddled.
As the Midwestern farmer, he was also the man many of his newfound Arkansas friends sought to care for their livestock when they were on vacation or fulfilling other obligations.
He dearly loved and is survived by his wife, Darlene Van Roekel; his children, Paulette (Giovanni) Romano, Steve (Melanie) Van Roekel, Shari (Gregg) Boone, Martin (Marianne) Van Roekel and Julie Krogman; along with two sisters-in-law, Phyllis (Peter) Van Peursem and Marjorie (Dick) Reid; and seven neices and nephews.
He is also survived by the 17 grandchildren whom he adored, Mary and Anna Maassen, Taylor and Garrett Van Roekel, Tyler (Alisa,) Haley, Kiley and Myles Boone, Magdalene, Jonah, Hannah and Eli Van Roekel, Brody and Madeline Krogman, and Cameron, Kendall and Caden Grund. He was also blessed with two adorable great-grandchildren, Rylan and Haden Boone.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Gertrude Van Roekel; his parents-in-law, Herman and Mary Stallbaum; and one nephew, Michael Van Peursem.
Darlene L. Van Roekel, age 81, of Sioux Center, Iowa, passed away November 25, 2019 at
the Sioux Center Community Hospital following a brief battle with cancer.
Darlene was born August 23, 1938 in Brookings, South Dakota and was the second child of
Herman and Mary (Sherman) Stallbaum.
Her family lived in several towns throughout South Dakota and Minnesota until 1950,
when they settled in Maurice, Iowa, where her father became the Superintendent of
Schools.
She graduated from Maurice High School in 1956 and Northwestern College in 1958.
On March 29, 1958, she married her high school sweetheart, Eugene Van Roekel, in the Maurice First Reformed Church, and they moved to Eugene's home farm near Maurice. While Darlene had several jobs throughout her life, she was best known for her work as a CNA and Secretary at the Orange City Hospital, where she developed a reputation as someone with a caring and compassionate manner. She spent many hours knitting and crocheting gifts for her children and grandchildren. Later in life, she became interested in quilting and made quilts for all her children and grandchildren. She was an avid bird-watcher, collector, and loved any and all dogs. She also loved working with plants, particularly African Violets.
In 1990, Eugene and Darlene moved to Orange City, and in 2001, they retired to their second hometown of Harrison, Arkansas. While in Arkansas, Darlene became a regular at local blue grass jam sessions, where she played guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. While Darlene truly felt Arkansas had become her home, she returned to Iowa to be closer to her family shortly after Eugene's death in November of 2016. Despite spending her adult years in Iowa and Arkansas, though, she was always a Western South Dakota girl at heart.
Darlene is survived by her children; Paulette (Giovanni) Romano, Steve (Melanie) Van Roekel, Shari (Gregg) Boone, Martin (Marianne) Van Roekel and Julie Krogman; seventeen grandchildren, Mary and Anna Maassen, Taylor and Garrett Van Roekel, Cameron, Kendall and Caden Grund, Tyler (Alisa,) Haley, Kiley and Myles (Sara) Boone, Magdalene, Jonah, Hannah and Eli Van Roekel, Brody (Phil) and Madeline Krogman; and two great-grandchildren, Rylan and Haden Boone. She is also survived by one sister, Marjorie (Dick) Reid; a brother-in-law, Pete Van Peursem; and seven nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents-in-law, Elmer and Gertrude Van Roekel; two sisters, Loraine Stallbaum and Phyllis Van Peursem; and a nephew, Michael Van Peursem.
Services: Private Family Service
Interment: Ashes will be scattered
Arrangements: Memorial Funeral Home - Sioux Center, Iowa
Source: Memorial Funeral Home