Section D, Row 7 from east side of section:
M. Van Roekel dies suddenly here Tuesday
Milton Van Roekel, 49, Sioux County Recorder, died suddenly at about 7:15 Tuesday evening after suffering a heart attack.
Mr. Van Roekel was raking leaves in front of his home here when he had the attack. Mrs. Vernon Mouw, who lives across the street, saw Mr. Van Roekel fall to the ground. She immediately called a doctor, and Mr. Mouw went to see if he could aid Van Roekel. Mr. Van Roekel, however, apparently died almost instantly.
Funeral arrangements were pending here Wednesday morning. The Red Cross was contacting Van Roekel's son, Merlin, who is stationed with the Navy at Kodiak, Alaska.
Mr. Van Roekel is also survived by his wife; a daughter, Laura, 15; and a son, Roy, 6.
Mr. Van Roekel had served as Sioux County Recorder since 1936, and had been Treasurer of the Orange City Independent school district for the past 10 years, and was Treasurer of the Trinity Reformed church.
Sioux County Capital 1958-04-10.
Mrs. Alice Van Roekel, 69, of Mountain Home, Ark., formerly of Orange City, died Thursday, Sept. 12. A memorial service was held at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City with the Rev. Donald Lenderink officiating. There was a commital service at West Lawn Cemetery under the direction of Van Gelder Funeral Home.
Mrs. Van Roekel, the former Alice Tolman, was born March 20, 1916, in Hull. She married Milton Van Roekel on June 30, 1936, in Orange City. Mr. Van Roekel was Sioux County recorder and Mrs. Van Roekel assumed the position when he died in 1958. She served as county recorder for 20 years before moving to Arkansas in 1983.
Survivors include two sons, Merlin of Des Moines, and Roy of Lakeview, Ark.; a daughter, Mrs. Laura La Grange of Ames; two brothers, Bill of Orange City and George of Laguna Niguel, Calif.; a sister, Mrs. Margaretta Cook of Le Mars, and eight grandchildren.
Sioux Center News 1985-09-18.
Merlin L. (Ernie) Van Roekel, 74, of Des Moines, passed away peacefully on
May 16, 2013.
Merlin was born in Orange City, IA to Milton and Alice Van Roekel and married
to Cynthia B. Anderson.
Merlin is survived by his loving family, wife Cindy, children Kara Tragesser, Mark (Birgit) Van Roekel, Brian (Irene) Van Roekel, Holly Van Roekel, sister Laura (William) La Grange, brother Roy Van Roekel, four grandchildren, three great grandchildren, favorite cousin Kay Tolman, many cousins, nieces, and nephews, and many long time friends. He will be greatly missed by all.
Funeral service for Merlin will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 3424 Forest Avenue, Des Moines, May 21, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. with interment at St. Luke's Resurrection Garden immediately following. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Luke's Memorial Fund or to the family for distribution to his preferred recipients.
Following his graduation, he enrolled at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa, where he met his future wife, Beth Colleen Schoonover. The two were married on September 2, 1974. They began their life together in Perry, Iowa, where their son, Richard, was born. They later moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where their daughter Kourtney was born, and eventually settled in Cabot, Arkansas, where they raised their family. Beth passed away on June 19, 2009, after nearly 35 years of marriage.
In 2020, Roy returned to his hometown of Orange City, and in 2021, he became a resident of Crown Pointe Estates in Sioux Center. In his free time, Roy enjoyed participating in a bowling league and spent many hours working on his 1976 MG Roadster.
Survivors include a son and his wife, Richard and Alison Van Roekel, of Maumelle, Arkansas; a daughter, Kourtney Howard, of Des Moines, Iowa; three grandchildren, Ryan "Chayse" Van Roekel, of Little Rock, Arkansas; Emmily, and her husband, Andrew Black, of Poyen, Arkansas; and Will Howard, of Des Moines; three great-grandchildren, AnnaBeth, Zara, and Bishop; a sister, Laura LaGrange, of Ames, Iowa; two sisters-in-law, Diana Schoonover and Cindy Van Roekel, both of Des Moines; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by Beth's parents, Fred William "Bill" and Norma Jean (Lower) Schoonover; a great-granddaughter, Joplin Renae Black; a brother, Merlin "Ernie" Van Roekel; and two brothers-in-law, Clark Schoonover and Bill LaGrange.
Graveside Memorial Service: 17 May 2025 - West Lawn Cemetery - Orange City, Iowa
Interment: West Lawn Cemetery - Orange City, Iowa
Arrangements: Oolman Funeral Home - Orange City, Iowa