Obituary of Orville Van Wyk

Orville Van Wyk, a beloved husband, dedicated worker, and cherished friend, passed away on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, in Newton, Iowa, at the age of 87. He was born on March 25, 1936, on a farm south of Lynnville, Iowa, to Henry G. and Clara H. (Ver Steegt) Van Wyk. His life journey was marked by a profound commitment to his community, his family, and his passions.

Orville received his education at the Ryder School in rural Lynnville and served in Panama with the United States Army from 1958 to 1960. He worked for the Lynnville Seed Company from 1957 until 1981, when he joined Van Wyk Freight Lines, from where he eventually retired.

On June 23, 1979, Orville married Violet Greene at the Oak Grove Church near their farm south of Grinnell. They remained on the farm until 1996 when they relocated to Newton.

Orville and Vi were members of the First Reformed Church in Sully and later became active members of the Community Heights Alliance Church in Newton. They also enjoyed attending Thursday night services at the Bar None Cowboy Church in Newton.

They were active participants in the Newton Motorcycle Club and the Newton Square Dance Club. Orville also enjoyed participating in tractor rides, playing cards and shuffleboard, and daily coffee time with friends. For 22 years, Orville and Vi enjoyed winters in Apache Junction, Arizona where they had many lifelong friends.

Those left to honor Orville’s memory are his wife, Vi; his two sons, Todd (Angie) Van Wyk and Troy Van Wyk, both of Lynnville; a daughter, Tara (Travis) Carrico of New Sharon; two stepsons, Douglas (Pam) Sadler of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and J. Gregory (Denise) Sadler of Grinnell; a step-daughter-in-law, Mary Sadler of Arkansas; two brothers, Gilbert Van Wyk of Lynnville and Gary (Deen) Van Wyk of Sully; his sister, Margaret Ann Coop of West Liberty, Kentucky; two grandchildren, Jenna Hibler and Kourtney Van Wyk; three great-grandchildren, and several step-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Mildred Bogaards; brother-in-law, Newton K. Coop; sister-in-law, Marlene Van Wyk; a grandson, Jace Carrico; and a stepson, Steven Sadler.

A funeral service for Orville will be held at Pence-Reese Funeral Home in Newton, Iowa on Friday, March 15^th, at 11:00 a.m. A live stream of the funeral service will be held on the Pence-Reese Funeral Home Facebook page. Orville’s family will greet friends at the funeral home an hour prior to services from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Interment will be at the Sully Cemetery in Sully, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Orville’s name to the Community Heights Alliance Church Missionaries.