Obituary of John E. Van Zee

John E. Van Zee, 88, the son of Engle H. and Dena (Breukelman) Van Zee, was born September 18, 1920, in South Dakota. He attended school at the New Holland Christian School in South Dakota. On October 22, 1941, John was united in marriage with Geneva Hubers in New Holland. He and Geneva moved to the Newton, Iowa area in 1961, and farmed for many years. He had devoted his life to his wife of 67 years, his family, his grandchildren, and friends. He was a member of the Newton Christian Reformed Church. John went to be with his Lord on Monday afternoon, August 10, 2009 at Jefferson Place in Pella, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his parents; a granddaughter, Kimberly Van Zee in infancy; four brothers: Herman, LeRoy, Virgil and Raymond; a sister Dorothy Van Arkel; brothers-in-law: Bill Van Arkel and Henry Vander Heiden; and a sister-in-law Ann Van Zee. Those left to honor John's memory include his wife Geneva of Pella; three sons: Elwood (Connie) Van Zee of Newton, Kenneth (Gloria) Van Zee of Pella and Myron (Laura) Van Zee of Pella; his four daughters: Janice (Ronald Vande Voort) of Pella, Iowa, Gloria (Dale Slings) of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Virginia (Darrell Vermeer) of Sioux Center, Iowa, and Joan (David Jansen) of Pella, Iowa; his twenty-four grandchildren and thirty-nine great-grandchildren; his brothers: Ed (Andrena) Van Zee and Riley (Pearl) Van Zee, all of Newton; his sisters: Jeanette Vander Heiden of Michigan and Gertrude (Ed Slings) of Newton; his sisters-in-law: Irene Hileman, Mary Lou Kredit and Francis Van Zee; many nieces and nephews; and his many good friends. Calling hours will be Wednesday from Visitation will be from 5:30-7:00pm at Pence ~ Reese Funeral Home, 310 N. 2nd Ave. E., Newton, IA. The funeral will be Thursday at 10:30 at Christian Reformed Church, 511 S. 5th Avenue E., Newton.