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DR. LYLE L. VANDER WERFF
Dr. Lyle Vander Werff, age 72, of Orange City, passed away on Monday, April 23, 2007, at the Heritage House Nursing Home in Orange City.
There will be a memorial service on Thursday, April 26, at 11:00am, at the American Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Keith Krebs, the Rev. Lizbeth Moss, and the Rev. Harlan Van Oort will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service at the West Lawn cemetery in Orange City. There will be a family prayer service on Thursday, at 9:45am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.
Visitation will be after 2:00pm on Wednesday, with the family present from 6:00pm to 7:30pm, at the funeral home.
Lyle Lloyd was born on July 12, 1934, at Stickney, South Dakota, the son of Evert and Mabel (Krutsch) Vander Werff. He was raised at Lynden, Washington, Denver, Colorado, and on a farm at Stickney, where he graduated from their high school.
He attended Northwestern Junior College in Orange City, Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, both in Holland, Michigan, and Princeton Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Edingburgh in Scotland.
On August 22, 1958, Lyle married
Phyllis Lovins in Grandville, Michigan.
He was a Reformed Church in America pastor in Cloverhill, New Jersey, and an R.C.A. missionary in Kuwait. In 1967, they moved to Orange City, where he was a professor of religion at Northwestern College, retiring in 1998.
In 1985, Dr. Vander Werff was named Northwestern's Teacher of the Year, and in 1996, he was given an honorary doctorate degree from Keiwa College in Japan. He also received the Christian Education Award from the School of Christ Foundation in Hong Kong in 1999.
He invested many years working with international students at Northwestern. He was also a member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. He enjoyed fishing, photography, reading, and writing.
In late 2003, he became a resident of the Heritage House.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years; a son and his wife, David and Beth Vander Werff, of Orange City; two daughters and their husbands, Kathryn and Brad Gabel, of Pasadena, California; and Kristyn and Sean Howe, of Orange City; eight grandchildren, Andrew and Matthew Vander Werff; Heather and Jacob Gabel; and Jessica, Michael, Aaron, and Julia Jean Howe; his mother, Mabel Vander Werff, of Denver, Colorado; three brothers, Alvin Vander Werff, of Denver; Delmar Vander Werff, of Curtis, Nebraska; and Leeland Vander Werff, of Hastings, Nebraska; and three sisters, Charolette Muilenberg and Mavis Palmer, both of Denver; and Elaine Simon, of Casas, Washington.
He was preceded in death by his father and two brothers, Floyd and Merlin.
Memorials may be directed to the Vander Werff Scholarship for International Students at Northwestern College.
CLARENCE L. VER STEEG
Mr. Clarence Ver Steeg, age 84, of Evanston, Illinois, formerly of Orange City, passed away on Monday, July 2, at the Mary McGaw Care Center of the Westminster Presbyterian Home in Evanston.
There will be a graveside service on Thursday, July 5, at 10:30am, at the West Lawn cemetery in Orange City. The Rev. Dr. Perry De Groot will officiate. There will be a prayer service on Thursday, at 10:00am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City. Visitation with the family will be the half hour before the prayer service on Thursday at the funeral home.
Clarence was born on December 28, 1922, in Orange City, the son of John A. and Anne (Vischer) Ver Steeg. He was raised in Orange City, where he attended Northwestern Junior College. He graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City and received his Ph. D. in American History from Columbia University in New York.
On December 24, 1943, he married
Dorothy Ann De Vries in Texas, where he was stationed with the United States Army Air Force during World War II. He was a highly decorated officer, who navigated many combat missions on a bomber in the South Pacific Ocean.
About 1950, Clarence and Dorothy moved to Evanston, Illinois, where he began a long career with Northwestern University. He was a full professor of history, specializing in the colonial and revolutionary period. He also served as dean of graduate schools and was chairman of the faculty planning committee, during a time of expanding the physical campus of Northwestern. He was especially proud of the new library, which has become an important center of study and research.
His contributions to Northwestern have been recognized by many awards and academic chairs, including the Clarence L. Ver Steeg Distinguished Professorship. In retirement, he continued to be consulted about university matters.
Mr. Ver Steeg was also a prolific author, composing dozens of scholarly books and textbooks for students. He studied the lives of many of our country's founding fathers and received a prize for his biography of Robert Morris. His wife was a full partner with him, doing research, editing, and preparing manuscripts.
The Ver Steegs have lived at the Westminster Presbyterian Home for the past ten years. They are members of the North Minster Presbyterian Church in Evanston, and they enjoyed traveling.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy, of more than 63 years; his son and his wife, John C. and Jane Ver Steeg, of Washington, D. C.; a sister, Nelvina Ver Steeg Thomas, and three sisters-in-law, Sadie, Susanna, and Wilmina Ver Steeg, all of Orange City; and a brother-in-law, Warren L. De Vries, of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He was preceded in death by eight brothers, Benjamin, Gysbert, Harold, Jake, Lawrence, Marion, Wilbur, and infant Clarence; and three sisters, Carrie, Henrietta, and Mable.
PETER M. ANDRINGA
Mr. Peter Andringa, age 68, of Cherokee, formerly of Orange City, passed away on January 10, 2010, at the Prairie View Nursing Home in Sanborn.
There will be a celebration of his life on Saturday, January 23, from 1:30pm to 4:30pm, at the Washington High School auditorium in Cherokee, with a tribute at 2:00pm.
There will be a family gathering on Saturday, from 9:30am to 10:30am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City, followed by a graveside memorial service at 10:45am, at the West Lawn cemetery in Orange City, with the Rev. Harlan Van Oort officiating.
Peter was born on January 15, 1941 in Orange City, the son of Dick and Annie (Van Gelder) Andringa. He was raised and had his early schooling in Orange City.
After graduating from high school, he first attended Dordt Junior College in Sioux Center and then graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After attending Calvin Theological Seminary for a brief time, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Northwestern College in Orange City.
“Mr. A”, as his students called him, was a completely-devoted Iowa high school English teacher, first at Sioux Center High School, then at Rockwell City - Lytton, and finally in Cherokee, where he spent most of his career working with the students of Washington High School. He especially enjoyed coaching the activities involving speech and drama.
Peter also loved music, gardening, reading, and everything associated with Christmas. Finally, he had a kind-hearted concern for all animals, especially his cat, Merlin.
Survivors include a sister, Jeanette De Groot, of Orange City; a brother-in-law, Delmar Netten, of Pella; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Margaret Van Heuvelen, and her husband, Ben; and Renzella Netten: two brothers, Marion Andringa, and his wives, Harriet Jean and Alma; and Raymond Andringa, in infancy: and a brother-in-law, Clarence De Groot.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to The Peter Andringa Scholarship Fund, Post Office Box 801, Cherokee, Iowa 51012.
