Harold Vande Berg, age 87 of Sibley, IA died Thursday, June 14, 2012 at Sibley Nursing & Rehab Center in Sibley, IA.
Funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Monday June 18th, 2012 at First Reformed Church in Sibley with Pastor Norm Erickson officiating.
Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids, IA.
Visitation will be Sunday, June 17th from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with family present from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the First Reformed Church is Sibley.
Harold Roy Vande Berg was born March 7, 1925 in Archer, IA to Ralph and Carrie (Ganzevoort) Vande Berg. He received his education and graduated from Hospers High School in 1944. Harold was recruited by the University of Iowa as a Basketball player but decided to join the Navy instead and was honorably medically discharged after severely injuring his knee. On March 15, 1948 he was united in marriage to Lois T. Brink. Over the years the couple made their homes in Hospers, Sioux Falls, Rock Valley, Rock Rapids, Larchwood, Inwood, Spirit Lake and finally Sibley. Harold’s last employment was with Lyon County running heavy equipment on the road crew. Before that he was employed with Kooiker Chevrolet as service manager, Morton Moe Ford, Rock Rapids Motors, Sam Van Aabema Impliment in Rock Valley, Prather Pontiac in Sioux Falls, Berg and Ole Repair shop, and was in business with Clifford (Ole) Monson in Hospers. Harold was a Deacon and Catechism Teacher at the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids and also enjoyed doing missionary work in Mexico with an orphanage and churches and giving to the needy. He belonged to the American Legion, Rock Rapids Kiwanis Club, and served as Scout Master in Rock Rapids. He was fond of fishing, gardening and tinkering (canoey). Harold was an avid sports fan as he enjoyed following the Iowa Hawkeyes, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Bears. He was also a very good athlete himself as a basketball player in his younger years and then a golfer, bowler and any other sport he competed in. Mostly Harold enjoyed his family. He loved spending time with them, especially going to sporting events his grandchildren and great-grandchildren were involved with. This past Thursday Harold passed away at the Sibley Nursing and Rehab Center at the age of 87. He will be greatly missed.
Harold is survived by his wife of 64 years, Lois Vande Berg; his children, daughters, Connie (Raymond) Eberts of Sioux Falls, SD, Susette (Gordon) Faber of Rock Rapids, IA; son, Randy (Kelli) Vande Berg of Sibley, IA; daughter, Kimberly (Robert) McCoy of Sioux Falls, SD; and foster daughter, Anita (Russell) Hazel of Hudson, SD; 9 grandchildren and 3 foster-grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren and 2 foster-great-grandchildren; sister, Lavonne (John) Van Surksum; brother-n-law, Clifford Monson; sister-in-law, Elizabeth “Tootie” Vande Berg.
He was preceded in death by his father, Ralph Van De Berg; mother, Carrie (Ganzevoort) Van De Berg; sisters, Magdalene (James) Van Berkum, Angeline (Peter) Zwagerman, Harriet (Theodore) Van Zandbergen, Helen Monson; brothers, Kenneth Vande Berg, Harold Cyril Vande Berg.
