Ronald L. Vander Sluis 82 of Primghar passed away on Monday February 18, 2013 at the Primghar Care Center in Primghar, Iowa
Services Will be 10:30 A.M. Saturday February 23, 2013 at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Sutherland, Rev. Leroy Riemer will officiate with burial in the Waterman Cemetery in Sutherland.
Visitation will be after 3 P.M. Friday with the family present from 5 to 7 P.M. Friday at the Eldridge Family Funeral Home in Primghar.
Ronald Lee Vander Sluis, was born October 26, 1930 in Orange City, Iowa to John and Cora (Veldboom) Vander Sluis. He was baptized in the American Reformed Church in Orange City and lived there until the age of six, when his family moved to the Archer area. He received his education in the Archer school district and worked at the Farmer’s Coop in Sheldon before joining the army. He was stationed in Korea from 1951 to 1953. On October 25, 1953, he married Phyllis Mehrens, from Gaza. They lived in Linn Grove initially; Ron worked as a plumber’s assistant and Phyllis taught 5th grade. The couple rented farmland in the Gaza area for several years, before moving to the Mehrens family farm in 1965.When they retired from farming in 1991; they purchased a home in Primghar. Ron worked as an insurance agent for Farmer’s Mutual Insurance of O’Brien County and served on their Board of Directors from 1973-2004. He served as the Chairman of that Board from 2002-2004. He later worked for several years as a hail adjuster for Farmer’s Mutual Hail of Des Moines, Iowa. For twelve years, starting in 1994, the couple spent winters as “snowbirds” in Mesa, Arizona. Ron was a member of Bethel Lutheran Church, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He enjoyed doing Suduko, computer Mahjong, and jigsaw puzzles and regularly outfoxed the rest of the family in bridge. He will be missed by his family and friends, including his regular breakfast companions at Shorty’s Pit Stop and his coffee buddies at Pro-Go. Ron passed away on February 18, 2013 at the Primghar Care Center reaching the age of 82 years, 3 months and 23 days.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Phyllis; two sons—Steven of Plainview Texas and Gary of Sutherland; two daughters—Rhonda of Portland, Oregon (and partner, Cyndi Rosene) and Jolene of Omaha, Nebraska; two brothers, John Vander Sluis (and wife, Marlys) of Sheldon and Les Douma (and wife, Bev) of Orange City; a sister-in-law, Lavonne Vander Sluis of Sheldon, and two step-grandchildren, Alison Syndergaard of Sutherland and Shawn Syndergaard of San Diego, California.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, Harold.
