Mr. Wilbur “Bill” Vande Brake, age 89, of Orange City, passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2014, at the Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City.
There will be a memorial service on Friday, January 24, at 10:30am, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Mark Haverdink will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. There will be a prayer service on Friday, at 9:30am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.
Visitation will be after 4:00pm on Thursday, with the family present from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, at the funeral home.
Wilbur John was born on July 12, 1924, on a farm northwest of Orange City, the son of Bert J. and Bessie (Tiemersma) Vande Brake. He was raised on that farm, where he attended the West Branch No. 7 Country School through the eighth grade. He then graduated from the Sioux Center High School.
On September 3, 1945, he married Wilma Jean Aalberts in Orange City. At the end of World War II (1945-1946), he served in the 15th Infantry of the United States Army, stationed in Japan. He and Jean then made their home in Boyden, where he was employed at Dethmer’s Implement. In 1952, they moved to the family farm northwest of Orange City. Wilma Jean passed away on April 29, 1971, at Orange City.
On August 25, 1972, Bill married Joan C. Roelfson in Alton. They continued to farm until 1986, when they moved into Orange City. Joan passed away on February 7, 2005, in Sioux City.
In later years, he lived at the Pioneer Memorial Home and the Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community, both in Orange City.
Mr. Vande Brake was a member of the First Reformed Church and the Pressman-Kosters American Legion Post in Orange City.
He enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s activities, fishing, bowling, watching Minnesota Twins baseball games, and spending time playing cards and cribbage with his special friends at the Orange City Adult Activity Center. He loved farming and was known for his friendly smile and sense of humor.
He will be lovingly remembered by his two daughters and their husbands, Anita and John “Jack” Vogel, of Orange City; and Vicki and Henry “Hank” Huisman, of Banning, California; seven grandchildren, Jonathan (Julie) Vogel, Joel (Lisa) Vogel, Jacqueline Vogel, Joshua (Shiho) Vogel, Amy (Mike) Siebersma, Matthew Huisman, and Michael (Becca) Huisman; twelve great-grandchildren, Gabie, Jaxon, Aleena, and Jenna Vogel; Charlie and Evelyn Snyder; Max, Trey, Zoe, and Emerson Siebersma; and Josie and Henry Huisman; two brothers and their wives, David and Kathy Vande Brake and Marion “Mick” and Betty Vande Brake; a sister and her husband, Marla and Delano Horstman; a sister-in-law, Gerry Mouw; and many nephews and nieces.
In addition to his parents and wives, he was preceded in death by his son, Robert Vande Brake; two grandsons, Dustin and Craig Haarsma; three sisters, Florence Gunderson, Josephine Wielenga, and Betty Mouw; three brothers-in-law, Louis Wielenga, Kenneth Mouw, and Randall Gunderson; and two sisters-in-law, Arloa Vande Brake and Gertrude Vande Brake.
