Obituaries

Mr. Donald Zwiep, age 88, of Orange City,Iowa, passed away on Saturday, April 14, 2012 at the Avow Hospice in Naples, Florida.

There will be a memorial service on Saturday, May 26, at 10:30am, at the American Reformed Church in Orange City.  The Rev. Keith Krebs and the Rev. John Hubers will officiate.  There will be a committal service on Saturday, at 1:00pm, at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City.

Visitation with the family will be the hour before the service and the half hour after the service at the church.

Donald was born on March 18, 1924, in Hull, IA, the son of Daniel and Pietronella (Nellie De Stigter) Zwiep. He graduated from the Hull Public Schools and attended Northwestern Junior College in Orange City. He volunteered for the US Army Air Force in l943 and flew 59 missions as a B-24 pilot and crew commander in the China/Burma/India Theater (10th Air Force, 7th Bomb Squad, 492nd Squadron). He retired from the Reserves in 1989, as a Lieutenant Colonel. He graduated from Iowa State University, Ames, with a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering in 1948 and l951. He worked as a junior design engineer at Boeing Corporation in Seattle, and then joined the faculty of Colorado State University l951-l957.

He was Professor and Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) 1957-1988, when he became the Acting Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. He retired in 1990. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from WPI in 1964.

Under his leadership, the department’s enrollment quadrupled and graduate programs at the masters’ and doctoral levels were begun. His responsibilities included the WPI Nuclear Reactor Program, the Alden Research Laboratory, and the Manufacturing Engineering Application Center. He helped found and became co-head of the Management Engineering Department in l964. Always willing to encourage students’ efforts, he joined them in everything from the MA to CA Clean Air Car Race in 1970, to advising their projects in Washington, D.C., London, The Netherlands, and the Goddard and Johnson Space Centers. He made presentations or was invited to give papers in the field of engineering education throughout the world.

Beginning as a student in 1947, he was an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) at local, state, and national levels. He served as President 1979-80, the Society’s Centennial year. He was honored by ASME as a Life Fellow in 2004, receiving the Distinguished Service Award and Honorary Membership.

He was also a lifelong member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). He served on the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and served on 15 regional accreditation teams.

He was Chairman of the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation 1976-2000, serving as judge and director of their annual awards contests for students and professionals.

He is cited in Who’s Who in America and Engineering. He was named a Distinguished Alumna from Northwestern College and from Iowa State Mechanical Engineering Department. He was an elder in the Fort Collins Presbyterian Church, CO.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marcia Hubers Zwiep; his four daughters: Donna (William F.) Williams, of Ridgewood, NJ, Mary Zwiep (Russell Fraser), of Honolulu, HI, Joan Zwiep (Thomas Hoster), of Palo Alto, CA, and Helen Cornely (C. Michael), of Miami, FL; 9 grandchildren: Kate Williams Stone (Peter), Evan Williams (Maria), Griffith Williams (Megan), Anna Williams, Zoe and Alexandra Hoster, and Diana, Joseph, and Daniel Cornely, 2 great-grandchildren: Shane Stone and Tressa Williams, and 13 nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters: Helen Shultz, Marie Mears, and Jeanette Reed, and his brothers: Cecil, Tunis, and Leonard.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Donald Zwiep M.E. Memorial Fund at WPI Mechanical Engineering Department, c/o Pamela St. Louis, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609.

Online Expressions of Sympathy can be sent to: www.oolman.com

Frances Riebeling, age 91, formerly of Inwood IA, died Friday, May 18, 2012 at the Rock Rapids Health Centre in Rock Rapids, IA.

Funeral service will be 2:00 PM, Thursday, May 24th at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Inwood, IA, with Reverend John Wolf, officiating.  Burial will take place prior to the service private for family in the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery in Hull, IA.

Visitation will be Wednesday, May 23rd from 2:00 to 8:00 PM with the family present from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids, IA.

Frances Dorthea Elise (Walter) Riebeling was born November 28, 1920 near Boyden, Iowa, the daughter of Henry and Marie (Kruse) Walter. She was baptized on December 15, 1920 and confirmed on March 25, 1934 at the St. John Lutheran Church near Boyden. She attended parochial school through the eighth grade. After graduating from eighth grade she worked as a hired girl until getting married to Elmer Riebeling on June 26, 1941 at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hull, IA. They were married for thirty-six years when Elmer passed away on September 3, 1977. They farmed in the George and Rock Rapids area until moving to Inwood in 1960. She was a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Inwood, IA, belonged to BLWC, circle, served on the Altar Guild, parish Education Board, and Luther League advisor and taught Bible school. She enjoyed having a garden and canning the goods. She was a great cook and baker of breads, rolls and pies. She raised ducks, geese and chickens, and spent a lot of time reading her Bible. She was very supportive to her family and friends.

Surviving are Jan Riebeling of St. Michaels, MN, Betty (Ron) Gruis of Rock Rapids, IA; grandchildren, Michelle Riebeling of St. Michaels, MN and Lisa (Clark) Citene of St. Michaels, MN, Jennifer (Jason) Holt of St. Michaels, MN, Pam (Lyndon) Johnson of Mitchell, SD, Joel (Nicole) Gruis of Colton, SD, Tim (Liz) Gruis of Westmoreland, KS; seven great-grandchildren; two sisters, Laura Warner of Sioux Falls, SD, Delores Nachtigal of Ankeny, IA; two sisters-in-law, Nona Walter of Jasper, MN and Elizabeth Riebeling of Alvord, IA; one brother-in-law, Alfred Wagner of Glendale, AZ and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, an infant son, her son John, great-grandchild Isabelle Gruis, brothers, John and Carl Walter; sisters, Helen Diedrich, Viola Schroeder, Irene De Vries, Arlene Herman and Darlene Wagner.

Mr. Arthur Reekers, age 87, of rural Orange City, passed away on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at the Sanford University of South Dakota Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

There will be a memorial service on Monday, May 21, at 2:00pm, at the Free Grace Reformed Church in Middleburg.  The Rev. Stephen Breen will officiate.  Interment will follow at the Capel Township Cemetery, near Middleburg.

Visitation will be after 2:00pm on Sunday, with the family present from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

Arthur Arie was born on March 12, 1925, in rural Sheldon, the son of Joseph and Martha (Nagel) Reekers. He was raised at Sheldon.

On June 24, 1947, he married Angeline Van Oort at Matlock. They made their home at Sheldon, Primghar, and California, where he farmed and also drove truck. About 1978, they settled at Middleburg.

He was a member of the Free Grace Reformed Church. He enjoyed mowing lawn and spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife of almost 65 years, Angie; two daughters and their husbands, Beverly and Henry Dunn, of Severville, Tennessee; and Aletha and Wade Haarsma, of Newkirk; a son and his wife, Allen and Karen Reekers, of Alton; six grandchildren, Roger Smith, Chad Smith, Renee Smethurst, Laura Van Voorst, John Reekers, and Jessica Reekers; seven great-grandchildren; and a brother and his wife, Merle and Jeanette Reekers, and a sister-in-law, Margaret Reekers, all of Sheldon.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, George Reekers.

Memorials will be directed to the church.

Online Expressions of Sympathy can be sent to: www.oolman.com