Clifford Van Wyhe

Hills, MN Clifford Van Wyhe, age 88 of Hills, MN passed away Thursday, July 24, 2008 at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Celebration service will be 2 p.m. Monday, July 28th at the United Methodist Church in Luverne, MN with Pastor Donn Rakow officiating. Private family burial will take place prior to the service at Hills of Rest Cemetery in Sioux Falls, SD. Visitation will be Sunday, July 27th from 2-7 p.m. with family present from 2-4 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills, MN. Clifford Miles Van Wyhe was born on July 12, 1920, the son of John and Ida (Wandscheer) Van Wyhe in Lester, IA. He grew up in Lester and graduated from Lester High School in 1938. On August 20, 1944, he was united in marriage to Alvina Vi Warner at the Larchwood Community Church in Larchwood, IA. They lived in Lester and Cliff farmed with his dad. In 1948 they moved to Steen, MN where they farmed and raised their family. They built a home north of Hills in 1980 where they have resided for twenty-eight years. Cliff and Vi were blessed to have traveled the world together. Cliff gave his talents to many organizations including Sunday School Superintendent at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Steen. He was currently a member of the United Methodist Church in Luverne, MN, where he served three terms as Chairman. He was Mayor of Steen, MN for a number of years and was on the Rock County Planning and Zoning Board. Cliff was an accomplished musician, both vocally and on the keyboard. In his early years he played in The Swingsters band with his two brothers and his mother. He enjoyed playing the organ daily at home and for regional events. He loved sports especially basketball and football and traveled far and wide with Vi attending games. Additionally, his hobbies included solving crossword puzzles, jumble puzzles and enjoyed repairing things for his family. Grateful for having shared his life are his wife of sixty-three years, Vi Van Wyhe of Hills, MN; three children: Steven (Marilyn) Van Wyhe of Steen, MN, Thomas (Crystal) Van Wyhe and Lexia (Ron) DeWit all of Sioux Falls, SD; seven grandchildren: Dr. Heather Van Wyhe of Owasso, OK, Amber (Travis) Arends of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Justin Van Wyhe of Dexter, IA, Teri (Matt) Mercer of Omaha, NE, Matthew Van Wyhe of Sioux Falls, SD and Lindsey and Ashley DeWit of Sioux Falls, SD; two great-grandchildren: Ella Van Wyhe and Mason Mercer; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Vernon and Wayne Van Wyhe; and his daughter-in-law, Patricia Van Wyhe. In lieu of flowers, family requests memorials be directed to Luverne United Methodist Church or the Patricia K. Van Wyhe Memorial Endowment Fund of the Sanford Health Foundation.