Helen Vander Stoep

Rock Rapids, IA Helen Vander Stoep, age 77 of Rock Rapids, Iowa died Tuesday March 6, 2007 at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday March 10, 2007 at the Christian Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, Iowa with Rev. Cliff Hoekstra officiating. Burial will be held in Roseland Cemetery at Sanborn, Iowa. Visitation will be Friday from 2:00 " 8:00 p.m. with family present from 6:00 " 8:00 at the Roste Funeral Home of Rock Rapids. Helen Fae (Riemersma) Vander Stoep was born August 7, 1929 on a farm in Osceola County near Harris, Iowa, the daughter of Henry and Freda (te Brake) Riemersma. On the farm Helen enjoyed working outside, helping with the chores, cooking and gardening. She graduated from country school and Harris/Lake Park consolidated school system. Helen married Percy Bootsma of Sanborn on January 25, 1949 in Ocheyedan and the couple made their home on a farm near Sanborn until Percys death in 1960. After her husbands death Helen moved into Sanborn. On May 26, 1970 Helen was joined in marriage to Richard Vanden Berg in Sanborn, Iowa. Helen and Richard lived in Pipestone, MN until 1977 when the couple moved to Sioux Center. Helen remained in Sioux Center until 1995, after Richards death in 1992. On December 1, 1995 Helen was united in marriage to Herbert Vander Stoep in Rock Rapids, Iowa. The couple made their home in Rock Rapids. Helen shared her talents and touched the lives of many people in her working life. All of the areas she worked in centered around helping people. Helen worked at the Good Samaritan Nursing Center in Pipestone and the Hospital and Nursing Home in Sioux Center. She also worked as a secretary and with Home Health as a patient care provider. Helen spent the last 10 years before retirement working at Merrill Pioneer Community Hospital in Rock Rapids in the dietary department. Helen was a member of the Christian Reformed Church in Rock Rapids and served in the school auxiliary, as Calvinette leader, and on the Golden Hour Ruth Circle. She loved to be busy and was not afraid to be faced with new challenges. This past Tuesday, March 6, 2007, Helen died at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, SD at the age of seventy-seven. Helen is survived by her children, Corwin (Carol) Bootsma of Sanborn, IA; Marlyn (Kathy) Bootsma of Woodstock, MN; Arlis (Randy) Bubke of Sioux Center, IA; and Galen (Gerilyn) Boostma of Melvin, IA; step children, Connie (Allen) Lovell of Mesa, AZ; Richard (Nancy) Vanden Berg of Munster, IN; Gary (Evy) Vanden Berg of Luverne, MN; Leslie (Alice) Vanden Berg of Grand Rapids, MI; Verlyn (Ann) Vanden Berg of Grand Rapids, MI; Elizabeth (Tom) Van Weelde of Grand Rapids, MI; Doyle (Norma) Vanden Berg of Glenrose, TX; and Timothy (Brenda) Vanden Berg of Pipestone, MN; Donley Vander Stoep of Ontario, CA; and Debra Lynn Diener of Rock Rapids; eleven grandchildren; twenty-three great grandchildren; twenty-seven step grandchildren and many step great grandchildren; a brother, Don Riemersma of Rochester, MN; two sisters-in-law, Theresa Riemersma of Sioux Center, IA and Engelena Riemersma of Bellflower, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Freda; three husbands, Percy Bootsma; Richard Vanden Berg and Herbert Vander Stoep; step son Ivan Vanden Berg; great grandson Tristan Bootsma; step grandson, Richard Vanden Berg III; step great granddaughter, Felicia Lovell; three brothers, Gerrit, Wilbur and John; and a sister, Gertrude Iedema.