Ceel Vanden Brink

Lester, IA Ceel Vanden Brink age, 91 of Lester, IA died Friday, April 2, 2010 at the Rock Rapids Health Centre in Rock Rapids, IA. Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 7th at the United Methodist Church in Rock Rapids, with Pastor Anita Bane officiating. Burial will follow the lunch in the Hillside Cemetery of Lester, IA. Visitation will be Tuesday, April 6th from 2:00 - 8:00 p.m., with the family present from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids. Ceel Vanden Brink was born September 11, 1918 at the family farm near Alvord, Iowa, the son of Ceel Sr. & Tillie (Stip) Vanden Brink. He was raised in the Inwood and Lester area and attended country schools. Ceel was united in marriage to Nadine Hansen on January 17, 1941. The couple farmed near Alvord, IA until Dec. of 1941 when they moved to Michigan where Ceel was employed by America Seeding. On June 15, 1942, Ceel was inducted into the U.S. Army. He served in the 636 Tank Destroyer Battalion, Roster Company A as a tank driver in the European Theater. On September 30, 1945, Ceel was discharged from the Army with the rank of Tech 5. Ceel and Nadine farmed for the family in Lester until 1948. They then moved to Minot, ND where Ceel farmed for his uncle, John Stip until 1950. Ceel and Nadine then moved to Ash Creek, MN where they farmed for 9 years before returning to Iowa where they farmed south of Lester until 1987. In May of 2007 they moved from the family farm into Lester. Ceel was a member of the United Methodist Church in Rock Rapids, IA and a charter member of the Edward Bouwman American Legion Post No. 683 in Lester, IA. He is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Nadine Vanden Brink of Lester, IA; three children, Mary Ann Bieber of Rochester, NY, Denny (Loretta) Sioux Falls, SD and Judy (Pete) Ver Meer of Lester, IA; four grandchildren, Jason (Amy) Balster, Natalie (Scott) Cross, Craig (Wendy) Vanden Brink and John Vanden Brink; five great-grandchildren, Bradley and Cole Balster, Jessica, Nicole and Wyatt Vanden Brink; two brothers, Henry Vanden Brink of Rock Valley, IA and Gerrit Vanden Brink of Inwood, IA; and many other extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ceel and Tillie Vanden Brink; two sisters, Cornie Schouwenburg and Gertie Martens; and two son-in-laws, Virgil Balster and Joseph Aiello.