Myrna Mae Van Oort

Rock Rapids, Iowa Myrna Van Oort, age 84 of Rock Rapids, IA died Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at the Lyon Manor Nursing and Rehab in Rock Rapids, IA. Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 27, 2011 at the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids with Reverend Katie Van Veldhuizen and Reverend Dan Haggar officiating. Burial will follow in the Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids. Visitation will be Friday, August 26th from 4-8 p.m. with the family present from 6-8 p.m. at the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids. The Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids is handling services. Myrna Mae Van Oort was born on May 30, 1927, the daughter of Christian and Clarinda (Muilenberg) De Haan in Sanborn, IA. During her childhood years she and her family lived in Timber Lake, SD, Corsica, SD, Larchwood, IA and Hills, MN. Myrna graduated in 1946 from Hills High School in Hills, MN. On October 16, 1947, she was united in marriage to Henry Van Oort in Hills, MN. To this union five children were born, Curtis, Debra, Daryl, Cheryl and Glenda. Myrna and Henry lived in Sioux Falls, SD from 1947 to 1957 then moved to Rock Rapids. Myrna and her husband owned and operated Vans Hardware in Rock Rapids from 1957 to 1977. She worked at the OK Hardware from 1977 to 1979; she cleaned the city offices in Rock Rapids for twelve years, drove the SATS bus for the Senior Center and Head Start for ten years. Myrna was very involved with the Union Gospel Mission Auxiliary in Sioux Falls, SD from 1977 to 2008 and served on the Rock Rapids Municipal Housing Board for a number of years. She was a member of the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, and the Joy circle. Myrna and her husband loved to travel, taking trips to Alaska, Japan and various senior bus trips. She enjoyed fishing, refinishing and reupholstering furniture and especially spending time with family and friends playing cards, particularly Hand & Foot . Myrna is survived by her husband of sixty-three years, Henry Van Oort of Rock Rapids, IA; five children, Curtis (Irene) Van Oort of Rock Valley, IA, Debra (Wendell) Brenneman of Sioux Falls, SD, Daryl (Raylynn) Van Oort of Helena, MT, Cheryl (Tim) Ageton of Sioux Falls, SD and Glenda De Penning of Urbandale, IA; fifteen grandchildren, La Schelle Van Noort, Shane (Adrianne) Bostic, Denice (Dallas) Kohn, Dennis (Sue) Schmidt, Michael (Angie) Brenneman, Brenda (Mike) Anderson, Paul (Shannon) Brenneman, Jessica Van Oort, Martin (Missy) Van Oort, Nicholas (Summer) Van Oort, Sunny (Paul) Cain, Jim (Kristin) Ageton, Sarah (Dave) Dykstra, Dylan De Penning and Halle De Penning; twenty-four great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild (due any day); three siblings, Gerald De Haan of Mt. Pleasant, TX, Elaine (Curt) Losing of Sioux Falls, SD and Howard De Haan of Pensacola, FL; one sister-in-law and two brothers-in-law, Harriet Thompson of Sioux Falls, SD, Albert (Janet) Van Oort of Rock Valley, IA and Arnold (Marianne) Van Oort of Hankenson, ND; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; infant son, Clayton Van Oort; great granddaughter, Aspen Rose Bostic; one sister, Wilma Burgers; and daughter-in-law, Valerie Van Oort. In lieu of flowers family prefers memorials be sent to the Union Gospel Mission in Sioux Falls, SD.