George Vanden Heuvel

Rock Rapids, IA George Vanden Heuvel, 80, of Rock Rapids, passed away at his home on March 22, 2009, surrounded by his family. George had lived with dignity and grace with a life-threatening disease since 2002. Memorial service will be 10:30 AM, Tuesday, March 31st at First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, IA, with Rev. Dan Haggar officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids. Visitation will be Monday, March 30th from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, with the family present from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids. George was born on July 28, 1928, in rural Allison Township, Lyon County, IA, to Gerrit and Jennie (Christoffels) Vanden Heuvel. He moved with his parents to farms near Edgerton and Steen, MN, before returning to Iowa in 1932. His parents farmed briefly near Rock Rapids before moving into town. George graduated from Rock Rapids High School in 1946. George married Elizabeth Boon on April 14, 1950, and together they raised four children, Marcia, Gregory, Jeffrey, and Stacey. Following graduation, George worked at Vans Food Market in Rock Rapids, where he learned the meat cutting trade and grocery business. In 1953, he began work at the Rock Rapids Co-operative Creamery Association and managed the meat processing and locker service. George purchased the real estate and locker plant equipment from the Creamery in 1968, and he operated Rock Rapids Locker and Freezer Provisioning until his retirement in 1999. George continued to want to work, make a contribution, and greet the public. He returned to work at the local grocery store, serving as an aisle manager at Jubilee Foods in 2000, and as a meat manager at Sunshine Foods in 2003. In August 2007, he hung up his meat cleaver and retired from more than 60 years of meat cutting, but continued to look forward to stocking shelves and greeting customers at Sunshine until January 2009. George had attended the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids since 1932, and was active in many aspects of church life. He served as sponsor of the Christian Endeavor young peoples group; member and president of Mens Brotherhood; catechism teacher; Sunday School teacher and superintendent; and Deacon, Elder, and Vice President of the Consistory. In June 1974, he was Elder Delegate, representing the West Sioux Classis, to the 168th General Synod of the Reformed Church of America. He enjoyed singing bass in the church choir, mens chorus, community chorus, cantata, and other musical groups. George was one of the organizers of The Reformers, a male gospel quartet, and sang with that group from 1952-2005. Community service was important to George, and he was a faithful volunteer for many community projects. He served the Boy Scouts of America as Assistant Scoutmaster and Chairman of Troop #197, and was a member of the Merrill Pioneer Community Hospital Board of Directors. He also was a member and board member of the Rock Rapids Community Affairs Corporation. George served two years on the Rock Rapids City Planning and Zoning Commission and eight years on the City Council. He was appointed by the Mayor for service to the Municipal Utilities Board of Trustees, and served 26 years in that role, retiring in August 2007. In April 2006, he received the Community Leader Award from Missouri River Energy Services. Among his other interests were raising horses, sheep, and chinchillas, erecting purple martin houses, photography, working in his yard, and tending to his flowers and trees. Grateful for having shared his life are his wife of 59 years, Elizabeth; his children Marcia Andrews, Gregory Vanden Heuvel (Shari), Jeffrey Vanden Heuvel (Jody); and Stacey Vanden Heuvel (Rashid Kadir); grandchildren Allison Wessels (Patrick); Kerry, Jordan, and Sawyer Vanden Heuvel; Jeremy (Jeana) and Katie Vanden Heuvel; and Amanina Abdul Rashid; great-granddaughter Elizabeth Powell; great-grandson Jacob Wessels; step-grandchildren Nicholas Andrews and Kelsey Lundquist; and special friend Thomas Bouwman, Jr. Also surviving are sisters Lucy Kix (Harold), MaryAnn Sipma (Keith), Jeannette Brouwer, and Bernice Van Eldik; sister-in-law Grace Vanden Heuvel-Dayton; and a host of other relatives and friends. George is preceded in death by his parents Gerrit and Jennie, brother Gerald (Gooch), sisters Grace and Dorothy, and four brothers-in-law. The family requests that memorials in his name be directed to the First Reformed Church Expansion Fund or Sanford Hospice Lyon County.