Steven Warner Van Wyhe

Steen, MN Steven Van Wyhe, age 63 of Steen, MN died Saturday, June 11, 2011 at his home in Steen, MN, after a courageous battle with cancer. Memorial service will be 11:00 AM, Saturday, June 18th 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 Friday, June 17th from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, with the family present from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills. Steven Van Wyhe was born on October 7, 1947, the son of Clifford and Alvina (Warner) Van Wyhe of Lester, IA. He was baptized in February of 1948 at the Bethel Reformed Church in Lester, IA and was confirmed at the E.U.B. Church in Steen, MN. Steve grew up in the Steen area and graduated from the Hills High School in 1965. Steve earned an Associate Degree in Agriculture from Worthington Junior College and later a Sociology Degree from Westmar College in 1969. During college he joined the U.S. Navy Reserves and later served on the Admirals Staff of the Commander Cruiser Destroyer Pacific Fleet U.S. Navy in San Diego, CA until his honorable discharge in 1972. On June 24, 1972, Steve was united in marriage to Marilyn Roder of Langdon, ND. Steven worked for the Department of Social Services in Madison and Sioux Falls South Dakota for several years. He was accepted into the University of Kansas graduate program but decided to return to the family farm near Steen, MN, and farmed there from 1976 until 2010. Steve was very involved in the churches he attended throughout his life. During the time he was a member of the E.U.B. Church in Steen he served as president of the Youth Fellowship and president of the Southwest Minnesota District of Youth Fellowship while in high school. He also achieved perfect church attendance for eight years there. He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Luverne, MN, where he served on many committees and was a Sunday school teacher for five years. Steve enjoyed sports and played basketball during his high school, college and military years. He coached Luverne youth baseball for three years and basketball for five years. He served on the Rock County Corn and Soybean Board for five years and the Rock County Farm Bureau Board for five years, serving three of those years as vice president. Steve loved to travel and had planned on retiring in Florida. A few of his travel highlights were when he and his wife Marilyn received a 35th wedding anniversary gift from their children to go on a Panama Canal cruise for 12 days and a Caribbean Christmas cruise they took with their children and grandchild in 2009. He also enjoyed the time they recently spent in Fort Lauderdale, FL at their daughter Ambers beach home from December until May of this year and visiting his daughter Heather in Owasso, OK along the way. Steve is survived by his wife of thirty-eight years Marilyn Van Wyhe of Steen, MN; three children, Dr. Heather Van Wyhe-Brown (Chris) of Owasso, OK, Amber (Travis) Arends of Fort Lauderdale, FL and Justin Van Wyhe of Steen, MN; one granddaughter Ella Van Wyhe; one brother, Thomas (Crystal) Van Wyhe and one sister, Lexia (Ron) DeWit both of Sioux Falls, SD; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents.