Johannes "John" Christian Van Malsen

Hills, MN John Van Malsen, age 89 of Hills, MN died Monday, April 9, 2012 at the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, MN. Funeral service will be 1:30 PM, Friday, April 13th Steen Reformed Church in Steen, MN, with Rev. Dan Kuik officiating. Burial will follow at East Side Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday, April 12th from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, with the family present from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills. Johannes Christian Van Malsen was born April 26, 1922 in Steen, Minnesota, the son of Otto and Minnie (Teunisen) Van Malsen. He was raised near Steen, MN and attended country school. Johannes was united in marriage to Jeanne Lyons on February 1, 1945. Soon after their marriage, he entered the United States Army on March 24, 1945 at Ft. Snelling, MN and served in WWII. He was honorably discharged on November 3, 1946 at Ft. Sheridan, IL. He returned home to Luverne, MN. In 1952 they moved to Hills, MN. John worked various places throughout the years, such as John De Haan Construction, Rozenboom Service Station, Hills Creamery and Fikse Produce, Morman Feeds, C.B. Ralfs Construction, Brown Elevator and lastly, Wilmer & Elbers Construction. He was a member of Steen Reformed Church in Steen, MN. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating and gardening. He also pitched and managed the Hills Fast Pitch Softball team from 1952 to 1965. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Jeanne Van Malsen of Hills, MN; four children, Gary Van Malsen of Sioux Falls, SD, Barbara (Michael) Peterson of Hatton, ND, Shery (Grant) Matthews of Delano, MN, and Kevin Van Malsen of Hills, MN; ten grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; three sisters, Bernice Bartels of Hills, MN, Mona (Ray) Rozenboom of Rogers, MN and Florence (Peter) Schowenberg of Buena Park, CA; a brother, Otto Jr. (Evelyn) Van Malsen of Yorba Linda, CA; and other extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Otto and Minnie Van Malsen; a daughter, Susan Johnson; three sisters, Gertrude Fiekema, June Beyenhof and Evon Burdett; two brothers, Roger Van Malsen and Allen Jay Van Malsen.