Aart Jan VandeWeerdhof
Aart Jan VandeWeerdhof
Aart Jan VandeWeerdhof
August 4, 1951 – September 13, 2022
Oskaloosa, Iowa | Age 71
Aart Jan Vande Weerdhof, 71, of Oskaloosa, died Tuesday, September 13, 2022, at the MHP Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa. He was born August 4, 1951, in Sheldon, Iowa, the son of Hendrik and Grietje VanRoekel Vande Weerdhof.
Aart graduated from Oskaloosa High School with the class of 1969. Following high school, he attended Vennard College in University Park.
On June 11, 1977, Aart was united in marriage to Joan Vandello at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Ottumwa.
Aart started driving bus for the Oskaloosa Community School District shortly after finishing school. Along with driving bus for the school district he drove charter bus for Ottumwa Coaches and later Hawkeye Stages.
Aart always looked forward to bus trips, from taking kids to school on his normal school route to taking the William Penn Baseball team to Florida for spring training. He especially enjoyed taking the students to sporting events and activities, and he would always stick around to cheer on the group he drove to the event. He planned to drive bus through the summer and into this school year, but illness forced his retirement in May of 2022.
Aart was a member of Central Church in Oskaloosa, and the Leighton Lions. He gave selflessly of his time to help the youth in Oskaloosa and surrounding areas. He volunteered driving bus for the Assembly of God Church’s Wednesday night bible class, he drove veterans to various appointments, served on the Board of the Nelson Pioneer Farm, and coached girls 12u softball in the 1980’s winning a state championship in 1987. He also looked forward to vacations that he and Joan took every year.
His family includes his wife of over 45 years Joan Vande Weerdhof of Oskaloosa; two brothers, William (& Donna) Vande Weerdhof of Rose Hill and Richard (& Melissa Fritzgerald) Vande Weerdhof of Oskaloosa; a sister, Dorothy Hutchinson of Pella; a brother-in-law, Gerald Hol of rural Oskaloosa; and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and many cousins, friends, and former students.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Gerda Hol.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 17, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. in the Central Church in Oskaloosa with Reverend Jon Nelson officiating.
Burial will be in the Wymore Cemetery east of Oskaloosa. The Bates Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Open visitation will begin Friday morning after 8:30 in the Bates Funeral Chapel and continue until 7:00 Friday evening.
Memorials may be made to Central Church or Nelson Pioneer Farm.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Aart Jan VandeWeerdhof please visit the Bates Funeral Chapel Sympathy Store.
