Danelle Rene’ Meppelink
Danelle Rene’ Meppelink
Danelle Rene’ Meppelink
April 19, 1971 – October 18, 2022
Oskaloosa, Iowa | Age 51
Danelle Rene’ Meppelink, 51, of Oskaloosa, Iowa passed away peacefully on October 18, 2022, at Mercy One in Des Moines, Iowa surrounded by family and friends. She was born April 19, 1971, in Pella, Iowa to Mary (DeBruin) Young and Daniel Pope. She was later adopted by Ken Stek and lived her adult life with Russell Young as her loving father.
Danelle attended Oskaloosa grade schools at Jefferson and Whittier and graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1990. She was actively involved in color guard and marching band. Danelle participated for 6 years and was a proud and dedicated member of the famous “band of the 80’s”. She was also in choir and track. She attended Indian Hills Community College and later received her AA degree from Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She was working towards a degree in education at William Penn University.
Danelle was united in marriage to David Meppelink on June 28, 1997. Three sons, Aaron, Nicholas and Matthew were born to this union. They later divorced.
Danelle had a strong work ethic and dedicated her life to serving children, currently working as a paraeducator at Oskaloosa Elementary School.
Danelle loved to spend time with her family and friends. She also enjoyed reading, baking, and was a good cook, an avid movie watcher and loved animals, and had many dogs over the years. She attended all 3 son’s school events, especially loving all their band activities and was also an active member of PTA at their grade school. She was so proud of her sons; they were her life. She was a loving, caring mother.
She is survived by her mother and father, Mary and Russell Young of Oskaloosa; sons: Aaron (& Nicole) Meppelink of Barnes City, Nicholas and Matthew Meppelink, both of Cedar Rapids; brother Mark (& Kirsten) Stek of Oskaloosa; nephews, Jakob and Ethan Stek of Oskaloosa; Uncle, Rod DeBruin of Laramie, Wyoming; cousin, Laura DeBruin of Denver, Colorado; a very special lifelong friend, Melissa Gingrech of Ottumwa; Step siblings: Russell Young of Dallas City, Illinois, Chandra Young of Oskaloosa, and Cody Young of Sigourney; and their children, Bailey, Kyle, Sophie, Anthony, and Talia Young; Aunts, Vicky (& Scott) Collette, Linda (& Delmer) Johnson and Ronda (& Randy) Roozeboom, and many friends.
She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Harold & Ethel DeBruin, Ray & Nina Pope, and Herman & Mildred Stek.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. in the Bates Funeral Chapel with Reverend Jon Nelson officiating.
As was Danelle’s wishes, she will be cremated following the services, with burial at a later date.
Visitation will begin after 1:30 p.m. on Friday, October 21, 2022, in the Bates Funeral Chapel, and the family will be at the funeral chapel from 5:30-7:30 to greet friends and relatives. Bates Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the Oskaloosa Elementary Library.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Danelle Rene’ Meppelink please visit the Bates Funeral Chapel Sympathy Store.
