Ethel Van Ommen
Ethel Van Ommen
Ethel Van Ommen
December 6, 1927 – June 25, 2023
Altoona (Oskaloosa), Iowa | Age 95
Ethel Van Ommen, 95, of Altoona and formerly of rural Oskaloosa, died Sunday, June 25, 2023, at Prairie Vista Village, in Altoona. She was born December 6, 1927, in Mahaska County, the daughter of Morrell and Marie Morris Cox.
Ethel attended Bluff Creek Country School and graduated from Eddyville High School with the class of 1945.
Following graduation, she worked as a Nurse’s Aide at the Mahaska County Hospital.
On November 18, 1949, she was united in marriage to Tunis Van Ommen at the home of her parents on the family farm southwest of Oskaloosa. To this union three children were born, Barbara, Marilyn, and Dean.
Early on they farmed near Rose Hill and then northwest of Eddyville. In addition to caring for her family and home Ethel worked alongside her husband in the day-to-day operation of the farm. In December of 1985, they moved to the Heritage farm that had been in Ethel’s family for generations. On October 18, 1987, after 37 years of marriage Tunis passed away.
Following Tunis’ death Ethel returned to nursing work and took a job at Tower Park in Oskaloosa and later at Vista Woods in Ottumwa. She retired from nursing care in 2008. Ethel stayed on the farm until 2018, when she moved into Homestead Assisted Living.
Ethel was a member of Good News Chapel in Oskaloosa. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends, going to neighborhood club, playing cards, cooking, teaching her girls to sew, and leading the local 4-H Club.
Her family includes her children: Barbara (& Warren) Fye of Pleasant Hill, Marilyn Holcomb Peters of Altoona, and Dean Van Ommen of Ozark, Missouri; four grandchildren: Ranee (& Ebon) Carter, Barry Hartman (& Erik Komers), Brock Holcomb, and Kane Peters; two great grandchildren, Elizabeth (& Jacob) Hanan, and Hannah (& Marcellus) Willoughby.
In addition to her husband, Tunis, Ethel was preceded in death by her parents; and a sister, Mildred Harvey.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, June 29, 2023, at 2 p.m. in the Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa with Reverend Ebon Carter officiating.
Burial will be in the Bluff Creek Cemetery southwest of Oskaloosa. The Bates Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Visitation will begin Thursday at 12 noon in the Bates Funeral Chapel and the family will be at the funeral home from 12 p.m. until service time to greet friends and relatives.
Memorials may be made to Bluff Creek Cemetery.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Ethel Van Ommen please visit the Bates Funeral Chapel Sympathy Store.
