Gerald VanDerPol
Gerald VanDerPol
November 14, 1930 – November 28, 2010
Visitation: will begin at 11:00 a.m., Thursday morning, December 02, 2010 at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel. The family will be at the funeral chapel from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. to greet visitors.
Funeral Service: 10:30 a.m., Friday morning, December 03, 2010 at Bethel Christian Reformed Church with Pastor Alvern Boetsma officiating.
Interment: Evergreen Cemetery near Leighton, Iowa
Melvin passed away Sunday morning at the Mahaska Hospital in Oskaloosa at the age of 80 years and 14 days of age.
Gerald Melvin VanDerPol was born near Taintor, Iowa in Poweshiek County on November 14, 1930 to Everett and Jennie (Rykhoek) VanDerPol. Melvin attended country school and after graduation was engaged in farming. He was baptized and made profession of faith in the Sully Reformed Church. On February 22, 1951, Melvin was united in marriage to Dorothy Mae Van Gorp at the Sully Christian Reformed Church. They moved to Newton where they farmed several years before moving to a farm east of Oskaloosa, where they have resided until the present time. Melvin farmed and drove school bus for the Oskaloosa School District for 40 years until retiring in 2009. He was also an employee at the Oskaloosa Schools food services where he worked a great number of years before retiring. Melvin served in several positions at Bethel Christian Reformed Church. He taught Sunday school, was on the worship committee and served several terms as deacon and elder of the church. He enjoyed church activities and was a very sincere Christian. Melvin’s hobbies included working in the shop on antique tractors or equipment, and repairing machinery on the farm. His pride was the F20 Farmal tractor he first owned with his dad. Melvin loved and enjoyed his family and grandchildren dearly.
He is survived by his wife Dorothy; seven children: Jerry (Sondra) VanDerPol of Oskaloosa; Verle VanDerPol of Leighton; Peggy (Kevin) VanWyk of Pella; Ron (Vicki) VanDerPol of Oskaloosa, Sherry (Jeff) Auld of Phoenix, Arizona; Randy (Melissa) of Ahwatukee, Arizona; and Michael (Angie) VanDerPol of Ottumwa. They have twenty grandchildren, Molly and Tim Staroba, Mathew VanDerPol; Joshua VanDerPol, Sarah VanDerPol, Luke VanDerPol, Leah VanDerPol, Angie VanDerPol; Jennifer VanWyk, Kristin VanWyk; Jesse and Erica VanDerPol, Jacob VanDerPol, Timothy VanDerPol, Bradley VanDerPol; Lauren and Johnse Bushlack, Alexa Auld; Jackson VanDerPol, Nathan VanDerPol; Brianna Bartlett, Tyler Bartlett. They have one great grandson, Micah Bushlack. Melvin is survived by three sisters: Mrs. Wilda Nikkel, Mrs. Iva Baarda, and Mrs. Donna Brand all of Sully, IA; five sisters-in-law: Margret VanGorp of Denver, CO;Leona DeRuiter of Pella; Marge VanGorp of Leighton; Ruth (Vernon) Ringenberg of Bloomington, IL and Wilma Monast of Fort Smith, AR and two brothers-in-law: Verlan (Marilyn) VanGorp and Eugene (Luana) VanGorp, both of Leighton, IA.
Melvin was preceded in death by his parents, Everett and Jennie VanDerPol, sisters Henrietta Harthorn and Geneva Ratcliff, and his grandson, Ben VanDerPol.
Memorials may be made to Hope Ministries or the Christian Opportunity Center.
Source: GVL Funeral Chapel
