Donna Mae Schepel

Rock Valley, IA: Donna Mae Schepel, 86, of Rock Valley, Iowa, died Thursday, July 21, 2022, at Whispering Heights in Rock Valley. Funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, July 26, at Trinity Christian Reformed Church of Rock Valley with Rev. Stanley Groothof officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery of Rock Valley. Visitation, with the family present, will be held from 5:00-7:00 PM on Monday, July 25, at Trinity CRC. Porter Funeral Home of Rock Valley is assisting the family with arrangements.

   Memorials may be directed to Hope Haven.

   Donna Mae Schepel, daughter of Henry and Tena (Kooima) Veldman, was born February 28, 1936, at the family homestead south of Inwood, Iowa. She attended country school and graduated from Inwood High School. Donna married Alfred Schepel on May 26, 1955, at Inwood. Together they lived in Rock Valley, Iowa for two years, Sioux Falls, South Dakota for four years, and three years in Orange City, Iowa before returning to Rock Valley. Alfred died July 15, 1991.

   Donna was a housewife and worked at Hope Haven as a secretary for 37 years. She was a charter member of Trinity Christian Reformed Church of Rock Valley, where over the years she served as church secretary, volunteered on several different committees, and belonged to the Share Our Faith Circle. Donna enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

   She is survived by her two children, Gary Schepel (Christina Fisher) of Sioux Falls, and Glenda (Kevin) Robbins of Omaha, Nebraska; 5 grandchildren, Angila Nowka, Brent (Stacy) Schepel, Steven (Samantha) Schepel, Justin (Allison) Robbins, and Rebecca Robbins;  6  great-grandchildren, Michael Nowka, McKenzie Nowka, Madison Schepel, Cameryn Schepel, HallieAnne Schepel, Alyxandra Schepel, and another great-grandchild on the way; 2 step great-grandchildren, Kennedy and Carson Headrick; 3 sisters, Betty Jean (Eugene) Eisma of Inwood, Eldora Hoff of Lubbock, Texas, and Gert De Jong of Rock Valley; sister-in-law, Sherrie Veldman of Rock Valley; Alfred’s two half-sisters, Marlene Miller of Rock Valley and Beatrice (Allen) Vande Stouwe of Hull, Iowa; two half-brothers, Junior (Ruth) Vermeer of Senoia, Georgia, and Everet (Judy) Vermeer of Rock Valley; and many nieces and nephews.

   Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Tena Veldman; husband, Alfred; parents-in-law, Case and Mina Vermeer; daughter-in-law, Rosa Schepel; sisters, Hermina Van Ginkel and Henrietta Maassen; brother, Gerald Veldman; brothers-in-law, Marion Faber, Everett Van Ginkel, John Maassen, Nelson De Jong, Cornelius “Bud” Hoff, and Bill Miller; sister-in-law, Elaine Terpstra; nephews, Mark Hoff, Derek Eisma, Robert “Bob” Van Ginkel, John Burgers, David Eisma, Ron Van Ginkel, and Roger Maassen; and niece, Jill Hoff.