Emma Delores Van Dyke

ROCK VALLEY, IOWA ~ Emma Delores Mouw-Winterfeld-Van Dyke, 95, passed away on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at Good Samaritan Society in George, Iowa, where she has been a resident since February of this year.

 Funeral Service will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 11, 2024, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Rock Valley, Iowa with Rev. Matt Polsdofer of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Rock Rapids officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday prior to the service at the church. The Porter Funeral Home in Rock Valley is assisting the family. Condolences may be sent to www.porterfuneralhomes.com. In lieu of flowers and gifts, Emma’s family prefers memorials be directed to the Rock Valley Public Library in her memory. The funeral service will be recorded and uploaded to her obituary page.

 Emma was born October 25, 1929, at Sioux Center, Iowa, the daughter of Peter W. and Johanna Elizabeth (Schilt) Mouw. She grew up in Sioux Center, Iowa and attended public school, graduating from Sioux Center High School. When in high school, Emma and her friend Annabelle Baker would go skating at the Sioux Center roller rink. One Saturday night they met Wilbert Winterfeld and Vernon Van Dyke who were friends also skating that evening. Emma started dating Wilbert and Annabelle dated Vernon. After Emma’s graduation in 1948 she and Wilbert married and farmed an 80-acre farm just north of Rock Valley, Iowa. Their daughters Eloise was born February 1, 1951, and Sandy on February 26, 1954.

 In 1957 they sold the farm and purchased the 240-acre farm north of Doon, Iowa with Wilbert’s parents. Many years on the Doon farm were happy ones with the girls having pets of many cats and a dog named “Mopsie”. The family was busy with 4-H for the girls, school, and family vacations to the lakes, Black Hills, and Yellowstone. It took a lot of hard work, but they enjoyed the life they had. They had good neighbors for friends and Wilbert worked together with the Boers by Alvord. When Wilbert had health problems, they sold the farm in 1970 and built a new home in Rock Valley. Emma worked as a nurse’s aide at Valley Manor. They later built an apartment building and moved into apartment #1. Emma continued to work outside of the home at Davelaar Cabinets, True Value, Valley Woodworks, and later at Rock Valley Furniture.

 In 1976 they were blessed with another daughter, Rebecca “Becky”. They moved to another home as their family continued to grow with grandchildren. In 1992 Wilbert moved to Valley Manor Nursing Home due to having a stroke. On August 17, 1998, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and on October 25, 1998, her dear husband Wilbert passed away.

 Vernon Van Dyke’s wife Elizabeth had also died, so when Vernon came back to visit his mother, Emma and Vernon started seeing each other. In June of 2000 they were married and lived in Rock Valley for seven great years, until Vernon died of lung cancer on October 19, 2007.

 Emma is survived by her 3 children, Eloise (Jim) Den Hartog of Boyden, Iowa, Sandra (Curt) Wynia of Rock Rapids, Iowa, and Becky (David) De Ruyter of Le Mars, Iowa; stepdaughter, Kathleen (Norbert) Kaeuffert of Meagkofen, Germany; 8 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren; 7 great-great-grandchildren; and 2 step grandchildren.

 She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husbands, Wilbert and Vernon. 

 Emma has said “I am thankful for the life God has given me and for all my precious family and friends”.