Gerrit H. Van Holland

Rock Valley, IA: Gerrit H. Van Holland, 82, of Rock Valley, Iowa, died Monday, January 6, 2020 at Fellowship Village in Inwood, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, January 11, at First Reformed Church of Rock Valley with Rev. Dr. Verlyn Boone and Rev. Harlan DeJong officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery of Rock Valley. Visitation will begin at 12:00 PM on Friday, January 10, at the church, with family present to greet friends from 5:00-7:00 PM. Memorials may be given to Gideons International.

   Gerrit H. Van Holland, son of Johannes and Grace (Teering) Van Holland, was born December 23, 1937 at the family farm near Rock Valley, Iowa. Gerrit married Marilyn Schoep on March 17, 1959 at Carmel, Iowa. The couple lived on a farm southwest of Rock Valley until 1964 when they moved to the current Van Holland farmstead south of Rock Valley. In 1999, Gerrit and Marilyn moved into town. Then in the fall of 2019 the couple moved to Aspen Heights Assisted Living in Hull, Iowa and most recently they relocated to Fellowship Village in Inwood, Iowa where Gerrit passed away on Monday, January 6, 2020 at the age of 82.

   In his early years of employment, from 1959-1963, Gerrit worked at Kooima Manufacturing. His real passion in life though was farming. He enjoyed going to cattle sales and visiting with fellow farmers and cattle feeders. He greatly enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

   Gerrit was a lifetime member of First Reformed Church in Rock Valley where he served as an Elder and Deacon. He also served on the boards for Farmer’s Lumberyard where he was president of the board for many years and the Sioux City Gospel Mission. In addition to the church, Gerrit was a member of Gideons International.

   Gerrit is survived by his wife of 60 years, Marilyn; son, David (Nancy) Van Holland of Sioux Center, Iowa; daughter, Donna (Dave) Johnson of Rapid City, South Dakota; 7 grandchildren, Amanda (Ryan) Van Duyn, April (Roger) Pedersen, Amy (Kris) Johnson, Alisa (Tyler) Boone, Austin Van Holland, Camie (Ryan) Vanderbush, and Carly Johnson; 10 great-grandchildren; sister, Mary Jacobsma of Brandon, South Dakota; 2 brothers, Dick (Ruth) Van Holland and Joe (Gerry) Van Holland, both of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Marilyn’s siblings, Emilene Kruid of Hudson, South Dakota, Phyllis (Cornie) Schelling of Jefferson, Iowa, and Bill (Mary) Schoep of Sioux Falls.

   Preceding Gerrit in death were his parents, Johannes and Grace; sister, Winnie Vander Vliet and her husband, Cornie; brother-in-law, Gerrit Jacobsma; and several nieces and nephews.