Jacob W. Rus

ROCK VALLEY, IOWA- Jacob W. Rus, 94, of Rock Valley, died on Friday, January 10, 2020 at the Avera-McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

   Funeral Service will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at the Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Rock Valley with Rev. H. Hofman officiating. Burial with military rites will follow in the Valley View Cemetery. Visitation with the family present will be on Monday, January 13th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Porter Funeral Home in Rock Valley. Condolences may be sent to www.porterfuneralhomes.com. The family requests that memorials be directed to the Netherlands Reformed Christian School.

   Jacob W. Rus was born February 16, 1925 at Armour, South Dakota, the son of John and Katie (Zomer) Rus. He served in the US Army from September 1945 to November of 1946. Jacob married Frances Reva Maassen on December 19, 1947 on a farm near Rock Valley, Iowa.

   Together they farmed near Corsica, South Dakota for about a year and a half before moving to a farm near Inwood, Iowa. They farmed southwest of Rock Valley beginning in 1950 and he later ran the sale barn in Hawarden, Iowa before returning to a farm near Inwood. They moved into Rock Valley when Jacob turned 80, but he continued to farm until he was 87 years of age.

   Jacob enjoyed buying and selling cattle and going to the area sale barns. Just a week before his passing he spent the day at the Mitchell, South Dakota Sale Barn. His wife Frances passed away this past 17th day of December 2019.

   Jacob is survived by his four children, Marion J. (Becky) Rus, Darwin (Helen) Rus, Shirley Van Voorst all of Rock Valley, and Tami (Jim) Van Beek of Inwood; 23 grandchildren; 83 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; brother, Lorn (Marilyn) Rus of Rock Valley; 3 sisters, Cora Starr of Arlington, Washington, Hermina Van Veldhuizen of Rock Valley, and Jennie Van Bemden of Grand Rapids, Michigan; and 2 sisters-in-law, Judy Rus of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Audrey Rus of Ireton, Iowa.

   Jacob was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Frances; great-grandchild, Jayda Fay Van Voorst; 3 brothers, Herman, Elmer, and Leon; and sister, Nellie Fluit.