Jeannette Van Den Top

Rock Valley, IA: Jeannette Van Den Top, 97, of Rock Valley, Iowa, passed away Tuesday, April 12, 2016, at the Hegg Memorial Health Center. Funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 16 at Porter Funeral Home, Rock Valley. Burial will follow at Richland Cemetery, Inwood, Iowa. Visitation, with family present, will be Friday, April 15 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Porter Funeral Home, Rock Valley. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Netherlands Reformed Christian School or Whispering Heights of Rock Valley.

Jeannette (Buitendyk) Van Den Top, daughter of Jacob and Pieternella Buitendyk, was born on November 3, 1918, at Inwood, Iowa. She was united in marriage to Gerrit J. Van Den Top on July 30, 1941, in Rock Valley, Iowa. The couple lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before moving to Northwest Iowa where they farmed and raised their family. Jeannette was primarily a homemaker. In addition, she worked for several years as a cook at the West Lyon School and later at the Central Lyon School.

Jeannette is survived by her five children: Jim (Hermina) Van Den Top of Rock Valley, IA; Jay (Joy) Van Den Top of Larchwood, IA; Milton (Deanne) Van Den Top of Lynden, WA; Pat (Len) De Visser of Allendale, MI; Karen (Bob) Van Zweden of West Milford, NJ; 17 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren; one sister, Anne Baas of Grand Rapids, MI; brothers-in-law: Minard (Cora) Van Den Top, Pete Van Den Top, and Elmer Van Den Top; sisters-in-law: Alice (Ed) Van Ginkel, Ellen Van Den Top, and Gert Van Den Top.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and infant granddaughter Kirsten Van Zweden; siblings: Adrian Buitendyk, Elizabeth Burggraaf, John Buitendyk, and Joe Buitendyk; brothers-in-law: Ralph Baas, William Van Den Top, Albert (Rika) Van Den Top, Andrew Van Den Top, John Van Den Top, and Tony Burggraaf; and sisters-in-law: Arlene Van Den Top, Wilmina Van Den Top, Grace Van Den Top, and Gertie Buitendyk Van Den Top.

Visitation