John Van

Rock Valley, IA: John E. Van Maanen, 87, of Rock Valley, died Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at Hegg Memorial Hospital, Rock Valley. Burial at Valley View Cemetery will be 9:30 am and Memorial Service 10:30 am Saturday at Faith Reformed Church, Rock Valley. Visitation with family will be 6-8 pm Friday at Faith Reformed Church. Condolences may be left for the family at www.porterfuneralhomes.com.

John was born December 3, 1925 at the family farm north of Rock Valley, son of Edward and Hattie (De Vries) Van Maanen. He attended Rock Valley Christian Elementary School through the 8th grade. John made profession of faith in the First Christian Reformed Church and later became a charter member of the Calvin Christian Reformed Church. He worked on the family farm until he entered the army where he served in Japan and the Philippines from 1946 to 1947. Upon honorable discharge, he attended a trade school in Chicago for auto mechanics and then worked as a mechanic in Rock Rapids and Rock Valley.

On June 17, 1952, John married Ruth Van Heukelom at Hull, Iowa. The couple made their home and farmed north of Rock Valley for 35 years before retiring to Rock Valley in 1987 and he continued to help on the family farm. John was currently a member of Faith Reformed Church where he served as a care elder and also was active in the American Legion, Farm Bureau, M2 Prison Ministry, Men's Bible Study, and enjoyed visiting the sick and shut-in. He sang with the Senior Saints for 20 years and had interests in woodworking, politics, traveling, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Surviving relatives include his wife, Ruth; eight children, Randy (Luana) Van Maanen of Lismore, MN, Sandra (Wally) Butterfield of Atlanta, GA, Rachel (David) Clover of Sioux City, IA, Belinda (Steve) Humphrey of Fort Worth, TX, Doris (Jeff) Gregg of Aurelia, IA, Terry (Sue) Van Maanen of Rock Valley, Lorna (Ray) Mundy of Scranton, IA, Sally (Tim) Mills of Marshalltown, IA; seventeen grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; two sisters, Henrietta Vanden Bosch and Wihelmina Landegent both of Rock Valley; sisters-in-law, Anita Van Maanen of Rock Valley Kathleen Vander Velde of Sanborn, IA.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Hattie; brothers, Gerrit, Jim, and Henry Van Maanen; brothers-in-law, Hubert Landegent, Art Vanden Bosch, and Kenneth Vander Velde; sisters-in-law, Berdena and Elda Van Maanen.