Peter Vande Stroet

Rock Valley, IA: Peter “Pete” Vande Stroet, 84, of Rock Valley, Iowa, died Sunday, October 6, 2024, at RiverView Ridge Senior Living in Rock Valley. A funeral service will be held Thursday, October 10, at 10:30 AM at the First Reformed Church of Rock Valley with Pastor Cliff Hoekstra officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery of Rock Valley. Visitation with the family present will be held Wednesday, October 9, at First Reformed Church from 5:30-7:00 PM.

  Peter Vande Stroet, a retired farmer and teacher, loving husband, grandfather, great-grandfather, and avid fisherman, entered his eternal rest on October 6, 2024 at the age of 84.

  Born on January 29, 1940, to Gilbert and Nellie (Van Egdom) Vande Stroet in their rural Inwood, Iowa home, Peter grew up with a love for farming, hunting and fishing. After graduation from Western Christian High School, he enlisted in the Air Force National Guard. Upon his honorable discharge in 1961 he attended Northwestern College where he received a teaching degree while farming. He taught first at Inwood Christian School and then at the Rock Valley Christian School.

  Smitten with love, on July 10, 1970, he married Ruth Bloemendaal and together built a life on their farm by Rock Valley, Iowa. A blessed union of 55 years, they had 4 children, 14 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren and cherished any time they could spend together as a family.

  Although he left teaching to farm full time in 1976, his passion for teaching was still evident as he taught in various ways in their church. As a father he taught his sons to hunt, fish and trap and in time would also share that knowledge with his grandsons as well. His children and grandchildren could never escape their home without giving him a ‘moosie’ on the cheek or receiving a sincere goodbye from him.

  In his later years, Peter enjoyed spending his time gardening, reading about WWII and riding his cycle or giving his grandchildren rides. He was a faithful servant of God in every area of his life and looked forward to meeting his Heavenly Father one day.

  Left to cherish Pete’s memory are his wife, Ruth (Bloemendaal) Vande Stroet; his 4 children, Jennifer (Scott) Bakeberg of Lino Lakes, Minnesota, Michael (Carmen) Vande Stroet of Hull, Iowa, Julie (Chad) Van Voorst of Rock Valley, Iowa, and Loren (Mellisa) Vande Stroet of Hot Springs, South Dakota; 13 grandchildren, Jenna (Zane) Waring, Michaela Vande Stroet, Kyra (Tate) Rauscher, Hannah (Levi) Metzger, Reid Vande Stroet, Tyler (Jordan) Van Voorst, Blaine Van Voorst, Lathan Van Voorst, Makena Bakeberg, Thad Vande Stroet, Brett Bakeberg, Amaya Van Voorst, and Taryn Vande Stroet; grandson-in-law, Trevor Engeltjes; 10 great-grandchildren; sisters, Bernice Hamilton of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Jeanette (Gerard) Van Beek of Inwood, Iowa; and sisters-in-law, Irene (Henry) Ter Wee of Inwood, Iowa, Harriet (Cornelius) Van Beek of Sioux Center, Iowa, and Denise Vande Stroet of Oskaloosa, Iowa.

  He was preceded in death by his parents, Gilbert and Nellie Vande Stroet; sister, Evelyn Vande Stroet; brother, Rick Vande Stroet; granddaughter, Courtney Engeltjes; great-granddaughter, Kasey Engeltjes; parents-in-law, Eilert and Pearl Bloemendaal; sister-in-law, Joyce (Robert) Ver Mulm; and brother-in-law, Kenneth Bloemendaal.