Sylvia Jean Veltkamp

Inwood, IA: Sylvia Jean Veltkamp, 92, of Inwood, Iowa, passed to her eternal home on Monday, August 12, 2024, at Fellowship Village of Inwood. A memorial service will be held Monday, August 19, at 11:00 AM at First Reformed Church of Inwood with Pastor Rob Horstman officiating. The service can be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-X6pfGKanHtikofRnNX2Gg. Burial will be held prior to the service at Valley View Cemetery of Rock Valley, Iowa. Visitation, with the family present, will be held Sunday, August 18, from 4:30-6:00 PM at First Reformed Church of Inwood.

 Memorials may be given to First Reformed Church of Inwood or Hope Haven.

 Sylvia Jean (Woudstra) Veltkamp was born on June 5, 1932, to parents, Jim and Hattie (Kreykes) Woudstra of Orange City, Iowa. She was welcomed home by sister Sally, brother Al, and twins Lee and Marilyn. She was later joined by younger sister Joyce. 

 Growing up, Sylvia always enjoyed being active and outdoors, much preferring “outside chores” to “inside chores” and helping in the family meat market. She attended grade school in Orange City and graduated from Western Christian High School in 1950. During her high school years, she was very active playing basketball and playing the French horn in the band.

 On June 15, 1951, Sylvia married Dick Veltkamp from Rock Valley, Iowa and they settled in Sanborn, Iowa where Dick owned and operated the Sanborn Body Shop. Sylvia did the bookkeeping for the shop and drove school bus. While living in Sanborn, they had 3 children, Don Lee, Jay Arlen, and Sheryl Ray. The family enjoyed traveling on annual trips around the country, and spare time was spent camping and boating at Lake Okoboji. They were members of the Sanborn Christian Reformed church where Sylvia taught Sunday school and led the Young Girl’s society.

 Later, Dick and Sylvia lived and worked in Florida and California before moving to Inwood, Iowa. Sylvia worked for Harvard Industries in Rock Valley as an insurance clerk, and then for Hegg Medical Clinic as medical transcriptionist. From 1999–2014, they enjoyed spending their winters in their second home in Bradenton, Florida. 

 Dick passed away on September 13, 2014. After caring for her husband for several years, Sylvia took that caring spirit to the Foster Grandparent program and spent several years as a volunteer at Kingdom Kids daycare in Inwood. She often talked about how much she loved “her kids” there, and that this was her most favorite job she ever had.

 She moved to Fellowship Village of Inwood in August 2022 where she continued to enjoy life – loving the staff, the fellow residents, and all of the activities. Sylvia passed to her eternal home on August 12,2024 at the age of 92.

 Surviving children are Don (Janie) Veltkamp of St. Maries, Idaho, Jay (Alejandra) Veltkamp of Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica, and Sheryl (Larry) Boeve of Doon, Iowa; 8 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren; sister, Joyce VandeGriend of Hull and sister-in-law, Vernell Kuyper of Orange City. Sylvia was preceded in death by her husband Dick, parents, Jim and Hattie Woudstra, sisters, Sally DeGroot and Marilyn Kroeze, brothers, Lee Woudstra and Al Woudstra, sisters-in-law, June Woudstra, Grace Jacobsma, Henrietta Haak, Jean VandeKamp, and brothers-in-law, John DeGroot, Gary Kroeze, Bernie VandeGriend, Pete Jacobsma, Gerald Haak, and Gary VandeKamp.

 Sylvia loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, loved bragging about them, and enjoyed following their sports and activities. Mostly, she loved her savior Jesus Christ, and was looking forward to meeting Him face to face.

 Sylvia will be remembered for her positive attitude and her “glass half full” spirit.