Vernon Sandbulte, 84, of Rock Valley, IA, died Tuesday, December 1, 2015, at Whispering Heights Care Center in Rock Valley.
A visitation will be held on Friday from 4-8PM, with the family present from 6-8PM at the Carmel Reformed Church of rural Rock Valley.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday at 10:30AM at the Carmel Reformed Church of rural Rock Valley with Rev. Mike Pitsenberger officiating. Interment will follow the funeral service in Carmel Cemetery.
The Sandbulte family prefers memorials to Alzheimer Association SWAAT Team or Carmel Reformed Church.
Vernon John Sandbulte was born on the family farm west of Carmel, Iowa on August 27, 1931 to Gerrit and Mathilda (Mouw) Sandbulte. He attended country school Plato #5 through the eighth grade.
In his early years he drove truck and ran a feed grinder, and helped his father with the farm. In 1960 Vernon took over the family farm after his father’s death. He was a lifelong member of Carmel Reformed Church and served as a deacon.
On January 5, 1951 he married Johanna Vander Linden in Carmel. To this union ten children were born. Vernon loved taking care of the animals and working the land. In 2002, they moved to Rock Valley, Iowa and retired from farming in 2010. In November of 2013 he became a resident of Whispering Heights Care Center in Rock Valley. Vernon passed away on Monday, December 1, 2015 at Whispering Heights at the age of 84.
Vernon is survived by his wife of 64 years, Johanna Sandbulte of Rock Valley; his nine children: Jane (Ken) De Boer of Rock Valley, Linda Roetman of Hospers, Valerie (John) Mouw of Rock Valley, Patricia (James) Vande Zandschulp of Orange City, Gary (Shelly) Sandbulte of Rock Valley, Mary Luschen of Le Mars, Leah (Mike) De Bruin of Hawarden, Kimberly (Todd) Lang of Le Mars, Steven (Pat) Sandbulte of Rock Valley; his 29 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren. Vernon is also survived by two sisters: Lorna (Arthur) Ter Horst and Marvelle (Peter D.) Vander Zwaag all of Orange City; along with three sisters-in-law: Wilma Baatz, Betty (John) De Bruin, Wilma Davelaar all of Rock Valley and many nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death by his parents, Gerrit and Mathilda Sandbulte; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Dick and Minnie Vander Linden; infant son, Gerald Sandbulte; infant granddaughter, Sarah Sandbulte; infant grandson, Alexander Luschen; infant great grandson, Alec Mouw; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Gertrude and Pete Davelaar and brother-in-law, Frances Baatz.