Wilmina Van Ravenswaay

Wilmina Van Ravenswaay, 79, of Sioux Center, IA died Friday, June 15, 2012 at the Sioux Center Community Hospital. A visitation will be held Sunday from 2-8PM, with the family present from 2-4PM at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center. A funeral service will be held on Monday at 1:30PM at the Carmel Reformed Church of rural Rock Valley with Rev. Mark Heijerman officiating. Interment will follow the service in Carmel Cemetery of rural Rock Valley. In lieu of flowers the Van Ravenswaay family prefers memorials be directed to the Carmel Reformed Church. Wilmina Harriet Van Ravenswaay was born February 20, 1933 to Sy and Margaret (Miersma) Pollema in Hull, Iowa. She was raised in Hull and graduated from Hull High School. After graduation, she worked at Northern Bell Telephone Company in Hull. On September 24, 1952, Wilmina was joined in marriage to Richard G. Van Ravenswaay at her parents' home in Hull. Together they lived and worked as farm hands on farms in Peterson, Hull and rural Sioux Center, Iowa. In 1965, they moved into Sioux Center, where Wilmina later worked for 28 years in the kitchen of Sioux Center Community High School. She was a member of the First Reformed Church of Hull until 1962 when she became a member of the Carmel Reformed Church. Over the years she taught Sunday school, attended Ladies Aid Society meetings and faithfully served in the Carmel Church library for many years. Wilmina liked to spend her time reading, researching family genealogy and spending time with her family and close friends. Those left to cherish her memory are her two sons and daughters-in- law, Milton and Dianne Van Ravenswaay and Rodney and Laura Van Ravenswaay all of Sioux Center; five grandchildren: Trent Van Ravenswaay, Tessa Van Ravenswaay, Chad Van Ravenswaay and his fiancé, Alyson, Scott Van Ravenswaay and Spencer Van Ravenswaay; sister and brother-in-law, Hendrine and Allen Faber of Rock Valley; three sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Madaline and Peter L. Vander Zwaag of Orange City, Henrietta and Willis Balt of Sheldon and Gertrude and Cort Victoria of Sheldon as well as many nephews and nieces. She is preceded in death by her dear husband, Richard G. Van Ravenswaay; her parents, Sy and Margaret Pollema; parents-in-law, Gerrit and Cynthia Van Ravenswaay and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Lela and Lauren Van Heuvelen.