Gertrude Vander Werff

Gertrude Vander Werff, 95 of Sheldon, Iowa died Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at the Sanford Sheldon Hospital. A visitation will be held on Friday from 5-8PM with the family present from 6PM-7:30PM in the fellowship hall of First Reformed Church of Sheldon. A prayer service for family and friends will be held on Saturday at 9:30AM at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center with interment to follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11AM at the First Reformed Church of Sheldon with Rev. Jody Habinck officiating. The Vander Werff family prefer memorial to the American Cancer Society or The American Heart Association. Gertrude Vander Werff was born March 2, 1916 to Andrew and Nellie (Maassen) Sneller in Sioux Center, Iowa. She attended country school through the eighth grade. On December 5, 1945, Gert married William Vander Werff at the Sneller family home. The couple lived southeast of Hull until 1952. The next few years brought about moves to different area communities as William worked for several farmers. From 1961 until 1985 the couple farmed near Boyden, before retiring to Sioux Center. William passed away in 2002. For the last nine years Gert has lived at the Christian Retirement Home in Sheldon. Gert was a caring, helpful neighbor. She loved socializing and playing all types of games. Her free time was spent reading and doing puzzles. Currently, Gert was a member of the First Reformed Church of Sheldon; previously she had been a member of the First Christian Reformed Church of Hull. Survivors include her daughter, Nyla King of Sheldon; two nephews, Arlin (Beth) Sneller and Evan and (Beverly) Sneller all of Granite Falls, MN. Also left to cherish her memory are members of the Vander Werff family, brother-in-law and sister-in-law John and Delores Vander Werff of Sanborn; sisters-in-laws: Tina Pollema of Hull, Grace Hartog of Sanborn, Stephina Vander Werff of Sheldon; sisters and brothers-in-law: Esther and Dick Rozeboom of Hull, Theadora and Pete Lokhorst of Hull, Roberta and Jim Bogaard of Hull and numerous nieces and nephews. Those preceding her in death are her husband, Bill Vander Werff; son-in-law, Francis King; brother and sister-in-law, Ed and Fanny Sneller; brothers-in-law, Bill Pollema, Cornie Vander Werff, James Jansma and sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Ella and Albert Juffer and Wilma and Henry De Wild.