Dr Gerald Cornelius Vande Garde

Dr. Gerald C. Vande Garde, 86, of Sioux Center died Saturday, April 1, 2006 at the Royale Meadows Care Center of Sioux Center.

Memorial services will be held Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at New Life Reformed Church of Sioux Center at 11:00am with Rev. Carl Boersma officiating. Interment will be held prior to the memorial service at Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center, IA.

A prayer service will be held Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at 10:00am at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.

Visitation will be held at Memorial Funeral Home, Monday, April 3, 2006 from 2-8pm with the family present from 6:30 8pm

The Vande Garde family prefers memorials be directed to the New Life Reformed Church Building Fund, CHEARS Home Heath and Hospice or the New Nursing Home Project in care of the Sioux Center Community Hospital Foundation.

To view an online tribute video of Doc's life please click on the following link. http://videos.lifetributes.com/?id=3012

Dr. Gerald Cornelius (Doc) Vande Garde passed away on April 1, 2006, at Royale Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center, Iowa, at the age of 86.

Doc was born to George and Dora (Van Wyk) Vande Garde on October 29, 1919, and grew up on a farm near Hull, Iowa. He attended country school and grade school in the Hull area where he qualified for the State Spelling Bee twice. Graduating from Hull High School at the age of 16, he was Valedictorian of his class. Doc went on to attend Northwestern Junior College and Iowa State University and graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

On September 3, 1940, Doc was united in marriage to Marguerite (Marty) DeLeeuw at her parents home.

Doc served in the United States Army as a Veterinary MeatInspector during World War II and earned the rank of Captain. After his honorable discharge, Doc and Marty moved to Sioux Center where they made their home and he began a veterinary practice. They were members of First Reformed Church and then later Central Reformed Church. In 1991 Doc became a member of New Life Reformed Church. During their years in Sioux Center, Doc was an active participant on the Sioux Center Community School Board, Board of Adjustment, Recreation and Arts Council, Chamber of Commerce, and the American Legion. In addition, he was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and Iowa State University Alumni Association. Docs devoted work at the Tri-State Livestock Sales Company helped it grow into a popular Northwest Iowa auction venue. Doc retired from his veterinary practice in 1974.

In Docs spare time he enjoyed tending to the beautiful flowers surroundingtheir home, fishing with family and friends, and golfing with buddies and his wife. Family and friends recall the delicious T-bone steaks Doc cooked to perfection on a cast-iron griddle in his back yard or at Oak Grove Park. He was an expert on American history and World War II trivia. Doc and Marty enjoyed dancing together at Cedar Cabin to their favorite Big Band music, and in his later years Doc looked forward to watching Lawrence Welk and Guy Lombardo on television every Saturday evening. As an avid sports fan Doc looked forward to Howard Lubach taking him to watch the Sioux Center Warriors play basketball. As a fervent New York Yankee and Iowa State University Cyclone fan, Doc could share stories and statistics going back to the 50s.

Doc enjoyed being a grandfather and great-grandfather, sharing enthusiastically with his visitors the many photos surrounding his room, talking about his grandchildren and great-grandchildren who brought much joy into his life.

Doc was especially grateful to his sister Ruth and her family for their faithful visits and generous care.

God blessed Doc with a long and full life, and He provided healing to Doc through heart problems, a ruptured aortic aneurysm, and a severe car accident in 1996 in which Doc suffered critical injuries.

Docs family is deeply grateful to many of the nurses and aides who provided wonderful care to him through the last 9 years of his life. The nursing home staff grew to love Doc, discovering he was really "a big teddy bear".

Preceding Doc in death were his wife of 43 years, Marty, and a brother, Don. Left to cherish his memory and thankful for having been a part of his life are two sons and their wives, Larry and Linda Vande Garde of Topeka, Kansas, and Gerry and Arlis Vande Garde of Bloomington, Minnesota; one daughter and her husband, Shari and Glen Brouwer of Sioux Center; two sisters, Muriel Koele of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Ruth and her husband, George Meendering, of Sioux Center; eleven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.