Carol M. Byl

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    Carol M. Byl age 81 of Sioux Center, Iowa died Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at Royale Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center, IA.

Follow up announcement.

**The memorial service for Carol Byl is now re-scheduled for 11:00 AM, Monday, January 18, 2021.

     John Byl would like to invite guests to come and visit with him from 9:00 to 10:00 Monday morning at Faith Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center. A prayer service will then take place at 10:00 AM followed by a procession to Memory Garden Cemetery in Sioux Center, IA for burial.

     We will return to the church for the memorial service scheduled for 11:00 AM with Rev. Bob Pollema and Rev. Dave Smit and Rev. Cliff Hoekstra officiating.

     Social distancing and mask guidelines will be followed.

     The lieu of flowers and gifts, the Byl family prefers memorials, which will be directed to the purchase of a bench to be donated to the Royale Meadows Memory Unit.

     Carol Mae Byl was born Sept. 23, 1939 in Orange City, IA to Elmer & Lucille (Siebersma) Van De Brake. She was raised in Orange City where she attended the Christian Grade School & graduated from Western Christian High School in Hull, IA. She had a passion for people & children & lovingly babysat for many of their friends & family. Her plans for nursing school fell through when it unexpectedly closed. The Ireton Christian school approached her to teach the kindergarten/1st grade class that fall. She was 17 yrs old & attended summer school to prepare her. With no copy machines, she recalled her & her mother handwriting every test & paper. It was at this time she met & began dating John. They were married on an extremely hot & humid day - July 22, 1959 at the Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Orange City. They made their home in Sioux Center. Carol enjoyed substitute teaching & helping with Home Economics at Sioux Center Christian. She had such a love for her Lord & she lived every day as a sweet, kind, selfless, loving wife, mother & friend. Her motto in life was “If you can't say something nice, don't say anything”. She lived that motto even with Alzheimer's. 

     The family moved to a farm by Hull where they lambed & raised 300 head of purebred Suffolk sheep, fed cattle, had quarter horses, registered Angus cattle & milked goats. The city slicker embraced farm life. She checked & pulled many lambs & goats; bottle feeding them, even keeping the tiny ones who needed extra attention in the house basement & gave them extra love & care until they could go back to the barn.

     She lovingly raised 5 children on the farm & used every moment for sharing her love of Sunday school songs & a teaching moment to share Jesus’ love. John & Carol worked hard on the farm & also enjoyed many summer vacations sightseeing on the way to deliver equipment of some sort all over the United States. There are many wonderful memories of showing sheep at the local fairs & Iowa State Fair. 

   They were charter members of the Sioux Center Saddle Club. She enjoyed riding her horse Bill in many parades & on many trips to the Black Hills.  Thanks to their very special friends, Ken & Eunice Hulstein, John & Carol enjoyed 20+ years wintering in Mission, Texas at Mission Bell Resort where they have many many wonderful & special people whom they consider family. A special group of couples formed a card club & they’ve enjoyed getting together for over 61 years.  

     Carol & John enjoyed traveling & had plans to continue even with Carol’s diagnosis of Alzheimer's. She coped so well & remained such a loving & kind soul. John lovingly cared for Carol at home for many years until his cancer progressed. Her fibromyalgia & her Alzheimer's were acting up to the point she couldn’t even walk. The family saw God's hand in leading them to their difficult decision for her to reside at Royale Meadows in Nov. of 2018. She was soon dancing down the halls in her sexy socks & giving her furry friend CiCi, Mary's little dog, a ride on her walker. She loved showing off her children, grandchildren, & great grandchildren. In May of 2019 they traveled to St Cloud, MN to witness & celebrate Evan & MJ's wedding. She talked about it ever since! RM Staff soon became like family & she was so very loved by them to the very end. If you got the privilege to sit & talk to Carol, you would know she found joy in every situation. Her joy came from her loving Savior Jesus Christ. She could be found on any given day singing, dancing & humming. There were NO “sour pusses” allowed. If the sunshine was out, Carol would be there soaking it in. She LOVED ice cream & could be bribed into doing many things, including getting her ears pierced!  She was an active member of Bethel Christian Reformed Church until they became charter members of Faith Christian Reformed Church where she was active in Ladies Aide & Sunday evening Bible study.

     Left to honor her precious memory are her loving husband of 61 years, her daughters, Sherri(Mark) Soodsma, of Doon, IA & their children, Trisha(Joel) Huyser, Travis(Adrienne) Soodsma & Tanya(Brent) VanHill; Mary(Byron) Broekhuis, of Sioux Center, IA & their children, Laura(Ben) Brown & Paul Broekhuis; , her sons Tim(Tam) Byl, Sioux Center IA & their children, Tracy(Brandon) Steenholdt, Teri(Kevin) Hubbard & TJ Byl; Evan(Mary Jo) Byl of Sheldon, IA; & John Mark(Heidi) Byl & their children, Johannah, Karolynn, Annaka & JC Byl; 19 special great grandchildren; her brother, Robert Van De Brake; brothers & sisters-in-law, Arie(Helen) Byl  & Henry(Joan) Byl both of Sioux Center, IA,  & many special nieces & nephews.

     She was preceded in death by a still born infant baby brother, her parents Elmer & Lucille & her parents-in-law John & Minnie Byl.