Nellie Van Donge

Livestream of the service available at:  https://livestream.com/accounts/19374093/events/8270364

 Nellie Van Donge, age 83, of Maurice, Iowa died Friday, September 4, 2020 at Sioux Center Health in Sioux Center, Iowa.

    A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at the Faith Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center with Rev. Bob Pollema officiating.  Interment will follow the service in Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center. There will be no public luncheon following the service.

    A visitation with the family present will be held on Tuesday from 9:30AM until the time of the service.

   The Van Donge Family prefer memorials be directed to Sioux Center Christian Schools. 

    Nellie Louise Van Donge was born March 9, 1937 in Pella, IA to Arie and Alice (Booy) Huisman. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1955 in Minneapolis, Minnesota before attending Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa.

    On January 1, 1960, Nellie was joined in marriage to Herman Van Donge in Minneapolis during a winter snowstorm.  The couple moved to California while Herm was enlisted in the US Marine Corp.  They later moved to the Van Donge family farm near Sioux Center, Iowa where they lived until 1987 when moving to a residence near Sandy Hollow east of Sioux Center. In 2005 they moved to rural Maurice.  Nellie worked in the lunchroom of Sioux Center Christian School and served as a clerk for VanderSchaaf Auctions.  Nellie also worked alongside Herm on the farm.  Nellie moved into Crowne Point in 2018 before moving to Royale Meadows in the past year.

    Nellie was a member of Faith Christian Reformed Church and enjoyed volunteering for Justice for All.  She had the gift of caring for others and she will best be remembered for being a caretaker of her family.

    In her free time, she could be found gardening flowers, fixing puzzles, painting, and playing cards.  She loved her family and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

    Nellie is survived by her six children: Tim Van Donge of Sioux Center, Allison (Tim) Floen of Maurice, IA, David Van Donge of Hospers, IA, Phil Van Donge (Marissa Hegeman) of Hull, IA, Paul Van Donge (Darnell Broesder) of Boyden, IA, and John (Melanie Benjamins) Van Donge of St. Catherines Ontario, Canada; 9 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; sisters, Eleanor Reitveld of Pella, IA, Joyce Huisman of Des Moines, IA, Carol (Arlo) Beyer of New Sharon, IA; brothers, Norman (Janel) Huisman of Grinnell, IA, Ron (Donna) Huisman of Otley, IA; sisters-in-law, Carol Huisman of West Des Moines, IA, Henrietta “Girlie” Dibbet of Sioux Center, IA and numerous nieces and nephews.

    She is preceded in death by her parents, Arie and Alice Huisman; husband, Herman Van Donge; brother, Duane Huisman; in-laws, Florence (Albert) Hooyer; Rich (Ida) Van Donge, John Dibbet and Elmer Reitveld.