Marvin A. Van Haaften, 79, of Pella, died Nov. 24, 2019. Interment was in Oakwood Cemetery at Pella at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27, followed by the memorial service at 10:30 a.m. at Covenant Reformed Church, Pella. Memorials have been designated for Pella Christian Grade School and Crossroads Bible Institute.
Marvin Alvin Van Haaften was born Apr. 27, 1940, to Lester and Junella (Vanden Berg) Van Haaften, in Dunreath. He lived in the Otley and Pella area his whole life. He attended school in Dunreath and Pella Christian Schools.
Sept. 1, 1961, he was united in marriage to Marge Van Donselaar. To this union, they were blessed with three children: Brenda, Brian, and Missy. Marv began his career as an airplane pilot for Vermeer Manufacturing, then left to farm to be near his family, worked for Van Zee Implement, and then for Kruseman Implement in Sully. His greatest joy was being a bus driver for Pella Christian Schools for 15 years.
Marv enjoyed fishing, gardening, and home projects. He was a prankster and loved to tell jokes. Marv and Marge enjoyed traveling together and visited all 50 states. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and great-granddaughter.
Marv was a member of First Christian Reformed Church and later Covenant Reformed Church, where he was a Cadet leader, elder, and deacon. He will be remembered for handing out peppermints to children at church and school. He went on youth group trips and service projects with the church. Most of all, Marv loved to serve the Lord and knew his Bible backwards and forwards.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Marge and their children: Brenda (Doug) Vos and family, Jessica and Tyler Ten Pass and Brooke; Brian (Jana) Van Haaften and family, Tiffany and her fiancé Brett Maxwell and Reece and Jess Van Haaften; and Missy (Dan) Sneller and family, Amber and Grant Fynaardt and Kyle Sneller.
Marv is also survived by his siblings: Mary Elsloo, Joyce (Max) Kane, and Allen (Bev) Van Haaften, all of Pella; and his brothers and sisters-in-law: Shirley and Ron De Bruin, Robert and Kathy Van Donselaar, both of Pella, and Peggy and Dale Bergman of Coopersville, MI.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his twin sister Alva Mae as a child, and his brother-in-law Tim Elsloo.
