Jill Van Dyke, 51, of Lynnville, passed away Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in a two-vehicle, head-on traffic accident just south of I-80 interchange 173. Her funeral was at 1:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 23, at Sully First Reformed Church.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been set up: Jill Van Dyke Memorial, c/o 1st State Bank, PO Box 187, Lynnville, IA 50153. If you’d like to send an electronic contribution, please either contact 1st State Bank or Hillary Svenb at 641-416-6548 for account number and routing information.
Jill Christine Van Dyke was born June 28, 1973, to Roger and Jean (Kruseman) Van Der Kamp in Newton.
Jill was a 1991 graduate of Lynnville-Sully High School and attended Des Moines Area Community College studying to become a paralegal.
Jill met Gerry Van Dyke through his sister and on Sept. 25, 1993, they were united in marriage. To this union they were blessed with four children: Kyle, Kayla, Krystal, and Klayton.
Jill loved being a mom, this was her number-one priority. Before kids, she worked for Vermeer Manufacturing as a warranty admin. Once all the kids were in school, she decided to work part-time and was currently working at Pella Glass.
Jill enjoyed planning family vacations, and her goal was to travel to all of the national parks. One of her dream vacations that she wanted to accomplish was to drive to Alaska. She was putting the finishing touches on her fourth adventure to Alaska coming up in June with friends to visit Denali. Many laughs and memories were made while hiking the mountain trails, and some of her favorite places to travel to were Alaska, Canada, Montana, and Colorado.
Jill could be found in the kitchen making sourdough bread, cooking, and trying new recipes. While Gerry invited friends, family, and co-workers over at a moments notice, Jill always had the house ready to welcome any guest. She loved her entire family fiercely, and it was foundational to how she lived: whether she was with her children, or spending time with her sisters, Gerry’s family, parents, and so many other friends. Family was her cornerstone. She was so excited about a couple upcoming weddings and her new pond and the time she was going to spend there enjoying nature and making memories with her kids and someday her grandkids. She also loved her dogs and raising unique chickens.
Some of Jill’s favorite childhood memories were going to the racetrack with her family and out for pizza on Saturday nights, and motorcycle rides with her dad.
Jill is survived by her husband Gerry and their children: Kyle (Maria), Kayla (Dylan), Krystal, and Klayton; her parents Roger and Jean Van Der Kamp of Sully; her parents-in-law Glenn and Coleen Van Dyke of Grinnell; her sisters Amy (Jay) Dahlke of Montgomery, MN, Katie (T.J.) Werner of Bondurant, and Lori (Eric) Harmison of Des Moines;
Gerry’s siblings Greg Van Dyke of Grinnell and Cherie (Bryce) Westerkamp of Pella.
She is also survived by many aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
Thank you to the first responders.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us during this difficult time.
