Alberta Grace Pol was born June 19, 1929, to Dick and Minnie (Van Maanen) Terpstra, near Lynnville. She passed away peacefully at age 93 on Jan. 3, 2023, at Comfort House in Pella with her family by her side. Funeral services were held Jan. 9 at Trinity Reformed Church in Pella. Interment was in Oakwood Cemetery, Pella. Memorials have been designated for Marion County 4-H.
June 4, 1952, she was married to Marion Pol at Sully Christian Reformed Church. To this union, they were blessed with five children: Merrill, Marla, Karla, Janice, and Malinda. They farmed near Marion’s parents by Otley until 1966, and then rented two different farms in the Lynnville-Sully area for the next 17 years. In 1983, they had a farm sale and bought a small acreage by Lake Red Rock. Over the years, Alberta stayed very busy with raising and selling puppies. She loved doing this until June 6, 2006, at which time she and Marion bought a house on East University Street across from Pella Community High School. She enjoyed her neighbors and watching the school’s activity. Alberta also loved playing cards (Rook and Skip-Bo) with her siblings, playing Dominoes with the neighbors, and enjoying coffee time in the driveway.
Alberta is survived by her five children: Merrill (Lana) Pol, Marla (Kevin) Renaud, Karla Vander Wert, Janice (Steve) De Graaf, all of Pella, and Malinda Pol of Des Moines; 14 grandchildren; 34 great-grand-children plus one on the way; and one great-great-grandchild. She is also survived by her three sisters: Viola Goemaat, Marilyn May, and Twyla Meyers, all of Pella; four brothers: Vernon (Kay) Terpstra of Monroe, Richard (Mary) Terpstra of Pella, Ivan (Nancy) Terpstra of Newton, and Virgil (Bertha) Terpstra of Pella; one sister-in-law: Jeanette Van Hall of Pella; and one brother-in-law: Larry Rumer of Pella.
Alberta was preceded in death by her husband: Marion; parents: Dick and Minnie Terpstra; parents-in-law: Peter and Irene Pol; one son-in-law: Craig Vander Wert; three grandchildren: Dylan Pol, Eric Shacklett, and Rich Brackett; three siblings: Julia Rumer, Irene and Raymond Bennick, and Donna and Lee Asher, plus two brothers in infancy: Wilbur and Delano; and in-laws: Leonard and Betty Pol, Wilma and Jake Goodyk, Marvin May, Ed Goemaat, and Hank Van Hall.
Alberta will be missed by all who knew her.
