Barbara Fynaardt, 78, of Oskaloosa, passed away Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Funeral services for Barb were at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Oskaloosa First Christian Reformed Church with the Rev. Jonathan Spronk officiating. Burial was in Forest Cemetery, Oskaloosa. Memorials can be made to Oskaloosa Christian Grade School, Pella Christian High School, or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
Barbara Kay Fynaardt, daughter of LaVerne and Ruby (Vander Kamp) Van Zante, was born Oct. 22, 1944, in Grinnell. She was raised on a farm near Lynnville and attended a country school before finishing eighth grade at Sully Christian School. She went on to graduate from Lynnville-Sully High School in 1962. After graduating, she began working at Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. After church one evening, she and her friends met some young men from Oskaloosa, and one of them thought she was pretty nice. They continued to meet with friends, and eventually, she and Paul Dean Fynaardt settled on a wedding date. Nov. 26, 1965, they married at Sully Christian Reformed Church. They settled on a farm near Oskaloosa, and Barb continued to work until her children were born. In the late 1980s, Barb was ready to return to work, and she found something she enjoyed - cooking and serving food in the Hy-Vee Deli. She was a mainstay at Hy-Vee for more than 25 years. Her family and friends will remember Barb as a "hard worker." She loved being outdoors; she loved to mow her lawn and tend her vegetable and flower gardens. Her family ate from the bounty of her garden well into the winter and spring because she also loved to can and freeze the produce. She also loved her kitties – much to her husband's chagrin – and would let them sleep in the house on cold nights. Barb was also a huge Hawkeye sports fan – basketball being her favorite sport. She was a member of Oskaloosa First Christian Reformed Church, where she taught Sunday school.
Her family includes her husband, Paul; her children: Kimberly (Joe) Albright of University Park, Kevin (Robin) Fynaardt of West Des Moines, and Kendall Fynaardt of Altoona; five grandchildren: Austin, Haley, and Caden Albright, and Mallory and Aaron Fynaardt; a sister, Beverly (Rodney) Van Maanen of Lynnville; and a brother, Bradley Van Zante of Grinnell.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by an infant son Kraig Fynaardt and her stepfather Ralph J. Van Wyk.
