Ben Van Wyk, 19, of rural Lynnville passed away suddenly Fri-day, Aug. 2, 2019, due to injuries sustained in a grain bin accident. Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, at Lynnville Heart of Worship Church. Burial will be held in the Friends Cemetery in New Sharon. Visitation will begin after noon on Thursday, Aug. 8, at Lynnville Heart of Worship Church with the family present to greet friends and relatives from 5-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lynnville-Sully Wrestling Team or St. Florian Fire and Burn Foundation.
Benjamin (Timur) Raymond Van Wyk was born June 22, 2000, in Stavropol, Russia. He was adopted by Daryl Van Wyk and Cheinette (Gillam) Van Wyk in July 2003. Ben always had a smile on his face, and it did not matter what he was doing. He had a kind heart, mind, and spirit, and he was always a friend to anyone. Ben started peewee wrestling when he was five years old. He participated in peewee wrestling tournaments across the state of Iowa and continued wrestling in junior high and high school. Ben enjoyed working on the farm. He especially loved riding on the tractors and in the semis, combining corn or drivin’ around on the Gator. Ben was a 2019 graduate of Lynnville-Sully High School and was working at Wehrle Farms near Lynnville. He enjoyed fishing, hanging out with friends, working on the farm, camping, and attending the Iowa State Fair and going to concerts. Ben attended Heart of Worship Church near Lynnville.
His memory will be cherished by his parents, Daryl Van Wyk (Connie Grunder) of Lynnville and Cheinette Van Wyk of Colorado Springs, CO; his siblings, Dustin (Jennifer) Van Wyk and children: Trevor and Hunter, Derek Van Wyk and children: Trinity, Jackson, and Aubrey, Devin Van Wyk, Carly (Aaron) Braimah and daughter Sonya, Paige (Owayne) Stone and daughter Alaina; and Yana Van Wyk; his grandparents, Bernard and LaVonne Van Wyk and Marvin and Ellen Wehrle; his great-grandparents Hazel Walker and Bob and Delores (Gillam) Burt; and many other relatives and friends.
Ben was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents Mike Gillam and Linda Wehrle; and his great- grandparents Dick and Martha Van Wyk, Harold and Jennie Geurts, James Gillam, Keith Walker, and Raymond and Trudy Wehrle.
