Dale Jansen, 90, passed away Mar. 6, 2022. Visitation with the family will be Sunday, Mar. 13, 2-5 p.m. at Garden Chapel Funeral Home in Pella. Funeral services will be Monday, Mar. 14, at 10 a.m. at Second Reformed Church, Pella, followed by interment in Oakwood Cemetery, Pella. The funeral service will be livestreamed on the Second Reformed Church YouTube page. Memorials have been designated for Missionary Flights International, Christian Opportunity Center in Pella, and Second Reformed Church, Pella.
Dale Louis Jansen was born on a farm near New Sharon on Feb. 21, 1932, the fourth son of six children of Louis and Henrietta (Elscott) Jansen. He graduated from Sully High School and enrolled at Central College in Pella. He later joined the U.S. Army and served in the Pentagon.
Dale married Irma Meredith of Lynnville on June 7, 1953, while he was serving in the Army. They lived in Maryland, where their first child, Dan, was born.
After the service, the family moved to Pella, where Dale began working as a carpenter. He eventually partnered with Albert Rouw to form a building construction company, Jansen & Rouw. Their partnership lasted from 1959 to 1969.
Jansen & Rouw moved into 614 Franklin Street in 1965. In 1969, the business became Jansen’s Inc., run by Dale and Irma. Their youngest daughter, Julie Jansen Eilers, bought the business in 1995 and is the owner and operator of Jansen’s Decorating and Kitchens.
While Dale’s career was building homes and designing cabinetry for homes, music was always his passion. From a very young age, Dale sang at church and began singing at weddings when he was in high school. He was the lead tenor in two gospel quartets Trinity Quartet and Proclamations. The Proclamations traveled all around Iowa and even other states singing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in more than 200 concerts. They recorded two albums, selections of which are available on YouTube (under Dale Jansen).
Dale led choirs in Pella and at his retirement community in Fort Pierce, FL. Both he and Irma were members of Second Reformed Church in Pella where they sang in the choir for many years. They often sang duets in churches, and he was invited to sing at many weddings, funerals, and special Christmas presentations. During his retirement time in Florida, Dale volunteered to build airplane maintenance buildings for Missionary Flights International.
Besides work, music, and family, Dale enjoyed owning and flying airplanes, riding his motorcycles, and biking. And he enjoyed the times he was able to drive a race car at Texas Motor Speedway. Both he and Irma participated in the Pella Bike Club SAG Team, assisting Pella bikers in RAGBRAI.
Dale is survived by his wife Irma; his son Dan Jansen of Santa Fe, NM; his daughter Connie (Merrill) Matthews, of Coppell, TX; his daughter Julie (John) Eilers, of Pella; five grandchildren: Shanon Hicks, Jessica Yon, David Gutierrez, Meredith Mulholland, and Britton Matthews Cockerham; and nine great-grandchildren. Dale is also survived by his sister Lola Klein of Pella and many other family members and nieces and nephews.
