Delores A. Van Rees, 88, of Pella and formerly of Sully, passed away Monday, Apr. 27, 2026, at the Comfort House in Pella. Visitation begins at 2 p.m., Friday, May 1, at Covenant Reformed Church in Pella with the family present 5-7 p.m. Funeral service will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 2, at Covenant Reformed Church. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Pella. Memorials may be given to Pella Christian Schools.
Delores Ann Zylstra was born July 16, 1937, in Jasper County near Lynnville. She was the seventh child born to Paul and Gertie (Van Den Hoek) Zylstra. She attended Sully Christian School and graduated from Pella Christian High School. She was united in marriage to Gary Lee Van Rees at Sully Christian Reformed Church where she was baptized and made profession of her faith.
Gary and Delores lived in Panama for 14 months while he served in the Army. Following Gary’s discharge, they returned to Sully. In September 1958, their first daughter, Paula Jo, was born, and in July 1960, their second daughter, Mary LuAnn, was born. In July 1969, their son, Calvin Jay, was born. Delores enjoyed singing with Sully Christian Reformed Church Ladies’ Ensemble. She was an excellent seamstress and made most of her clothes and her daughters’ clothes, including their wedding dresses.
Gary and Delores enjoyed following the activities of their children and grandchildren. In 1980, Gary and Delores moved to Pella. Delores worked in the laundry department at Pella Regional Hospital for many years. After her retirement from the laundry department, she worked part-time at the Town Crier until the spring of 2025. Gary and Delores enjoyed traveling. They had visited all 50 states and several foreign countries.
Delores always had several kinds of homemade cookies in her freezer, which her children and grandchildren came to expect. Her specialty cookies were her almond cookies, which she baked for all of their weddings and special occasions. Delores became a resident of The Cottages in Pella in November 2025.
She is survived by her three children and their families: Paula (Sherwin) Klyn of Pella, LuAnn (Michael) Blom of Pella, and Calvin Van Rees of Denver, CO; six grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Delores leaves her brother Claude (Joan) Zylstra of Pella; her sisters-in-law Nellie Zylstra of Pella, Dorothy Zylstra of Trophy Gardens Resort in south Texas, and Jean Arkema of Sioux Center; and a brother-in-law Terry Hayworth of Mitchellville.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Gary Van Rees; her parents; her parents-in-law Cecil and Minnie Van Rees; and the following brothers and sisters: Bertha Eunice Zylstra who died in 1927, William John and Bertha Zylstra, Orville Zylstra, P. Marvin and Celia Zylstra, Mary Lou (Zylstra) and her husbands Gareth Vande Kieft and Merle Van Steenis, Wendell Zylstra, and Carol Zylstra who died at birth in 1939. She was also preceded in death by her sisters-in-law Judy (Claude) Zylstra and Cynthia Hayworth and her brother-in-law Lewis Arkema.
Delores was currently a member of Covenant Reformed Church in Pella.
