Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, Deloris McKeag, 83, of Sully passed away at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House. Memorial service was at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9, at Sully First Reformed Church. Memorial contributions are preferred for Hope Ministries or the Hospice of Pella Comfort House.
Deloris Fay Jansen was born Dec. 19, 1937, on her parents’ farm north of Sully. She was the third of four children born to William D. and Pauline (Baarda) Jansen. Deloris attended Sully Christian School and graduated from Pella Christian High School in 1956. She was united in marriage with Lawrence Maasdam on Feb. 14, 1957. To this union, four children were born: Craig, Curtis, Julie Kay, and Larry. Jan. 26, 1973, she and Ronald E. McKeag were married in Grinnell.
Deloris believed flowers and nature were a special gift from God. She loved to work in her gardens, make floral arrangements, and decorate their home. She also loved to help her children and grandchildren wallpaper, paint, decorate, or landscape in their yards. Deloris had the idea to start a gardening club in Sully. She invited people she knew who shared her interest, and the Sully Garden Thyme Club was formed in the summer of 1998. Deloris had other jobs where she made many friends, including working at Casey’s in Sully, and Bates Flowers and Van Ersvelde Decorating in Grinnell.
Deloris’s strong faith brought her through many trials including the drowning accident of her son, Curtis, age 7, in 1968; a skydiving accident of her son, Larry, age 25, in 1995; and her cancer which started in 2018.
She is survived by her husband, Ron, and their families: Craig (Barbra) Maasdam of Sully, Julie (Kevin) Van Wyk of Sully, Donald (Marcia) McKeag of Iowa City, and Chris McKeag of Ottumwa.
Deloris felt very blessed and loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her prayer for them was that they all accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
Of her original family, Deloris leaves her sister Zelda Engbers of Pella, and the following sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Marcia (Lowell) Jansen of Pella, Marjorie (Maasdam) Kramer of Lynnville, Rose (McKeag) and Ernie Swanty of Arizona, Marcia (McKeag) and Earl Murty of Traer, Linda (McKeag) Lang of Cedar Rapids; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Deloris was preceded in death by her two sons: Curtis and Larry Maasdam; her parents; her two brothers Ronald Jansen and his wife Verla, and Lowell Jansen; her brother-in-law Arie Engbers, Jr.; her parents-in-law Richard and Dorothy Olson; and her two nephews: Monty Jansen and Jerry Lee Thede.
Deloris was an active and faithful member of Sully First Reformed Church.
