Gordon Van Donselaar, 90, of Grinnell, died Tues-day, Feb. 15, 2022, at Mayflower Com-munity Health Care Center in Grinnell.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, at Calvary Baptist Church in Grinnell. The service will be livestreamed beginning at 10:20 a.m. on the Smith Funeral Home and Crematory Facebook page. Burial with military honors will be held at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. A luncheon will follow at Calvary Baptist Church. Visitation will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25, at Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell, and his family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. Memorials may be directed to Grinnell Christian School and mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with his family online at www.smithfh.com.
Gordon Roy Van Donselaar was born to Henry and Grace (Speas) Van Donselaar on Sept. 17, 1931, and he lived a full life to age 90.
Raised on a farm south of Grinnell, Gordon was no stranger to hard work as the eldest boy in a family of nine. During his youth, Gordon attended Richland #6 Rural School in Jasper County and graduated with the Class of 1950 from Grinnell High School. While attending school, Gordon was active in FFA, participating in their basketball league. Throughout his life, Gordon enjoyed participating in the chorus. He was recognized for his talent by the Iowa High School Music Association with All-State Chorus Awards during his junior and senior years.
At University Park in Oskaloosa at the age of 17, Gordon accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. This moment changed his life. He spent the remainder of his days preparing for eternity. Gordon's commitment to the church never wavered, regularly attending church until he was physically unable. He served in various roles, including treasurer, elder, trustee, song leader, and taught 25 years of Sunday school. His devotion was also demonstrated by tithing 10%, as his mother taught him. Gordon loved reading and studying the Holy Bible. One of the first scriptures he memorized was Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” He took this to heart and shared that it kept him out of a lot of trouble!
Gordon was united in marriage to Lois Huff on July 30, 1952, at Northside Friends Church in Grinnell. They were married for 62 years and blessed with three sons: John, Roger, and James (Jim).
Gordon enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the support troop for the hydrogen bomb test on Bikini Atoll and active duty in the South Pacific at the Eniwetok Atoll. After honorable discharge in 1954, Gordon returned home to work at Cargill Research as an assistant corn breeder for 13 years.
The Van Donselaar family then built a nursing home facility called Friendship Manor, now known as Grinnell Health Care Center. Gordon served as co-owner and co-administrator alongside his beloved wife. For over 20 years, they provided exceptional care to many elderly residents of Grinnell. As a local business owner and lifelong Grinnellian, Gordon’s dedication to the community was undeniable. He served as a member of Kiwanis for 20 years and a board member of Poweshiek Mutual for 15 years. Gordon volunteered with several local charities giving his time and money to help others. Gordon was particularly fond of the Central Iowa Christian School.
Despite the early loss of his two sons, John and Jim, Gordon was a happy, joyful person. During retirement, Gordon and Lois traveled via motorhome sightseeing. They took a respite in Arizona from the cold Iowa winters. Gordon loved visiting family and friends, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed spending time outdoors walking, hunting, fishing, golfing, home remodeling, and farming. Gordon remained social and attended “coffee” on the regular. He was always quick to share a joke and laugh, even if the delivery sometimes fell flat.
Gordon is survived by his son Roger (Teresa); six grandchildren Christy Ortmann, Nathan (Jillian) Van Donselaar, Janelle (Chad) Pirkl, Michael Van Donselaar, Joshua (Ashley) Van Donselaar, and Jessica (Derek) Thomas; 21 great-grandchildren; two brothers C.L. (Cedelia) Van Donselaar and Paul (Vicki) Van Donselaar; and sister Evelyn Kirkpatrick.
He was preceded in death by his wife Lois; their two sons John and James; his parents; his sisters Dorothy Wagner and Juanita Wilson; and his brother Marvin Van Donselaar.
