Henrietta Vander Velden, 101, of Newton, died Mon-day, July 26, 2021. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m., Friday, July 30, at the Newton Church of the Way. Memorials to the Jasper County Senior Citizens or the Newton Church of the Way may be left at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory.
Henrietta, the daughter of John and Aleida (Van De Vis) Brouwer, was born Mar. 13, 1920, on a farm north of Sully. Throughout her childhood, she lived in various places in the Midwest before returning to Iowa and living in Jasper and Marion Counties. She graduated with excellent grades from the eighth grade at Brushcreek School in Red Rock. At that time, her family needed her to stay at home and help with her younger siblings. Henrietta was united in marriage with Bastian Vander Velden at the Christian Reformed Church parsonage in Otley. They made their home on a farm by Monroe before moving to rural Prairie City and farming for many years. Henrietta and Bastian moved to Newton in 1978. She was a member of Newton Community Reformed Church, which is now the Newton Church of the Way. In her last few years, Henrietta lived at Newton Village. She spent much of her life as a farm wife but began cleaning houses once they moved to Newton. Henrietta enjoyed her quilting group at church, crafts, reading, playing cards, and vegetable gardening.
Henrietta is survived by her son, Marvin (Melinda) Vander Velden of Pleasant Hill; daughter-in-law, Betty Vander Velden of rural Galesburg; brother, Wilford “Bill” (LaVonne) Brouwer of Melbourne, FL; sisters-in-law, Lois Brouwer of Van Buren, AR, and Darlene Brouwer of Prairie City; grandchildren, Terry (Terri) Vander Velden of Oskaloosa, Kent (Melinda) Vander Velden of Johnston, Angela (Darrell) Veenstra of Lynnville, Marc (Erin) Vander Velden of Urbandale, Eric Vander Velden (Malissa Munger) of Newton, Carrie Bonnett of Des Moines, and Felicia Vander Velden of Altoona; 17 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bastian Vander Velden; sons, Gary and Roger Vander Velden; a son in infancy; sisters, Gertrude (Jeff) Willemsen and Martha (Joe) Willemsen; and brothers, Hank “Henry” (Charlotte), Arnold (Velma), Allen, John (Bertha), Garrett, and John William Brouwer.
