Luella Joanna Van Ryswyk

Luella Joanna Vander Hoek was born on June 28, 1930, on a farm in Fairmount, Iowa, in Jasper County. She was the second of four children that were born to Arie and Christina (Vanden Heuvel) Vander Hoek. Luella attended country grade school and graduated from Monroe High School in Monroe, Iowa in 1948. Following her graduation, she worked as a secretary for the Monroe High School. Luella met Wilbur Donald Van Ryswyk and after dating for three years, they were united in marriage on November 23, 1951, at the First Reformed Church in Prairie City. Following their marriage, they moved to the farm where Wilbur had lived since he was 12 years old. Luella and Wilbur were blessed with three children: Pauline Kay, Gary Allen, and Carl Ray while living there. They lived on that farm for 40 years. In the winter of 1992, they retired and moved to Pella, Iowa. Luella enjoyed singing and was a member of the singing group, The Gospellettes. She loved gardening, cooking and being a farm wife and mother. Luella and Wilbur appreciated the special times with their family and enjoyed spending winters in Texas. They moved to The Cottages in Pella, in January 2017, where Wilbur passed away on January 11, 2018, at the age of 90 years and Luella on July 27, 2022, at the age of 92 years. Luella is survived by her three children and their families:

Pauline Carrington of Waukee, Ryan Carrington and Cassandra Akers, Rochelle and Kevin Shannon, Gary and Doreen (Wood) Van Ryswyk of Mitchellville, Brett and Jennifer Van Ryswyk, Scott and Amber Van Ryswyk, Matthew Van Ryswyk, Carl and Kim (Robbins) Van Ryswyk of Prairie City, Kelly and Randy McGinnis, Dustin and Katie Van Ryswyk, Nicole and Gabriel Bandstra, Hanah and Tim Miller, Abigail and Jonathan Uitermarkt, Eli and Sasha Kain.

Luella’s family has grown to include 27 great-grandchildren.

Luella is survived by her sister, Patricia and her husband, Dr. Kenneth Van Wyk of Pella; a sister-in-law, Norma (Hessel, Jr.) Van Ryswyk of Muscatine, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Wilbur; her parents, Arie and Christina Vander Hoek; her brother, William Vander Hoek and his wife, Mildred; her brother, Arlie Vander Hoek and his wife, Janie; her parents-in-law, Hessel and Marie (Branderhorst) Van Ryswyk; sister-in-law and  brother-in-law, Margaret (Van Ryswyk) and Marvin Van Gorp; and brother-in-law, Hessel Van Ryswyk, Jr. Luella and Wilbur were longtime members of the Prairie City Christian Reformed Church in Prairie City and at the time of her death was a member of the Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa.

Family funeral services were held on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at 10:30 am at the Van Dyk- Duven Funeral Home in Pella.  Memorial contributions may be designated for The Gideon’s.