Audrey Jeannette was the fifth child of six born to Arthur and Dena (Roskamp) Rietema. She was born on February 21, 1931, on a farm near Kanawha, Iowa. She loved school and had perfect attendance at her country school until she got the mumps with two weeks left in her 8th grade year. She graduated from Kanawha High School in 1948 and married her high school sweetheart, Jay Veldhouse, on June 7, 1949. They farmed just south of Kanawha. Carol and Terry were born while they lived on the farm. Later Jay and Audrey moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Jay attended Calvin College and Audrey worked as a nurse's aide at Blodgett Hospital. Barb was added to the family during this time. In 1954, Jay graduated from Calvin, and they moved to Pella, Iowa, where Jay taught at PC. Audrey stayed busy caring for their kids, which soon included Pam.

Audrey was nurtured early in her walk of faith in the quaint, little Wright Christian Reformed Church. After moving to Pella, Jay and Audrey were charter members of Calvary and loved being involved there – Audrey always said that when you start a new church, everyone finds joy in being involved in everything! They made lifelong friends there.

Audrey started working at the Pella Hospital when it opened in 1958. She worked as a nurse's aide there for ten years. During that time she also spent some time working at PC as a part-time librarian and home economics teacher. In 1970 Audrey went to nursing school and graduated as an RN in 1972. That was quite an accomplishment for a mom of three kids in college and one still at home. She then worked as an RN at the Pella Hospital. Her passion for healthcare and serving others was evident in her 45-year career. She retired from nursing in 1996 but continued to care for people wherever there was a need, including her dear friends at Grand View Apartments.

Audrey also loved music. She started singing solos in church starting at age five. She participated in band and choir all through her school years. She continued her love for music as an adult, directing adult and Wee choir at Calvary. Her ladies trio, the Gospel Heirs, brought great joy as they performed together for eight years, even cutting a record in the 70's.

Audrey loved her family so much: her four kids, her 15 grandkids, and her 45 great grandkids, attending as many of their events as possible. They attended all of their grandkids' weddings from New Jersey to California and everywhere in between. Audrey lost Jay on April 28, 2013, after almost 64 years of marriage. She continued the tradition of going to as many events as possible, almost to this day!

"My family, their joys and spiritual lives were the most important object in my life," – Audrey

Audrey passed away on July 3, 2025. A book could be written about all of Audrey's accomplishments, and you can bet it would be an interesting read. But if we were to sum up the legacy she has left to her family in a few words, those words would be "servant-hearted". . . She loved people because she loved Jesus. We have no doubt that on July 3 she heard the words of her Savior, "Well-done, my good and faithful servant. . . enter into the joy of your Lord!" Matthew 25:23

Those who will miss her dearly include:

Carol and Bruce Ribbens – Pella, Iowa

Angie and Brad Veenstra

Emma and Justin Groen, Carson, JT, Javontae

Sarah and Mark Van Den Bosch

Kingston, Ardin, Sterling

Nathan Ribbens

Ben and Whitney Ribbens

Teddy, Simon

Terry and Ladene Veldhouse – Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Paul and Lynn Veldhouse

Titus, Reuben, Abram, Naomi, Nina

Joel and Linnelle Veldhouse

Jonah, Elliott, Jacqueline

Kyle and Stephanie Veldhouse

Conrad, Rem, Harris

Caleb and Alli Veldhouse

Pierce, Judd, Teddy

Barb and Lauren Ochsner – Maurice, Iowa

Ann and Robert Vandermeer

Celeste, Thomas, Andrew

Lisa and Dewoinne Meeks

Jayden, Elias, Gwen, Sam

Brian and Becky Ochsner

Ezra, Elliot, Zachary, Harris, Hazel

Michael and Heidi Ochsner

Adalade, Kira, Miles

Beth and Jeff Gutierrez

Henry

Pam and Ken Vander Linden – New Sharon, Iowa

Danielle and Domenick Acquaviva

Sammy, Benjamin

Zach and Carissa Vander Linden

Hunter, Tyson, Kyndall

Audrey was greeted in heaven by her husband, her parents, two sisters, two brothers, and a granddaughter-in-law.

Many Hands 4 Haiti
Pella IA
Web: http://https://secure.qgiv.com/for/manyhands/

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