Carrol Ray Bandstra was born November 23, 1941 to Gerdena (Van Ryswyk) and Dick Bandstra on their farm near Searsboro. Carrol often noted that his parents chose his middle name because they believed he was “a ray of sunshine,” a fact disputed by his siblings. He grew up on the farm of his birthplace, milking cows by hand and being one of the last of his generation to do fieldwork with horses. He was the third of seven children, coming after Arvin and Judy and followed by Betty, Shirley, Alice, and Marcia.

At 4 years of age he began attending New Sharon School, participating in music, football, and FFA, and never arguing to stay home to pick corn instead of attending class. Because of missed classes, he readily admitted that his D-minus in algebra was only achieved because the math teacher was also the football coach. He participated in every sport in school—football, basketball, track, and baseball--as well as glee club and playing the baritone and tuba in band. He always kept in close contact with his class of ’59, hosting an annual class reunion on the farm for 25 years. His sports activities continued well after high school as he competed in horseshoe tournaments, played racquetball, caught for the Peoria Stockyards fast pitch softball team and enjoyed golf and bowling with other retirees, mostly farmers. In his retirement years he also umpired school softball and baseball games.

On May 25, 1962, he married Carolyn Van Wyk of rural New Sharon, the daughter of Grace (Veenstra) and John H. Van Wyk. Their evening wedding ceremony occurred at the Peoria Christian Reformed Church parsonage, officiated by the pastor and attended only by parents and siblings, and ended the workday where Carrol finished planting corn and Carolyn wrapped up her last day of teaching at Prairie City Christian School by attending the all-school picnic. They moved to a farm 1 mile and 5 miles away, respectively, from where Carrol and Carolyn each grew up, and stayed on that same farm for 62 years. Two children became part of the family—Calvin in 1963 and Caryn in 1964. In 1972 they built what was then a modern 8-cow milking parlor and together milked cows twice a day for 28 years. In addition to the crop operation of corn, beans, alfalfa, and oats, they had a beef cow herd and raised purebred German Shepherd and Schipperke pups. They were married 3 years when their house burned down after an ember from the coal furnace came out of the chimney and landed on the roof. What was initially viewed as a calamity turned out to be an unexpected blessing as a much better house was moved in from west of Taintor. For several summers this home served to host inner-city children from Des Moines who came to stay for two weeks, coordinated through a non-profit organization to allow those kids to experience life with a farm family.

Carrol was a life-long member of the Peoria Christian Reformed Church, where he was baptized as an infant and where he publicly professed his faith when he was 18. He served as a high school youth leader in this church and as a counselor in a community boys’ program at the New Sharon Methodist Church. He always signed up for the Peoria Fellowship Committee so he could serve coffee while visiting after church services. Playing the baritone in the church brass quartet until he was 80 years old was a rewarding experience, even though he would often comment on how nervous he was for the solo part he had to play for “Once in Royal David’s City” during a Christmas worship service.

In addition to church activities, he also served the broader community by being on the Mahaska County Farm Bureau Board, the New Sharon golf course Prairie Knolls Board, the Pella cooperative Garden Chapel Funeral Home Board, the North Mahaska Sheridan Scholarship Board, the Stewart Cemetery Board, and on Pella’s Christian Opportunity Center Board that provided support for those with special needs. Carrol enjoyed feeding wildlife and was willing to give up a row or two of crops to feed the deer and turkeys, and didn’t mind leaving that small patch of alfalfa in the middle of the field as he cut around a red-winged blackbird’s nest rather than destroy the fledglings being cared for by their mother. It is noted that he was also very kind to snakes, as he headed in the opposite direction at break-neck speed as soon as he saw one! In his retirement years he enjoyed nature with a walk to the pond or timber with his German Shepherds by his side.

Taking a cue from his Bandstra grandparents’ tradition of using the excuse of a wiener roast to host a gathering, Carrol coordinated many hot dog roasts on the farm for various groups, including the Angel Tree organization for disadvantaged children, Christian Opportunity Center residents, the GEMs girls organization of the Peoria church, Caryn’s track team, the Class of ’59, the immigrant Chinese Christian Reformed Church of Iowa City, the widows of the Peoria church, and of course, family. Time with family was important to Carrol, from going to kids’, grandkids’, and great-grandkids’ activities to just spending time together, telling as many stories and jokes as possible. Carrol was always ready to invite anyone in for coffeetime who happened to drive on the yard, resulting in Carolyn needing a steady supply of homemade bars, cookies, pie, or ice cream available to be served at a moment’s notice.

Carrol is survived by his wife Carolyn and their family:

Calvin Bandstra of Pella, Iowa

Caryn and Scott Rempe of Pella, Iowa

Andrea and Brandon Dahm of Steubenville, Ohio

Beatrice, Esther, Lucy

Chelsey and Jon Yanders of Altoona, Iowa

Jaira, Jackson

Brittany Rempe and Nick McKeag of Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Shane Rempe of Sioux City, Iowa

Special friend Grace Leu of Lawrence, Kansas

He was preceded in death by his parents and Carolyn’s parents, brother Arvin Bandstra, sisters Marcia Bandstra and Judy Van Dusseldorp, sister-in-law Evelyn (Hol) Bandstra and brothers-in-law Lorence Van Dusseldorp and Ivan Maasdam.

In his early 80s, the disease of dementia began to take its toll on Carrol, eventually resulting in out-of-home care being provided by Bickford of Urbandale, where he resided the last two years of his life. The difficult challenges of those years were contrasted by the joys experienced by staff members when they smiled not only from the stories and jokes told by Carrol, but also how he repeatedly thanked them after they performed tasks of care for him. Additionally, this stage of memory loss did not erase the evidence of his faith as he intently watched Peoria church services online, sang hymns at the Bickford church service, and reverently recited the Lord’s Prayer at a meal or during Communion. Carrol took great joy in his family, and while his family will miss Carrol’s presence which always promised humor and support, they carry with them the full knowledge and assurance that in Carrol’s death he defeated the enemy of dementia, and is now fully redeemed, made whole, and in the presence of his Lord and Savior.