Henry John Vande Voort (Hank) was the youngest of four children born on his grandfather Vande Voort's farm near Galesburg on September 18, 1933, to Gerrit and Cornelia (Willemsen) Vande Voort. Hank and his older siblings Everett, Jennie, and Greta grew up in Pella, Iowa attending Pella Community Schools. As a boy, he delivered papers and as a teenager he worked at the Pella Poultry Service.

Hank was an incredible athlete at Pella High School excelling at football, baseball and basketball all four years. He graduated in 1952.

In August 1952 he met the love of his life through a mutual friend. Martha Van Ekeren was a waitress at the Pella Coffee Shop; Hank offered her a ride home from work and their love blossomed. They were united in marriage July 4, 1954 at First Baptist Church with no air conditioning and 100 F!  In June of 1958, son Michael (Mike) was born; Brenda followed him in late August of 1959. Born during a December 1961 blizzard, Joline completed their family.

Hank truly loved fishing and boating in Minnesota; for more than 40 years he spent time with Martha and their family at their favorite place on Cedar Lake.

Hank had a brilliant mechanical aptitude that served him well; he could build, repair and invent anything he envisioned. He was drafted into the Navy in 1955 and became a Seabee during basic training at Waukegan, IL. He was assigned to the remote island of Midway through 1957. Upon discharge from the Navy Hank and Martha moved to Oskaloosa where Hank returned to work for Garden Engineering Service. Civil Engineering was his life-long profession, retiring in 1998 after 46 years with the company. Upon retirement, in 2000 Hank and Martha followed their hearts back to Pella where they enjoyed time with family and friends.

Henry is survived by his devoted wife Martha of 71 years, daughter and son-in-law: Brenda (Russ) Martin, Fort Dodge; daughter Joline Schulze, Humboldt. His surviving (7) grandchildren and (4) great grandchildren: Wade Martin (Christine Buske), West Des Moines; Jena (Wes), Wyatt, Amelia Hardy, Clear Lake; Emily Martin (Adam Bissen), Pella.  Brandon (Trish) Erickson, Hardy; Jessica Erickson (Chance Heslop), Wyatt, Cayden Heslop, Amarillo Texas; Brett Erickson, Humboldt and Derek (Hannah) Schulze, Sheffield. Hank is also survived by daughter-in-law Jeanne Vande Voort, Ames; sister-in-law Linda Klyn, Punta Gorda, Florida, and many nieces, nephews, (3) step-grandchildren and (4) step-great-grandchildren.

Henry is preceded in death by his son Michael (2019), parents Gerrit and Cornelia (Willemsen) Vande Voort, sisters and brothers-in-law, Jennie (Earl) Van Zante,  Greta (Frank) Westra, brother and sister-in-law Dr. Everett (Vera) VanDeVoort, his in-laws, Henry and Ida (Ver Steeg) Van Ekeren, a son-in-law, Dean Schulze, and infant granddaughter Anna Erickson. In-laws preceding Henry in death include Judy and Max Vander Pol, Pella; Katie and Norman Stepleton, Cedar Rapids; Betty and John Conklin, Columbus Junction; Les Klyn, Punta Gorda, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, friends may make memorial contributions in Hank's honor to Comfort House (Hospice) 505 Union Street in Pella, Iowa.

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