LeNora was born to Nick P. and Sarah (De Heus) De Jong on August 5, 1931, on a farm by Leighton, Iowa. The family moved to Lynden, WA, in 1935, but returned to the Pella area a couple years later. Norie attended Pella Christian Grade School through the 4th grade, and then Pleasant Grove School for grades 5-8. After graduating from 8th grade, Norie stayed home and helped her mother and father on the farm. Sometimes she was “hired out” to do housework and cooking for others as well.

On a Sunday night in 1947 on the Pella Square, a young man named Gysbert Van Weelden, in his U.S. Marine uniform, asked her for a date. She said, “No.” On Sept. 22, 1948, Norie and Gys were married, and they moved onto the Van Weelden farm south of Pella. Gys and Norie rented various farms in their first ten years of marriage, moving to farms near Richland, Keota and Sigourney, before finally moving to Pella in 1959 with their two sons. Gys began working at Pella Rolscreen and Norie began waitressing at the West End Cafe. Five years later their daughter was born.

Norie was always a hard worker, helping her father and mother on the farm, helping Gys with the livestock and field work. She worked in the Pella telephone office, waitressed at the West End Cafe and the Pella Coffee Shop, helped customers at T&D department store, and finally spent 18 years working for Pella Rolscreen Co. before retiring in 1995.

Family connections were very important to Norie. She had many fond memories of her aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as nieces and nephews, and stayed in contact with second cousins in the Netherlands, visiting them twice in Holland and welcoming them to her home in Pella as well. She was interested in genealogy and tracing families through the generations.

Norie was very independent and worked hard to continue living independently at the Pella Manor for 24 years. She was a member of Calvary CRC for over 60 years. Norie passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at the Pella Comfort House at the age of 94.

Those left to carry on her memory are:

(the late Daryl) Diana Van Weelden

     Judson and Patricia Van Weelden

          Stella and Hunter

     Wade and Jennifer Van Weelden

          Arie

(the late Alan) Lorri Van Weelden and Craig Stewart

     Erin Cruz

          Ariela, Raymond Alan, and Cassandra

     Jean and Thomas Velonis

          Clayton and Fiona

Noreen and Bruce Vander Wal

     Gregory and Audrey Vander Wal

          Riley

     Lucas and Kelsey Vander Wal

          Josie

     Karyn and Zachary Van Zee

          Melia and EleNora

     Michael and Hayley Vander Wal

She is also survived by sister-in-law Marlene De Jong, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Norie was preceded in death by her parents and parents-in-law Arie Sr. and Artje (De Jongh) Van Weelden, her husband Gysbert Van Weelden, their two sons Daryl Wayne and Alan Lee, her infant brother Clarence De Jong, sisters Darlene De Jong and Lillian Vos, brother-in-law Paul Vos and brother LaMar De Jong, as well as all of Gys’s siblings and spouses: Ella (Ed) Klyn, Dick (Anna) Van Weelden, Stella (David) Blommers, Cora (Ric) Sneller, Henry (Betty) Van Weelden, Cornie Van Weelden, Arie (Tressie) Van Weelden and Art (Frances) Van Weelden.

Memorials may be given to Hospice of Pella or  the Christian Opportunity Center.