Tunis (Teunis) Van Walbeek was born May 5, 1927, on the family dairy and cheese farmstead along the Dwarskade road outside of Abcoude near Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He was the oldest of eleven children born to Cornelis and Wilhelmina Catharina (van Dien) van Walbeek.

Tunis' early education was at the Waver Christian School; he then continued his education at the Agricultural School in Breukelen. The last year of his education was suspended due to World War II. During that year he stayed close to the farm to avoid being captured by the Nazis, as he was of age to be sent to Germany as forced labor. After liberation, he completed his last year of formal education.

Tunis was drafted into the Dutch Military, serving from 1946 to 1950. During that time he spent 3 years in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) without going home during the Indonesian National Revolution War. It was a month-long trip by ship traveling through the Suez Canal.

Tunis married Carrie (Gerritje) Verhoef on April 16, 1952, at the Baambrugge courthouse with the church ceremony in the Postwijck Christian Reformed Church. Tunis had a passion for farming which had limited possibilities in the Netherlands at that time. On July 24, 1952, Tunis and Carrie left the Netherlands traveling on the SS Veendam arriving in Hoboken, NJ in early August. They traveled by train to Newton, Iowa where they were greeted by siblings already living in Iowa. Four children were born into their family: Cornelis, Tunis Wayne, Catherine and Gregory.

Initially, Tunis worked on the Chrisman dairy farm near Knoxville for 2 ½ years while living in Flagler. The family moved to a farm near Ottumwa where he worked as a hired man on a grain farm to learn about crop farming. In 1956 Tunis rented his first farm near Flagler, Iowa. Later he rented farms near Attica, Peoria and Monroe, Iowa. After a few years they purchased the farm they rented east of Monroe. In 1973 Tunis and Carrie were honored to receive the Farmers Home Administration family farm award.

Christian faith was always a part of Tunis' life. He was baptized in the Abcoude Christian Reformed Church and later made profession of his faith during his military service in Indonesia. Tunis and Carrie became members of Tracy, Cedar, Peoria and Pella 1st Christian Reformed churches as they moved from farm to farm in the early years of life in Iowa. They later became charter members of Faith CRC in Pella where Tunis served as a deacon, attended Men's Society and Saturday morning men's prayer breakfast.

In 1999 Tunis and Carrie moved to their home in Pella, but Tunis continued to work on the farm with his sons Wayne and Greg for several years. During his farming years he was also a member of the Farmer's Coop, Farm Bureau and Iowa Pork Producers. He also enjoyed volunteering at the Mississippi mission truck.

Tunis and Carrie traveled to the Netherlands several times to visit their families and friends. They also traveled around the United States and Canada which included visits to family and friends who had also emigrated from the Netherlands. There was also a trip to Australia and Indonesia to visit where Tunis had served in the military.

Tunis was a loving, hardworking, determined and devoted husband, father and Opa to his grandchildren and great grandchildren. His ornery sense of humor was experienced by many throughout his life. He retained his humor and contentment while living at the Cottages in Pella.

Preceding Tunis in death are Carrie, his loving wife of 69 years. His parents Cornelis and Wilhelmina van Walbeek, parents-in-law Willem III and Jannetje Verhoef, grandsons Joseph Cornelius Van Walbeek and Lance Conner, grandson-in-law Joseph Countryman.

Tunis' siblings: Johannes (Ann) Van Walbeek, Rie (Jan) Verhoef, Geertje van Walbeek, Cor (Nely) van Walbeek, infant sister Cornelia van Walbeek, sister-in-law Wil van Walbeek, brothers-in-law Jan Karsemeijer, Gerrit Griffioen, Jan Geijsel and Pete Oussoren.

Carrie's siblings:  William (Nellie) Verhoef, Harmen (Ijda and Betsy) Verhoef, Marretje (Kees Blokhuis and Kees Smit), Simon (Johanna) Verhoef, Jannetje (Barend) vanden Bosch, and Nell (Adriaan) de Groot as well as several nieces and nephews.

Tunis is survived by his siblings: Stiny Karsemeijer, Jan van Walbeek, Corrie Geijsel-van Walbeek, Bert (Adrie) van Walbeek and Willy Oussoren and many nieces and nephews who know him as Oom Teunis.

He is also survived by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren:

Cornie and Gretchen Van Walbeek

Mia and Joe(deceased) Countryman

Sylvia Visser (Cam Schneider)

Jasper Countryman

Lance Conner (deceased)

Brodie Conner

James Conner

Micole and Josh Chapman

Ava Chapman

Kyler Chapman

Brynlee Chapman

Harper Chapman

Ross and Haley Eveland

Aubrie Eveland

Averum Eveland

Avyn Eveland

Skyler and Katie Van Walbeek

Kaylea Van Walbeek

Faith Van Walbeek

Wayne and Karen Van Walbeek

Joseph C. Van Walbeek (deceased)

Katrina and Jeff Heater

Payton Heater

Mia Heater

Layla Heater

Holden Heater

Cody and LaDonna Van Walbeek

Sloane Van Walbeek

Finn Van Walbeek

Jude Van Walbeek

Conner and Abigail Van Walbeek

Evan Tunis Van Walbeek

Waylon Van Walbeek

Karter Van Walbeek

Cathy and Jaren Steenhoek

Jeremy and Sarah Steenhoek

Jocelyn Steenhoek

Jacob Steenhoek

Curtis and Jessica Steenhoek

Isaac Steenhoek

Lily Steenhoek

Cora Steenhoek

Greg and Marti Van Walbeek

Regen Van Walbeek (Sarah Fehlberg)

Carissa Van Walbeek (Christopher Mumba, fiancé)

Faith Christian Reformed Church
Pella IA

Pella Christian Schools
Pella IA 50219