Esther De Prenger

Per the Governor’s Mandate, this visitation has been CANCELLED. The funeral will still be open to the public and held on Saturday at 11 am. Masks are required and social distancing must be practiced. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.  

The service will be livestreamed on the Garden Chapel FaceBook page at 11:00 am.

Esther Mae De Prenger was born February 17, 1928, near Leighton, Iowa, the fifth of seven children born to Jacob and Ada (Van Zee) Veldhuizen.  Esther attended West Weaver country grade school in Mahaska County, Iowa and graduated from Oskaloosa Public High School in Oskaloosa, Iowa with the Class of 1945.

 On June 18, 1947, she was united in marriage with Mark De Prenger at the Ebenezer Reformed Church in Leighton. To this union two children were born: Cynthia and Daryl J De Prenger. 

Esther and Mark lived near Leighton for 52 years on the De Prenger farmstead where they continued to farm until the end of their working days. 

In 1993 the De Prenger farmstead was recognized as a Century Farm.

 Esther was a social and creative contributor to her community.  She worked in the kitchen and volunteered in the snack bar at Pella Community Hospital, was active in local 4-H, her rural neighborhood club – Live and Learn Club, quilting and ceramic groups.  She was a ready and willing traveler; participating in travels with groups to many parts of the U.S. and Europe.

 Esther and Mark enjoyed their retirement years on the farmstead near Leighton and later in 1998 they moved to Pella where they continued to pursue their interests in gardening, traveling and spending time with family and friends.  They spent winter months in south Texas for several years where they enjoyed traveling, volunteer projects, playing cards and games, music and socializing.

 Mark passed away May 15, 2008 at the age of 86.  Esther moved from West 4th Street in Pella to Vriendschap Village in Pella.  In 2009 Esther was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia.  In 2010 she moved to Downers Grove, Illinois to be near her daughter and family.

 On November 14, 2020, Esther died at Oak Trace Health Center in Downers Grove, Illinois at the age of 92 years, 8 months, and 28 days.

Those who will cherish her memory are: her daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Kenneth Vander Wal of Oak Brook, Illinois; her son, Daryl J De Prenger of Arlington, Virginia; five grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren: Sonja (Vander Wal) Corrigan and her husband Steve and their son Dylan; Steven Vander Wal and his wife Kristi and their children: Benjamin, Abigail and Jacob; David Vander Wal and his wife Kerry and their children Kinsley and Landon; Daniel Vander Wal and his wife Renee and their children: Taylor, Joshua, Jackson and Olivia; Kevin Vander Wal and his wife Raquel and their son Burton.

Of her original family Esther leaves one brother, Elmer Veldhuizen; three sisters-in-law: Martha Veldhuizen (Henry) and Leona Veldhuizen (Wayne) of Oskaloosa, Iowa, and Wanda (Warren De Prenger) and her husband Tom Stangel of Pella, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.

 Esther was preceded in death by her parents; her stepmother, Betty Veldhuizen; her parents-in-law John and Dena De Prenger; four brothers: Edward, Arnold, Henry and Wayne Veldhuizen; a sister, Ruth Roudybush; a step-sister Dorothy Grubb and her husband John Grubb; her brothers-in-law: Burl Roudybush, Warren De Prenger, and Herman Wyngarden; her sisters-in-law: Wilma (Edward) Veldhuizen, Kathryn (Edward) Veldhuizen, Louise (Arnold) Veldhuizen, Blanche (De Prenger) Wyngarden, Carolyn (Elmer) Veldhuizen; and infant great-grandson Brandon (Sonja and Steve) Corrigan.

 Esther was a life-long member of the Ebenezer Reformed Church in Leighton where she worshipped and served faithfully helping with Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and as Circle and Society member and leader.  Esther’s priorities in her life were her family, homemaking, farming and the church.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.