Harlan Maasdam

Harlan Wayne Maasdam was born November 6, 1946, to Fred L. and Wilma (Van Wyk) Maasdam in Oskaloosa, Iowa.  He passed away on August 2, 2020, at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. Harlan was born and raised on the Maasdam family farm where he lived. He attended Austin Country School and then Lynnville-Sully, graduating in 1965.

Harlan loved the outdoors, farming and tinkering in the shop. He was active in the FFA. After graduation, he joined the National Guard in Newton, where he served six years. On May 17, 1966, he was united in marriage to Carleen K. Van Der Wilt and had four children: Darrell, Douglas, Dwayne and Cheri.

Harlan farmed the family farm and  worked for the Maasdam Sorghum Mill in the fall. He and his Dad owned and operated a wheel horse garden tractor business for many years. They even made a tractor tire turner to make into feed bunks. He loved tractors and had a large toy tractor collection as well as a nice collection of real tractors. He made many friends over the years with these hobbies. Enjoying tractor rides were always a summer event that he looked forward to. Harlan was a member of the former Lynnville-Sully Jaycees, active in the Red Rock Threshers Club, and the Sully First Reformed Church where he served as an elder. Harlan and Carleen enjoyed travelling and went to: Holland, Canada, Alaska, and many western states. They cruised to New England, Nova Scotia and Panama on the ship “MS Maasdam.”

On June 29, 2020, he entered Newton Health Care Center due to Parkinson’s disease which he bravely fought for eight years.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Carleen of 54 years, and their family:

Darrell (Susan Burg) Maasdam

Douglas (Shawna Scholten) Maasdam

                        Brett, Kaylee

Dwayne (Janelle Colyn) Maasdam

                        Zachary, Taylor

Cheri (Jesse) Vander Weerdt

                        Corbin, Kyler, Kirsten

He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Wilma Maasdam, his parents-in-law Carroll and Artie VanDerWilt, his sister Jan Handley, his brother-in-law Eldon Van Wyk, and many uncles, aunts, and cousins.

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