Ileen Zegers

Ileen Joyce Vander Zyl Zegers, a lifetime resident of Sully, Iowa, went home to her Lord Jesus Christ on October 14, 2020. Ileen was born in Jasper County on January 20, 1938, to Ralph and Frances (Harthoorn) Vander Zyl. Ileen attended Sully school and graduated from Sully High School in 1955. Ileen attended the Iowa Methodist School of Nursing immediately after high school and graduated with her RN degree in 1958. Ileen married Wayne Carroll Zegers, her high school sweetheart, on September 12, 1958.

Ileen accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior while she was in high school. She was a lifetime member of the Sully First Reformed Church then attended Grace Community Church in Grinnell after moving to Grinnell five years ago. Ileen was a very active member of Sully First Reformed – she taught Sunday School and baked many pies and cookies for farm sales, funeral luncheons and Vacation Bible School. Ileen managed the craft room for VBS for many years.

Ileen’s nursing career began at Skiff Memorial Hospital in Newton in 1958. She switched to the Wiltfang Paulson Clinic in Lynnville in 1980 and moved to Day Surgery at the Pella Regional Hospital in 1989. Ileen retired from nursing to care for her husband, Wayne, full time in 1998. Ileen always welcomed phone calls or emergency stops at her house to help people in need. Ileen loved giving nursing advice to anyone with a medical question.

Sewing was Ileen’s second career. When she was not working at the hospital or clinic, you would find her in her sewing room – making sleepers and blankets for her grandchildren, making memory bears for people across Iowa and altering prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses and bridal gowns. The list of bears made for grieving families was more than 2500 bears.

Ileen loved her children and grandchildren. Keeping her grandchildren and their friends fed with chocolate pie and brownies was almost a full time job when her grandchildren were in high school. Ileen loved having a house full of people to feed!

After moving to Grinnell when she could no longer physically care for Wayne, she continued to bake goodies for the community of Seeland Park and for her daily afternoon visits with Wayne.

Ileen’s relatives greeting her in heaven are her husband of 61 years, Wayne Carroll Zegers, Ralph and Frances Vander Zyl, Clarence and Darlene Vander Zyl, Lucile De Penning, John and Cora Zegers, and Robert and Lavonne Evers.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children Murray and Judy Zegers; Brad and Michele Zegers; Tina and Brian Renaud; her grandchildren Kelly and Matt Kauffman; Dan and Kelsie Zegers; Bailey and Ryan Schrimper; Baker Zegers; Scott and Alissa Bruggeman; Aaron and Morgan Renaud; Natalie Renaud and Gabrielle Renaud; her great grandchildren Chris, Chase and Keyleigh Kauffman; Addison and Ellie Zegers; and Kyla and Hollis Bruggeman; her sister Millie and Larry Whetstine; her brother Roger and Bev Vander Zyl; her brothers-in-law Howard De Penning and Darrell and Linda Zegers; and several nieces and nephews.

If you cannot join the family at the church, the memorial service will be LIVESTREAMed on the First Reformed Church's website.

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