Janet Van Hall

Janet Arlene Van Hall was born February 28, 1931, to Gerrit and Minnie (Hol) Beekhuizen in Tracy, Iowa. She loved growing up on the farm southeast of Tracy, Iowa, along with her two brothers, Gilbert and Gary. She attended Tracy School and graduated in 1948.

She loved the Lord and was a lifelong member of the Tracy Christian Reformed Church. She was baptized, made profession of faith, graduated from high school in the church in 1948 (since the school gym had burned) and was married in this church.

On January 24, 1951, she married Wilbur Van Hall. Wilbur moved in and Janet’s folks moved to a farm by Oskaloosa. Here they welcomed three daughters: Marcia, Twyla and Karla. They rented for eight years and in 1958 purchased the farm. Janet was a dedicated farm wife and a very caring mother to her three daughters. Janet lived in the same house she was born in for her entire 91 years.

In 1978 she took her first job off the farm when she began driving the handicapped bus for Twin Cedars. She drove for 26 years. For the past 10 years she began helping Avis Van Wyhe cleaning and dressing dolls to give to “The Toy Mission” which distributed them to less fortunate children. Some years they collected over 500 dolls. She became known as the “doll lady.” She was still doing this shortly before her passing.

Janet was a very caring person and had many, many friends. She was still driving her car and it was hard to find her at home. She always looked forward to our annual Cycle Sunday rides on the levee, hiking in Cedar Bluffs, playing cards with friends and hunting mushrooms. She enjoyed traveling and going on bus trips where she always made more friends. Her best friend and constant companion was her dog, Sammie. The times she cherished the most were when the entire family got together for holidays and special events.

Those left to cherish her memory are her three daughters, four grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

Marcia and Mike Terpstra, Pella

            Chad Terpstra

            Chip and Lauren Terpstra

                         Addison & Mason

 Twyla and Bob De Haan, Pella

              Dustin and Kara De Haan

              Brad and Danielle Schippers

                            Kinsey & Korbin

  Karla Van Hall and Jim Scrivner, Oskaloosa

                Step grandchildren & step great grandchildren

                Carolyn Joslin

                             Emily, Burton & Elliot

                 Steve and Megan Scrivner

                             Henry, Charlotte & Stella

She is also survived by two sisters-in-law: Andrea Beekhuizen and Jeanette Van Hall, several nieces and nephews, and two dear neighbors who were always there for her, Dennis and Jayne Roozeboom.

She was preceded in death by her husband Wilbur (2001), grandson Curt Terpstra (2016), parents Gerrit and Minnie Beekhuizen, parents-in-law John and Margaret Van Hall, brothers: Gilbert Beekhuizen (2006) and Gary Beekhuizen (2022), sister-in-law Wilma Beekhuizen,  brother-in-law Henry Van Hall, and her sister-in-law and her husband Betty and Harold Putzier.       

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