Johnita Van Wyk

The family of Johnita Vos Van Wyk will greatly miss their mother, grandmother and great grandmother, who passed away July 29, 2020. On September 15, 1923, Peter D. and Hattie (Van Veen) Vos welcomed the birth of their first child, Johnita Nell.

Johnita spent her childhood living on a farm just outside of Otley. She attended Pleasant Hill Country Grade School. It was so important to her parents that their children receive a high school education that they rented an apartment in Pella for Johnita and her sister, Joyce, to live in during the week while attending high school. After graduation, Johnita attended Central College for six weeks, earning her teaching certificate. She then taught in various country schools for five years, after which she spent many years as a teacher’s aide in Mrs. Hoekstra’s class room at Lincoln Elementary School in Pella.

After returning home from serving in WWII, Myron "Mike" asked Johnita to be his wife.    They were married January 11, 1946, at Otley Reformed Church. They lived around and in Otley, Iowa, where they raised their three children: Marla Jean (1948), Stanley Gene (1951), Bradley Jon (1953).

Johnita loved her Lord and was very active in Otley Reformed Church where she taught Sunday School, sang in the choir and was very involved with Women’s Guild.

Upon retirement, Johnita and Mike moved to Pella. They spent many hours playing cards, going to ice cream socials and soup suppers with their friends. Following Mike’s passing, Johnita moved to the Pella Manor. There she cultivated many dear friends. She was a very social person and thoroughly enjoyed the daily coffee times and other activities offered. For the past year-and-a-half she enjoyed her new home at The Cottages.

Johnita always had a love for children and loved keeping up with the lives and accomplishments of her grandchildren and great grands. She always seemed to know “just the perfect” Christmas gift for each one as they were growing up.

Johnita was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Joyce Van Gorp; brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Lil Vos; daughter-in-law, Teresa (Brad) Van Wyk; daughter-in-law, Cheryle (Stan) Van Wyk; and son-in-law, Dennis (Marla) Bandstra; parents-in-law, Gerrit Sr. and Corneila Van Wyk, and her in-laws: Fannetta (Van Wyk) and husbands, Gradus Ver Ploeg and Ernest De Cook, Gerrit and Margaret Van Wyk, Alfred and Ada Van Wyk, Adriana (Van Wyk) and husbands, John De Jong and John Den Hartog, Lewis and Evelyn (Roozeboom-Boat) Van Wyk, Richard and Helen Van Wyk, Cornie and Leta Mae Van Wyk, Warren and Viola Van Wyk, Ray and Gertrude Van Wyk, and Alonzo Ver Ploeg.

Those left to cherish her memory are her three children and families:

 Marla Bandstra of Sioux Center, IA

            Lora and Arlin Top of Villisca, IA

                        Kendra and fiancé Logan Carlson

                        Treyton

                         Haidyn

            Deb and Todd Schuiteman of Omaha, NE

                        Brayden and Jackson

            Michael and Danielle Bandstra of Rock Valley, IA

Stan Van Wyk of Des Moines, IA

            Katie and RJ Dunn of Des Moines, IA

                        Makenzie, Arianna, and Mia

Brad Van Wyk of Ames, IA

            Ryan and Lindsey Van Wyk of Longmont, CO.

                        Josephine and Towne

            Brendon and Kayla Van Wyk, South Sioux City, NE

                        Mac, Mae, and Mena

            Bradley Jon Jr. "BJ", Ames, IA

She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Geraldine (Geri) Ver Ploeg and numerous nieces and nephews, who have been so very kind and special to her.

The funeral service will be live-streamed on the Otley Church Facebook page.

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