Kathleen De Haan

Kathleen “Kathy” De Haan went to be with Jesus, her Savior, at the age of 87. She was born November 28, 1934, to Ted and Tena (Slagter) De Haan, near Oskaloosa and grew up in Mahaska and Monroe Counties. The family later moved to a farm near Pella. At the age of 21, she left home and enrolled in Reformed Bible Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan, graduating in May 1959. For two years, she worked with a missionary in Farmington, New Mexico, among the Navajo Indians.

Returning to Michigan in October 1961, she worked for nearly fourteen years at Zondervan Publishing House and Zondervan Bookstores. In August 1975, she returned to New Mexico and spent the next thirteen years doing office work at Rehoboth Christian Hospital, near Gallup, and at Rehoboth Christian School. She enjoyed her years living in the Southwest U.S. In early 1988, she applied to become a Short-Term Assistant with Wycliffe Bible Translators and was accepted that summer. She worked in the offices at the JAARS Center (Wycliffe) near Charlotte, North Carolina, for three years and not quite two years in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Because of her father’s declining health, she returned to Pella in October 1993, to assist her parents. During the next several years she worked part-time at Pella Regional Hospital in the laundry department. After the death of her parents, she volunteered for two years at Rehoboth Christian School and then two years at the (Wycliffe) JAARS Center. After settling in Pella in November 2007, she made several shorter trips to work at these two locations in the following years. In Pella, she volunteered in the offices of Hospice Comfort House. She also reviewed Bible lessons and wrote letters to students of Crossroads Prison Ministries. She enjoyed music and loved singing in the church choir. Kathy was involved in other church activities, including visiting shut-ins. Family times were special to her. Keeping in touch with her great-nieces and nephews brought her joy.

Kathy is survived by her sister Sandy (Robert) De Cook and nieces and nephews: Chris and Craig Buma, Terry De Cook and Donna and Eric Van Ee.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents Ted and Tena De Haan.

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