Margaret Zondervan

Margaret Louise (Netz) Zondervan, 73, went home to be with her beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on June 2, 2020. There will be no visitation or funeral service, only a graveside service with close family.

Margaret was born on May 8, 1947, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was lovingly adopted into a nurturing and faith-filled home by Reverend Frederick John Netz and Louise (Goris-Netz) Verbrugge. Marge was a natural caregiver and loved serving others. In the fall of 1965, she enrolled in the Abbot Hospital School of Nursing where she graduated in May of 1968 with her RN degree. 

On August 24, 1968, Marge married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Leon Zondervan. After college, she worked at the Orange City Community Hospital in Orange City, Iowa, while her sweetheart, Lee, finished his schooling at Dordt College. Shortly after, they moved to Pella, Iowa, where she worked at the Pella Community Hospital, serving in various departments including Obstetrics and the Outpatient Surgery Ward. Marge also spent the last 25 years faithfully volunteering as an EMT for the Pella Ambulance Service. After leaving Pella Community Hospital in 1987, she spent the next 25 years as the Director of Central College’s Health Services before retiring in 2012. 

Marge had a humble servant’s heart and always looked for ways to serve others. Over the years, she served on many mission trips, using her training as a nurse to provide care for underprivileged and underserved communities in Romania, Africa, and Haiti – all of which she had visited multiple times. In June of 2019, she was able to use her gifts to faithfully serve on one last mission trip to Romania, a country she loved with people she loved. Her love of travel also took her to Europe and China with the Central College choir.  

In 1982, Marge was instrumental in organizing Evening Coffee Break, a group that provides support for single parent moms, in which she served as the director for 37 years. The gift and sanctity of life was also very precious to Marge - she wanted to give every baby a chance at life, the same chance that her birth mother gave to her by putting her up for adoption. Because of that passion, she actively served on the board of the Pella Pregnancy Care Center (Pathways of Pella) multiple times. Over the years, Marge and Lee also welcomed several Central College students that had special housing needs into their home, and cared for them as though they were family. One of the students, Natasha, is still a part of their family today.  More recently Marge had enfolded Mary and Anai into her arms of care.

Out of the many important jobs that Marge had, nothing brought her more joy than being a mother to her three boys Russell, Ryan, and Randall, and a grandma “nana” to her six grandchildren. She was committed to raising them in a loving, faith-filled home. Her Christian faith was the foundation of who she was and everything she did. Her faith in Jesus never wavered during any trial or storm. She was faithful and full of joy, even as she took her last breath.

Marge was blessed by many friends, but shared a kindred friendship with her dearest friend and prayer warrior, Phyllis Stam. Phyllis was more than a friend; she was her rock and confidante through the various trials of life - up until the very end. John 15:13 

Marge was everything to everyone, but to her family, she will always be known and remembered as a Proverbs 31 woman. She was a loving, generous, compassionate, and completely devoted wife, mother, grandma “nana”, and friend. She will be forever loved and greatly missed.  

Marge was loved by all who knew her and leaves behind her loving husband of fifty-three years, Lee Zondervan, Pella; her son and daughter-in-law, Russell and Jacque Zondervan, Pella; son and daughter-in-law, Ryan and Erin Zondervan, Pella; son and daughter-in-law, Randall and Jessica Zondervan, Des Moines; six grandchildren, Justin Zondervan, Kara (Joel) Larson, Braedin Zondervan, Audrey Zondervan, Caitlin Zondervan, and Asher James Zondervan; four brothers: David (Phyllis) Netz, John (Eunice) Netz, Paul (Bev) Netz, and Dan (Carol) Netz; one sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Julie (Jerry) Roeters; two brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: DuWayne (Lois) Zondervan, and Larry (Barb) Zondervan; many nieces and nephews, and countless friends. 

She was preceded in death by her mother, father, stepfather, grandparents, father-in-law, mother-in-law, niece, and three unborn grandchildren. 

In lieu of flowers a memorial contribution may be made to Pathways of Pella, 703 Main St, Pella, Iowa, 50219, to honor Marge’s name.

The service will hopefully be broadcast on the Garden Chapel Facebook page dependent upon internet connectivity at the cemetery. 

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