Orange City, Iowa
Madaline Vander Zwaag, 86, of Orange City, passed away Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, at Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. today at Free Grace Reformed Church in Middleburg, Iowa. The Rev. Stephen Breen and the Rev. Cornie Keunen will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service in Capel Township Cemetery near Middleburg. There will be a family prayer service at 10 a.m. today at Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City. You may express your sympathy at www.oolman.com.
Madaline was born on Dec. 23, 1931, in Ireton, Iowa, the daughter of Gerrit and Cynthia (Mulder) Van Ravenswaay. She was raised in various communities in northwest Iowa.
On Sept. 30, 1958, she married Peter Leo Vander Zwaag in Sheldon, Iowa. They raised their family outside of Middleburg, moved to Colorado, and later settled in Orange City, where she was a homemaker and employed at the Pioneer Memorial Home until she retired. In November 2013, she became a resident of Prairie Ridge.
"Maddie" was a member of Free Grace Reformed Church, where she was a sponsor of the Junior Reformed Church Youth Fellowship, taught Sunday school classes, and participated in the Ladies Guild. She enjoyed canning, collecting elephants, gardening, going to antique sales with her husband, weekend adventures, and most of all, spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, and their many summer vacations to Minnesota.
Survivors include her husband of more than 59 years, Peter Leo; four children and their spouses, Wanda and Leroy Wichers of Le Mars, Iowa, Darwin and Barb Vander Zwaag of Rock Valley, Iowa, Cheryl and Owen Aberson of Sioux Center, Iowa, and Jeff and Leah Vander Zwaag of Ames, Iowa; 11 grandchildren, Anthony Wichers, Lindsey Wichers and her fiance, Zach Sexton, Mason Wichers, Chelsey (Vander Zwaag) and her husband, Cory Van Maanen (Jacob and Alyda), Dustin Vander Zwaag and his wife, Katie (Weston), Jesse Vander Zwaag and his wife, Abby, Jasmine (Vander Zwaag) and her husband, Greg Boer, Ashley and her husband, Jesse Wynia, T. J. Aberson (Vincent), Joshua Vander Zwaag and his wife, Brittany (Isabelle and Sofia), and Jordan Vander Zwaag; two sisters; three sisters-in-law, Lois and her husband, Paul De Jong of Orange City, Jach and her husband, Wiz Punt of Sheldon, and Sherrie Vander Zwaag of Montrose, S.D.
In addition to her parents and her husband's parents, Jocob and Arta (Doctor) Vander Zwaag, she was preceded in death by a brother and his wife, Richard and Wilmina Van Ravenswaay; a sister and her husband, Lela and Loren Van Heuvelen; and a brother-in-law, Kenneth Vander Zwaag.
