Alvina Vandersluis

Alvina always had a warm smile and gentle spirit with a kind word for everyone she met.

Her hobbies included gardening, painting, and crafting. She loved nature including feeding the birds,

collecting rocks and shells, watching clouds, and cherishing flowers of all kinds. She also loved to travel and enjoyed destinations around the country, as far as Alaska, Hawaii, and Europe. Throughout her life, she was active in volunteer work including the World Home Bible League, and the Harmony workers at the Holland Christian Reformed Church where she was also a Calvinette Counselor for many years.

Alvina was born on April 19, 1927 to Cornie De Groot and Marie (De Kam) De Groot on a farm near

Trosky, MN. She was the eldest and last surviving of six children blessed to that marriage. She

was preceded in death by her siblings Melvin, Harold, Nellie, Luella & Conrad. She is survived by sisters-in-law, Clarice Broekhuis, Lorraine De Groot, Opal Vander Woude, all of Edgerton, MN, and Elaine Altena, of Sioux Center, IA.

Her childhood was on farms in the Edgerton area, where she walked to country school and graduated

from Chandler High School. She was married to Wilbur VanderSluis on June 13, 1946, in Edgerton, MN. They lived in Louisiana while Wilbur was in the army and later returned to farm near rural Holland, MN. Their marriage was blessed with 7 children and 13 grandchildren, including:

Judith Gesson (Bruce), of Wichita KS and their children

   Troy (Merinda) Heard, of Wichita, KS and Travis (Tonia)Heard, of Howells, NE

Karen Saunders (Owen), of Omaha, NE and their children

   Richard (Heather) Saunders, of Parker, CO and Elizabeth (Adam) Simpson of Omaha, NE

Robert VanderSluis, deceased

Carla Lux, (David), of Eugene, OR and their children

   Julie (Chris) Bellmeyer of Portland, OR, Sarah (Aron) Marderosian of Malibu, CA, and Alisa Lux of Newberg OR.

William VanderSluis (Cheryl), of Mankato, MN and their children

   Justin (Pam) VanderSluis of Buffalo, MN, Matthew VanderSluis of Mankato, MN, and Ben (Bailey) VanderSluis of Minneapolis, MN

James VanderSluis (Ginna) of El Paso, TX and their daughter

   Jessica VanderSluis of El Paso, TX

Nancy VanderSluis (Craig Piquette) of Omaha, NE and their children

   Christian Piquette of Omaha, NE and Evan PiqueMe of Omaha NE

Alvina also loved and was loved by 13 great-grandchildren.

After Wilbur’s passing in 2001, Alvina continued to live at her farmhouse south of Ruthton. She was

married to Louis Brouwer on December 14, 2007 and they continued to live on the farm until moving to

Ridgeview assisted living in Pipestone in November 2012. Alvina relocated to a care facility in Omaha,

NE November 2019 and to Brookstone Village in December 2021 after a fall and hip fracture.

She passed peacefully on October 8, 2022 with her family at her side.

In lieu of flowers, family and friends may make a memorial donation to the Alzheimer's Association or a charity of their choice.