Cornelius "Casey" Veldhuizen

CORNELIUS 'CASEY' JOHN VELDHUIZEN passed away peacefully at his home in Miami, Florida on May 26, 2018, May 26, 2018, at the age of 81 years, seven months, and six days, after losing his battle with mesothelioma. He was born to Cornelius Johannes and Sophia Verhoeff Veldhuizen on October 20, 1936 on a farm near Woodstock, Minnesota, where he was raised and attended country school. He worked on the family farm and at various jobs until December 1, 1955 when he entered the U.S. Army and served in Alaska. After his discharge from the service on December 1, 1958, he moved to California where he worked in several dairies. In 1961, he returned to Minnesota where he worked on farms, began driving truck, and started a custom corn shelling business. In September, 1964, he was united in marriage to Wilma Bos at First Reformed Church in Edgerton. Following their marriage, they farmed near Woodstock and had three children, Renee Lynn, Michael Lee, and Stacey Ann. The family faithfully attended and Casey served as a volunteer at the American Reformed Church of Woodstock, where he had attended since his childhood. In 1986, Casey and his family experienced the devastating loss of Michael Lee at the age of 18.

In 1990, Casey began working on farms near Paynesville, Minnesota. In 1995, he moved to Montana to work on ranches. While he was working on the Emmett Clark ranch in March 1996, the FBI surrounded the ranch, and Casey was eventually held in a Billings jail and two federal prisons with the Montana Freeman until November 19, 1998 when he was acquitted in federal court and released. He moved to his daughter's home in Miami, Florida where he briefly worked on an organic farm. After working on farms in Missouri, Texas, and Montana, he settled in Paynesville again in 2000, where he lived until moving to Miami, Florida in November 2017. Except for brief trips to Missouri, Texas, Montana, and Florida to help friends and family, he worked full-time at farming and driving truck until the fall of 2016.

He was a member of the Christian Motorcycle Association, and traveled to Guatemala, South Africa, and Cuba on mission trips, delivering motor bikes to local churches and missionaries, and supporting their work. He loved to ride his bike, he loved to drive truck, he loved fixing and driving old cars, and he loved living healthy and sharing his story of healthy living. More than anything, he loved and was very proud of his grandchildren, and treasured every moment he was able to spend with them. He is remembered for being a loyal, supportive friend to so many across the country, his infectious laugh, his almost-perfect memory of the highways in nearly all 50 states, and his lifelong faith in God.

He is lovingly remembered by his two daughters, Renee Kinney and her husband Patrick of Miami, Florida, and Stacey Ross of Marshall, Minnesota; son-in-law Michael Ross of Marshall, Minnesota; five grandchildren, Darian, Natasha, Gabriella, Kameron, and Jasmine; five brothers, Anthony Veldhuizen and his wife Kathy of Portland, Oregon, Robert Veldhuizen and his wife Marian of Jamestown, California, Roger Veldhuizen and his wife Iann of Waterloo, Iowa, and Marvin Veldhuizen and his wife Rosalyn of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; six sisters, Gertrude Schneider of Alamosa, Colorado, Annetta Legler of Woodstock, Minnesota, Emma Jasper of Woodstock, Minnesota, Sophie Schoolmeester and her husband Jerold of Edgerton, Minnesota, Mildred Van Wyke and her husband Don of Denver, Colorado, and Julie Kreun and her husband Carl of Hemet, California; and many other loving friends and family. He was preceded in death by his son, Michael; his parents; and four brothers, John, Albert, Bernard, and Arnold.