Esther Vande Hoef

ESTHER 'ROSE' VANDE HOEF was born to Lambert and Annie (Van Muyden) Van Wyhe on December 18, 1924 on a farm by Akron, Iowa. She lived there for two years before her family moved to a farm near Ireton, Iowa. She graduated from Hawarden High School in Hawarden, Iowa. She then attended Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa for teaching. On November 26, 1945 Esther was united in marriage to Dick Vande Hoef at the Christian Reformed Church Parsonage in Sioux City, Iowa. The couple farmed near Ireton until 1949 when they moved to Artesia, California from 1949 to 1952. The family returned from California in 1952 and moved to a farm south of Luverne, Minnesota. Esther worked hard as a farm wife and stay at home mom. In 1967, Dick died in a farm accident. Esther then moved with her children into the town of Luverne where she began employment at the Luverne Community Hospital. She worked there for two years and then took a job at Rock County Day Activity Center from 1969 to 1975. She returned to work at the Luverne Community Hospital from 1979 until her retirement in December of 1989. In July 2009, she moved to the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, Minnesota. On Tuesday, October 6, 2015 Esther died peacefully under hospice care at the Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 90 years, nine months and 19 days.

Esther was a charter member of the American Reformed Church in Luverne. She was a member of the Mary Circle and taught Sunday School and Catechism. She enjoyed crocheting and reading and was an avid Minnesota Twins baseball fan. She was a woman of great faith and had an endless supply of love for her family and friends.

Esther is lovingly remembered by her children, Diane Thompson and her husband Steve of Brandon, South Dakota, Elaine Boeve and her husband Allen of Steen, Minnesota, Ladonna Behnke and her husband Jerry of Rapid City, South Dakota, and Kevin Vande Hoef of Rock Rapids, Iowa; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; three brothers, Duane Van Wyhe and his wife Helen of Sioux Center, Iowa, Wayne Van Wyhe and his wife Hendrene of Hills, and Marlin Van Wyhe and his wife Darlene of Hawarden, Iowa; sister-in-law, Kathy Van Wyhe of Ireton; and other friends and family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dick Vande Hoef; two sons, Milo Dean and Milen Dale; parents, Lambert and Annie; brother, Gordon Van Wyhe; four sisters, Margaret Vander Griend, Gertrude Webert, Dorothy Vander Griend and Alice Moerman; four brothers-in-law, William Moerman, Dick Vander Griend, Ordean Webert, and Pete Vander Griend; and a sister-in-law, Jennie Van Wyhe.