Frederick "Fred" Vander Wal

FREDERICK "FRED" VANDER WAL was born to Dick and Clara (Zeinstra) Vander Wal on September 28, 1927 on a farm in Fountain Prairie Township near Holland, MN where he was raised. He attended country school in District 27 and also District 18. After he completed his education, he worked for area farmers and did some truck driving. In 1948, he became employed for the Pipestone County Highway Department. On October 25, 1950, he entered the U.S. Army and served during the Korean Conflict. When he was honorably discharged from the service on August 23, 1952, he returned home and continued his work at the Highway Department. On November 3, 1952, he was united in marriage to Henrietta Nieuwboer at First Presbyterian Church in Pipestone. Following their marriage, they lived in Pipestone. Fred worked as a heavy duty equipment operator for the Highway Department for 35 years. After his retirement in 1984, he worked part-time at the Pipestone Medical Center driving the laundry truck and doing other courier work for them until 2009. For over 45 years, Fred also had his own tree service business. Fred died suddenly on Monday, August 26, 2019 at the Pipestone County Medical Center in Pipestone at the age of 91 years, 10 months, and 29 days.

Fred was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Pipestone where he served as an elder and a deacon and volunteered his time on various committees. He was one of the original members of the Golden K Club in Pipestone, and he was a member of the Michael Boock American Legion Post 6 and VFW Post 3814. For many years, he served as a member of the military honor guard in Pipestone. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. At a young age, he learned to play the button accordion, and he loved to play this for the various nursing home residents in this area.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Henrietta Vander Wal of Pipestone; four children, Constance (Keith) Johansen of Rochester, MN, Cynthia Prange of Faribault, MN, Kathleen (John) Kaz of Burnsville, MN, and Krystal (Bob) Grooters of Raleigh, NC; five grandchildren, Angela, Cassandra, Chris, Kate, and Michele; four great-grandchildren; one brother, Clifford (Betty) Vander Wal; and two sisters, Dorothy Pap and Jane Vander Wal; one brother-in-law, Bernie Green; and two sisters--in-law, Barb Vander Wal and Evette Vander Wal. He is preceded in death by his son, Don; his parents; three brothers, Gerrit, Martin, and Richard Vander Wal; and five sisters, Alice Burmeister, Della Stromberg, Betty Green, Terry Lorenzen, and Thelma Vander Wal who died at six months of age.