Rosetta Jane Van Marel

ROSETTA JANE VAN MAREL was born March 25, 1942 at home on the family farm located at Diamond Corner, near Woodstock, Minnesota to William and Jesse (Vander Woude) Kooiman. She was baptized at the Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. During her childhood, she enjoyed spending time with her cousins and vacations with her cousins in California. She also liked to go rollerskating. Rosetta attended Edgerton Public School graduating in 1959. She worked as a bank employee in Pipestone, Minnesota. On March 4, 1964, Rosetta was united in marriage to Arnold Van Marel during a double wedding ceremony with Arnold’s brother, Alvin, and Rosetta's sister, Clarella, in Edgerton. This date is of particular significance as Arnold’s parents and Rosetta’s parents were both married on March 4 of the same year. Once Arnold and Rosetta started their family, Rosetta gave of her time as a homemaker and raising their three children. The young family would move to Luverne, Minnesota before settling on an acreage on the north edge of Beaver Creek, Minnesota in the Spring of 1976. Rosetta entered the work force once again as a bank employee for First National Bank which later became Minnwest Bank, and First Farmers and Merchants Bank, all in Luverne. In 1993 she furthered her education by attending Worthington Community College in Worthington, Minnesota and received her Associates Degree in 1993. She continued her education at the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business, graduating Cum Laude in 1996. She was a secretary at the State of South Dakota School of Medicine and later a secretary for the State of South Dakota Disability Determination Service. In 2008, she retired. On Friday, November 29, 2019 while surrounded by her family at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage, Rosetta died peacefully at the age of 77 years, eight months and four days.

Rosetta was a member of the American Reformed Church in Luverne. She was a member of the Women’s Guild and served several years as the President and Treasurer. She taught catechism and Sunday school for 18 years. She was an accompanist for the Junior Choir for 17 years. Rosetta was a Teacher’s Aide at the Beaver Creek Elementary School. In her spare time, she enjoyed playing the piano and sewing. She even sewed her own wedding dress.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Arnold Van Marel of Beaver Creek; children, Douglas (Esther) Van Marel of Three Rivers, Michigan, Brian (Amy) Van Marel of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and Nyla (Stephen) Schwartz of Vicksburg, Michigan; 13 grandchildren, (Douglas): Sarah, Abigail, Rebekah, and Rachel (Brian): Sophia and Ethan (Nyla): Zachary, Caleb, Lydia, Elizabeth, Joshua, Jonathan, and Jeremiah; siblings, Clarella (Alvin) Van Marel of Boyden, Iowa, Elberta DeJager of Edgerton, Joyce (Merle) Klosterbuer of Worthington, and Alvin (Alvina) Kooiman of Sioux Center, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Jesse Kooiman; brother-in-law, John DeJager; and daughter-in-law, Kimberly Van Marel.

Memorials are preferred to the Gideons.