Wilbur Van Gelder

Wilbur Van Gelder, 90, of Le Mars died Sunday, March 26, 2017, at Good Samaritan Society in Le Mars.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 30, at Rexwinkel-Carlsen Funeral Home, 107 12th St. Southeast, in Le Mars. Burial will be in Memorial Cemetery in Le Mars. Visitation with family present will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Hospice of Siouxland and Alzheimer's Research. Online condolences may be left at www.rexwinkelfh.com.

Wilbur Van Gelder, son of Edward and Jennie (Feenstra) Van Gelder, was born Dec. 26, 1926, in Sibley. He attended country school near Riter and Carnes through eighth grade. He then worked on the farm with his father.

On Oct. 14, 1948, he married Betty Raak. He continued farming with his father for several years before moving to a farm northeast of Alton. He then moved to the Le Mars area in 1959, continuing to farm and began trucking. He retired from farming in 1984 and moved into Le Mars. He continued operating his trucking business until 2010. In 2015, he moved into nursing home care.

Wilbur is survived by his wife of 68 years, Betty; children, Rosalie (Merlin) Giesen of Slayton, Minnesota, Gary (Chris) Van Gelder of Creston and Bruce (Betty) Van Gelder of Oskaloosa; grandchildren, Melissa (Mike) Harms, Shelley (special friend Brian Huisman) Shook, Kari (Mike) Hudson, Brad (Terri) Van Gelder and Matt (Jenny) Van Gelder; 13 great-grandchildren; brothers, James Van Gelder of Orange City, Dick Van Gelder of Creston and John (Thelma) Van Gelder of Orange City; sisters, Joyce Hulst of Orange City and Kathy Van Wyke of Ireton; brother-in-law Ben Schiebout and many other relatives.

Wilbur was preceded in death by his parents, infant granddaughter Dawn Shook, infant great-granddaughter Jessica Harms and sister Irene Schiebout.