John Vander Plaats

John Vander Plaats, age 88, of Hartford, died on Monday, April 21, 2008 at Terrace Manor in Dell Rapids. Funeral services will begin at 1:30 P.M. Saturday, April 26, 2008 at First Reformed Church, Colton. Visitations will begin at 2:00 P.M. Friday with the family present from 6-8:00 P.M. at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Colton.

John was born on February 14, 1920 at Colton, South Dakota to Peter and Winnie (Van Hunnick) Vander Plaats. He grew up in the Colton-Franklin areas and attended school at the Franklin and Rosehill Country Schools. In 1938, John won the Lake County Hand Corn Picking Contest.

On August 14, 1941, John married Antonia “Toni” Reurink at the First Reformed Church in Colton. After their marriage the couple lived and farmed in the Colton-Hartford area. John was also a Pioneer Shipper to the Sioux Falls Stockyards. He was especially proud of his house, which he built on his own. Toni died on December 6, 2006.

John was a member of the First Reformed Church in Colton. Farming was John’s life, but when he found spare time he enjoyed playing cards, bowling, traveling and dancing with his wife. He was very dedicated to his family and loved spoiling his granddaughters.

Grateful for having shared his life are his daughter, Marcia Theel and her husband Gerrit, Hartford, a son, Roger Vander Plaats, Hartford; three granddaughters, April Theel, Sioux Falls, Bobbi Galloway and her husband Greg, Farmington, MN and Crystal Serna and her husband J. Ryan, Baltic; brother, Marion (Ann) Vander Plaats, Colton; sister, Florence Van Kekerix, Colton, sister-in-law, Tena Vander Plaats, Colton and many other relatives and friends. John was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Toni, son, Robert in 1976, sister, Margaret and a brother, Andrew.