John Van Maanen

John Van Maanen, Jr.: John passed away early Saturday morning at Crystal Heights Care Center in Oskaloosa at the age of 87 years, 11 months and 21 days. John's family includes his wife, Nadine of Oskaloosa; a son, David (Evonne) Van Maanen of Oskaloosa; daughters: Linda (Michael) Johnson of Milton, FL; Mary Ann (Donald) Brooks of Fremont, IA; Lora (Jack) Wilson of Coal Valley, IL and Edie Van Maanen of Oskaloosa; step-sons: Melvin (Connie) Barthelman of Washington, IA and Charles Earl (Wilma) Barthelman of Centreville, MI; a step-daughter, Pamela Faye (Dick) McGriff of Montezuma, IA; 12 grandchildren; 18 great grandchildren; 2 great great grandchildren; 11 step-grandchildren; 16 step-great grandchildren; 3 step-great great grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Della Mae Van Maanen of Des Moines, IA and several nieces and nephews. John Van Maanen, Jr., son of John Van Maanen, Sr. and Sarah Postuma Van Maanen, was born November 23, 1921 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. John attended Bussey schools through 11th grade and graduated in 1940 from Oskaloosa High School. As a young man he was part of the Golden Glove Boxing Club. John married Mary Evelyn Van Asdall on September 20, 1941, to this union were born five children. He married Nadine Scharff, August 31, 1974, in Oskaloosa. John worked as a farmer his entire life, farming the land that is presently Harvest Point Golf Course. He also worked at Superior-Ideal Manufacturing for 17 ½ years; retiring in 1970. John was a past member of the Free Methodist Church where he served as the Sunday school superintendent and served on the church board; he was a current member of the Assembly of God. John and Nadine traveled to Haiti and Mexico starting in 1977 and most recently in 2005 for mission work. While there, John served on construction projects building churches and orphanages. John was generous with his time, energy, and talents; he could often be found helping someone paint, repair or shingle their home. In his later years, John and Nadine wintered in Texas and Arizona. He was also a 50 year member of Farm Bureau and he enjoyed fishing in his free time. Besides his parents, John was preceded in death by a grandson, Kelly Brooks; a great grandson, Malahkaih Smith; a brother, Pete Van Maanen; and one daughter-in-law, Ruthie Van Maanen. PDF Printable Version

John Van Maanen

November 23, 1921 - November 14, 2009