Gary Van Amerongen

Gary Van Amerongen, 94, of Mt. Pleasant, passed away Friday, March 21, 2014, at Park Place Elder Living. Visitation will be held from 1-6 p.m. on Sunday, March 23, 2014, at the Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel where the family will receive friends from 1-3 p.m. that afternoon. A funeral service will held Monday, March 24th beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Faith Lutheran Church, 910 E Mapleleaf Drive, with the Reverend Michael Scudder officiating. Interment will be in the Forest Home Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Faith Lutheran Church or Oakland Mills Nature Center. Born October 22, 1919 in Ogden, IA, Gary was the son of William and Jenny (Rowe) Van Amerongen. He attended West Highland Schools. On February 9, 1938, he married Agnes M. Simkin. She preceded him in death on August 12, 1976. He married Bernice I. Ford on January 11, 1980. Gary was a lifelong farmer. He also worked 20 years as a mechanic at Rural Electric Cooperative now known as Access Energy. Always a farmer, Gary enjoyed gardening and loved animals. His favorite hobby was putting together jigsaw puzzles. Survivors include his wife, Bernice, of Mt. Pleasant; a son, Don (Annie) Van Amerongen of Mt. Pleasant; a granddaughter, Jerri Lynn (Matthew) Gingerich of McKinney, TX; two great-grandchildren, Zachary and Morgan Gingerich; a brother, Clarence Van Amerongen of Mt. Pleasant, IA; many cousins, nephews and nieces. Preceding him in death are his first wife, Agnes; a sister, Jane Thomas; and two brothers, Peter and William Van Amerongen.