VerPloeg, Wendell James - 1933-2025

DIELEMAN, LITCHEY, SUMRALL, VAN REES, VERPLOEG

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 1/26/2025 at 09:24:45

Wendell James VerPloeg was born April 5, 1933, to Dick J and Agnes Ada VerPloeg (Van Rees) in Marion County, Iowa (North of Pella), passed away peacefully at his home in Sedona, Arizona on January 13, 2025, surrounded by his family.
On March 18, 1954, he and Erma Jean Dieleman were united in marriage in Sully, Iowa. They were blessed with 66 years of marriage. They spent most of their years living in West Bloomfield, Michigan and began spending their winters in Sedona in 1991.
Wendell is survived and missed by his two sons and daughters-in-law, Randall (Debi) and James (Jennifer). Forever cherished and remembered by his four grandchildren Tori (Adam) Sumrall, Eric (Sarah) VerPloeg, Rachel (Shane) Litchey, and Jacob VerPloeg. He was also blessed with three great-grandchildren, Graham (4 yrs) and Claire (22 mo) Sumrall, and Robin (3 mo) VerPloeg.
Wendell grew up on the farm and worked alongside his two brothers. He was class president his senior year in high school and was the first of his family to attend college. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering. He joined the Army Corp of Engineering from 1955-1957, where he earned an award for Distinguished Military Student in the ROTC. Wendell and Erma moved to Michigan in 1957 where he accepted a job for Ford New Holland Tractor. While working for Ford he took a position as a manager of the Agricultural Implements & Power Development Center in Allahabad, India from 1963-1965. He retired after 34 years on July 1, 1991.
Wendell was a member of The Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona. He was very involved in the church and was recently on the committee that selected their new minister.
Wendell was an avid golfer who was still playing until a few months before passing and achieved six holes-in-one. He loved working with his hands and was always fixing something either on his own or with his sons, Randy and Jim. He loved to hike the red rocks in Sedona with his family and joined a hiking group, The Sedona Westerners, after moving there permanently in 2018. He had a zest for life and loved to travel, most notably a recent family trip for his 90th birthday to the Netherlands, where we explored his family heritage, and Switzerland. More recently he took a trip to Banff and the Canadian Rockies this past July.
He was the best dad, grandfather and great-grandfather, aka Boompoo, any of us could have asked for and will be missed by all who knew him.
Wendell was preceded in death by his parents, Dick and Agnes, parents-in-law Rennier and Sarah, his wife Erma, and his brothers Chadwick (Irene), and Dick Jr. (Joyce).
Source: Hometown Pres (Sully, IA); Wednesday, January 22, 2025