Dennis VanDerHorst

ALTOONA — Dennis W. VanDerHorst, 57, of Altoona and formerly of Ottumwa, died at 2:30 p.m. June 28, 2008 at the Taylor House in Des Moines.He was born Dec. 17, 1950 in Ottumwa, Iowa to William and Mary Hunt VanDerHorst. He married Fern Fisher June 17, 1977.A graduate of Ottumwa High School in 1969, he was a wrestling state champion, finishing second in the state his junior and senior years. He received a scholarship to the University of Iowa for wrestling. He attended the University of Iowa and Northeast Missouri State University. He owned and operated an Exxon USA station in Malvern, Ark., worked at John Morrell and Co. in Sioux Falls, S.D., and for the last 12 years worked as a security guard at Adventureland Amusement Park in Altoona.Surviving is his wife; a stepson, Roy (Melinda) Fisher of Thief River Falls, Minn.; a stepdaughter, Angela (Nicholas) Azar of Silt, Colo.; five stepgrandchildren; his mother, Mary VanDerHorst of Altoona; two brothers, Stan (Jody) VanDerHorst of Farson and Roger (Sue) VanDerHorst of North Liberty and his grandmother, Helen VanDerHorst of Ottumwa.He was preceded in death by his father, William VanDerHorst.Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Farson Baptist Church with Pastor Stan VanDerHorst and Pastor Richard Iles officiating. Burial will be in Competine Cemetery.Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at Reece Funeral Home with the family present from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established to the family.Obituary may be viewed at: www.legacy.com/ottumwacourier/Obituaries.asp