Sharon Vander Schaaf

 Sharon Rose Vander Schaaf, age 85, of Orange City, IA, passed away at the Prairie View Care Center in Sanborn, IA on January 31, 2025.

There will be a funeral service on Saturday, February 15 at 10:30 in the Chapel at the 1st Reformed Church in Orange City, IA., where she was a member. Visitation with family will be an hour prior to the service at the church. The Burial and Committal service will be at the Boyden Cemetery at 1:30PM.

Sharon Rose was born on December 19, 1939, to John C. and Grace (De Jager) Muyskens on a farm near Newkirk (Rural Hospers, IA). She graduated from the Newkirk High School in 1957. She then attended Northwestern College where she earned a 2-year teaching certificate. She began teaching 1st grade at the Newkirk School and attended night school at Westmar College in LeMars to complete her BA. She married Wayne R. Vander Schaaf on August 11, 1961, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City, IA. They made their 1st home in Hartley, IA where Wayne held a teaching position for 3 years. Wayne then accepted a teaching position in Boyden, IA. The family moved to Boyden and made it their home for close to 45 years. Upon retirement, a move was made to a Duplex in Orange City. Shortly after Wayne’s death in 2013, Sharon moved into the Pioneer Home, where she lived until a stroke in the Fall of 2020 made it necessary to move to the nursing home in Sanborn. 

Sharon was a stay-at-home wife and mother for several years. She then became one of the town’s librarians until she retired shortly before their move to Orange City. Sharon loved the Lord and shared her faith through her acts of service and example. She was very active in the children’s and women’s ministries at the Boyden Reformed Church, taking on many leadership roles. She loved sewing and crafting and used these gifts in her work with children both in church and at the library. Creating and providing ideas and decorations for Women’s ministry meetings and banquets was something she enjoyed. 

Sharon enjoyed attending her children’s and later some of her grandchildren’s activities whenever possible. She loved going on bus trips with her husband until his Parkinson’s disease became too advanced and he moved to the nursing home. She was his faithful spouse for 51 years of marriage. 

Left to cherish her memory are her 3 children Sheryl (Evan) Grotenhuis of Hospers, IA. Brent (Mary Jo) Vander Schaaf of Three Rivers, MI. Douglas (Lisa) Vander Schaaf of New Lenox, IL., her 8 Grandchildren Karissa (Mike) De Jager, Alicia (Collin) Vande Hoef, Josh (Andreana) Grotenhuis, Tyler Vander Schaaf, Nicole Vander Schaaf, Ashley Vander Schaaf, Alissa Vander Schaaf, Andrew (Bethany) Vander Schaaf and 9 plus one on the way Great Grandchildren. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Grace Muyskens, her siblings and their spouses, Joyce (Howard) Hop, Ken (Doris) Muyskens, and her husband, Wayne.