Virgil Vanderloo

Virgil Vanderloo, 95, of Ackley, passed away on Thursday, February 22, 2024 at Friendship Village in Waterloo. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at the First Presbyterian Church in Ackley with visitation an hour before the service. The burial will take place 1 p.m. on Friday at Hillside Cemetery in Merrill, Iowa. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sietsema Funeral Home in Ackley.
Memorials may be directed to:
Iowa Bluebird Conservationist, PO Box 302, Griswold, Iowa 51535
Friends of Prairie Bridges, Green Belt Bank & Trust, 419 Sherman Ave, Ackley, Iowa 50601
Friendship Village Foundation, C/O David Holm, 3720 Village Pl, Waterloo, IA 50702
Virgil Paul Vanderloo was born in Sioux City, on September 14, 1928. As the son of Clarence and Irene (Junck) Vanderloo, he learned responsibility at an early age. As a four-year old, he walked a mile across fields and through a hog lot, to get to his country school. And as the oldest of eight children, he was already helping to care for three younger siblings by the age of five. By the age of ten, he had a paper route, which helped the family during tough financial times. And yet, despite the demands of school and family and work, he managed to become an eagle scout by the time he was 15.
Virg attended high school in Merrill, where he was known for his prowess on the basketball court and on the baseball field. In fact, upon graduating in 1946, he was invited to attend the New York Giants' spring training camp in Florida. Unfortunately, due to an arm injury, he didn't make the major league cut.
Later in '46, Virg enlisted in the US Marines, and began his first of two military stints. He attended boot camp in El Toro, California, and went on to service military planes while playing baseball for the Marines. It was while he was home, between the two military placements, that he met Norma Marienau. They married in 1950, and in 1951, welcomed their son, Lance, while Virg was stationed in Memphis, Tennessee.
Upon leaving the marines in 1952, Virg moved his young family to Ackley, for his work on the Illinois Central Railroad. They always thought they might move back to western Iowa, but they liked Ackley and lived there for the next 64 years. Daughters Ronda and Dawn came into their lives in 1955 and 1958, respectively. They purchased and moved to an 80-acre farm south of Ackley, in 1962. During the many years in Ackley, Virg was active in the First Presbyterian Church, the American Legion, and the building of the golf course and Prairie Bridges park. Virg was an avid volunteer. Through John Deere, he worked with farmers in the Ukraine, sharing his knowledge and expertise. Twice he was volunteer of the year at the Presbyterian home. And he always looked across the community to see how he could assist those in need. One special honor to note: he was selected to carry the Olympic torch in the 1996 Olympic torch relay specifically for his community volunteerism.
Virgil could never be called a patient man. With the exception of playing a serious game of cards or poised in a deer blind with a bow and arrow, sitting was not in his nature. He loved farming. He loved fishing. He loved golfing. He loved walking in the Hardin county greenbelt, where he hunted for ginseng and mushrooms and arrow heads. He knew his way around both a pool table and a poker table. And boy, could he dance! He loved music until the day he died.
Virgil is survived by his wife, Norma, and his three children - and their families - Lance Vanderloo (and Ellen), Ronda Den Herder (and Jerry), and Dawn Vanderloo (and Roger Abell).