Virgil spent his long, full life leading by example: living his faith, and loving his family. He was born and raised on a farm south of Prairie City to John and Barbara (Van Ryswyk) Boertje on Nov. 20, 1931. He attended country school and then entered Prairie City High School for one semester. The family moved to Pella in 1947 where Virgil completed his high school education at Pella High School, graduating with the Class of 1950. Less than one year after moving to Pella, his father, John, passed away at age 50.
In 1953, Virgil was drafted into the U. S. Army. He performed his basic training in California and then spent nearly two years serving in Fairbanks, Alaska. When he returned to Pella, he married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Hoeksema, on May 18, 1955. He also began working for Shirley's father, John Hoeksema, as a mechanic in his John Deere dealership. This business became a family affair when John incorporated the business in 1958, making his son Max Hoeksema and Virgil full partners in the business, with Shirley also working there as bookkeeper. Virgil was a patient man, a quality that served him well as a mechanic. There were few challenges he couldn't conquer when he set his mind to it.
Virgil and Shirley soon increased their family to four with the births of Bruce and Barbara. The business had its perks, including owning a motorhome that allowed each of the three families to take extended vacations. Virgil and Shirley instilled their passion for traveling to their children, often vacationing with lifelong friends Betty and Jerry Van Wyngarden and family.
Virgil, Shirley and Max retired from the implement business in 1984. They closed the business and Virgil and Max purchased a farm where they farmed together for more than a decade.
Virgil volunteered countless hours at First Reformed Church, once claiming that there were few walls in that building that he hadn't painted at one time or another. He served many terms on Consistory, sang in the choir, volunteered as an Angel Tree Camp driver, loved Bible Study, and enjoyed food and fellowship on Wednesday nights at the church.
Virgil and Shirley loved the outdoors and taking extended drives through the countryside to look at wildlife, the crops, and the scenery. They often drove around Red Rock Lake to watch the eagles and pelicans.
He and Shirley enjoyed 65 wonderful years of marriage before Shirley passed away on May 17, 2020. It would be hard to find a more loving marriage than the one that Virg and Shirley shared. They were often together every hour of every day. A cross word was never heard between the two.
Virgil was a man of integrity who loved unconditionally. His legacy is one of quiet leadership by example. His faith, acceptance, wisdom and understanding will be sorely missed by his loved ones, but he left behind a wonderful roadmap for us to follow. Virgil loved Jesus, and looked forward to spending eternity with Him. His family and friends never doubted his love for them, and his strongest desire and prayer was that they would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Virgil leaves two children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren:
Bruce and Cyndi Boertje of Pella
Rachel and Blake Rozendaal of Urbandale, Iowa
Eliza, Bennett
Jessica Boertje and Patrick McNally of Dublin, Ireland
Nathan Boertje of Valley City, North Dakota
Barbara Boertje DeVries and Jeff DeVries of Pella
Also surviving is his sister-in-law Helen (Van Zante) Boertje of Pella and many nieces, nephews and their families.
Virgil was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; his parents, John and Barbara (Van Ryswyk) Boertje; his brother Donald; in-laws Freda (Hoeksema) and Ralph Wisse, Dorothy (Hoeksema) and Carl Gaass, and Max and Milly (Hugen) Hoeksema; and one special niece, Mary (Wisse) Vande Noord.
In 1953, Virgil was drafted into the U. S. Army. He performed his basic training in California and then spent nearly two years serving in Fairbanks, Alaska. When he returned to Pella, he married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Hoeksema, on May 18, 1955. He also began working for Shirley's father, John Hoeksema, as a mechanic in his John Deere dealership. This business became a family affair when John incorporated the business in 1958, making his son Max Hoeksema and Virgil full partners in the business, with Shirley also working there as bookkeeper. Virgil was a patient man, a quality that served him well as a mechanic. There were few challenges he couldn't conquer when he set his mind to it.
Virgil and Shirley soon increased their family to four with the births of Bruce and Barbara. The business had its perks, including owning a motorhome that allowed each of the three families to take extended vacations. Virgil and Shirley instilled their passion for traveling to their children, often vacationing with lifelong friends Betty and Jerry Van Wyngarden and family.
Virgil, Shirley and Max retired from the implement business in 1984. They closed the business and Virgil and Max purchased a farm where they farmed together for more than a decade.
Virgil volunteered countless hours at First Reformed Church, once claiming that there were few walls in that building that he hadn't painted at one time or another. He served many terms on Consistory, sang in the choir, volunteered as an Angel Tree Camp driver, loved Bible Study, and enjoyed food and fellowship on Wednesday nights at the church.
Virgil and Shirley loved the outdoors and taking extended drives through the countryside to look at wildlife, the crops, and the scenery. They often drove around Red Rock Lake to watch the eagles and pelicans.
He and Shirley enjoyed 65 wonderful years of marriage before Shirley passed away on May 17, 2020. It would be hard to find a more loving marriage than the one that Virg and Shirley shared. They were often together every hour of every day. A cross word was never heard between the two.
Virgil was a man of integrity who loved unconditionally. His legacy is one of quiet leadership by example. His faith, acceptance, wisdom and understanding will be sorely missed by his loved ones, but he left behind a wonderful roadmap for us to follow. Virgil loved Jesus, and looked forward to spending eternity with Him. His family and friends never doubted his love for them, and his strongest desire and prayer was that they would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Virgil leaves two children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren:
Bruce and Cyndi Boertje of Pella
Rachel and Blake Rozendaal of Urbandale, Iowa
Eliza, Bennett
Jessica Boertje and Patrick McNally of Dublin, Ireland
Nathan Boertje of Valley City, North Dakota
Barbara Boertje DeVries and Jeff DeVries of Pella
Also surviving is his sister-in-law Helen (Van Zante) Boertje of Pella and many nieces, nephews and their families.
Virgil was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; his parents, John and Barbara (Van Ryswyk) Boertje; his brother Donald; in-laws Freda (Hoeksema) and Ralph Wisse, Dorothy (Hoeksema) and Carl Gaass, and Max and Milly (Hugen) Hoeksema; and one special niece, Mary (Wisse) Vande Noord.
Virgil spent his long, full life leading by example: living his faith, and loving his family. He was born and raised on a farm south of Prairie City to John and Barbara (Van Ryswyk) Boertje on Nov. 20, 1931. He attended country school and then entered Prairie City High School for one semester. The family moved to Pella in 1947 where Virgil completed his high school education at Pella High School, graduating with the Class of 1950. Less than one year after moving to Pella, his father, John, passed away at age 50.
In 1953, Virgil was drafted into the U. S. Army. He performed his basic training in California and then spent nearly two years serving in Fairbanks, Alaska. When he returned to Pella, he married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Hoeksema, on May 18, 1955. He also began working for Shirley's father, John Hoeksema, as a mechanic in his John Deere dealership. This business became a family affair when John incorporated the business in 1958, making his son Max Hoeksema and Virgil full partners in the business, with Shirley also working there as bookkeeper. Virgil was a patient man, a quality that served him well as a mechanic. There were few challenges he couldn't conquer when he set his mind to it.
Virgil and Shirley soon increased their family to four with the births of Bruce and Barbara. The business had its perks, including owning a motorhome that allowed each of the three families to take extended vacations. Virgil and Shirley instilled their passion for traveling to their children, often vacationing with lifelong friends Betty and Jerry Van Wyngarden and family.
Virgil, Shirley and Max retired from the implement business in 1984. They closed the business and Virgil and Max purchased a farm where they farmed together for more than a decade.
Virgil volunteered countless hours at First Reformed Church, once claiming that there were few walls in that building that he hadn't painted at one time or another. He served many terms on Consistory, sang in the choir, volunteered as an Angel Tree Camp driver, loved Bible Study, and enjoyed food and fellowship on Wednesday nights at the church.
Virgil and Shirley loved the outdoors and taking extended drives through the countryside to look at wildlife, the crops, and the scenery. They often drove around Red Rock Lake to watch the eagles and pelicans.
He and Shirley enjoyed 65 wonderful years of marriage before Shirley passed away on May 17, 2020. It would be hard to find a more loving marriage than the one that Virg and Shirley shared. They were often together every hour of every day. A cross word was never heard between the two.
Virgil was a man of integrity who loved unconditionally. His legacy is one of quiet leadership by example. His faith, acceptance, wisdom and understanding will be sorely missed by his loved ones, but he left behind a wonderful roadmap for us to follow. Virgil loved Jesus, and looked forward to spending eternity with Him. His family and friends never doubted his love for them, and his strongest desire and prayer was that they would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Virgil leaves two children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren:
Bruce and Cyndi Boertje of Pella
Rachel and Blake Rozendaal of Urbandale, Iowa
Eliza, Bennett
Jessica Boertje and Patrick McNally of Dublin, Ireland
Nathan Boertje of Valley City, North Dakota
Barbara Boertje DeVries and Jeff DeVries of Pella
Also surviving is his sister-in-law Helen (Van Zante) Boertje of Pella and many nieces, nephews and their families.
Virgil was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; his parents, John and Barbara (Van Ryswyk) Boertje; his brother Donald; in-laws Freda (Hoeksema) and Ralph Wisse, Dorothy (Hoeksema) and Carl Gaass, and Max and Milly (Hugen) Hoeksema; and one special niece, Mary (Wisse) Vande Noord.
In 1953, Virgil was drafted into the U. S. Army. He performed his basic training in California and then spent nearly two years serving in Fairbanks, Alaska. When he returned to Pella, he married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Hoeksema, on May 18, 1955. He also began working for Shirley's father, John Hoeksema, as a mechanic in his John Deere dealership. This business became a family affair when John incorporated the business in 1958, making his son Max Hoeksema and Virgil full partners in the business, with Shirley also working there as bookkeeper. Virgil was a patient man, a quality that served him well as a mechanic. There were few challenges he couldn't conquer when he set his mind to it.
Virgil and Shirley soon increased their family to four with the births of Bruce and Barbara. The business had its perks, including owning a motorhome that allowed each of the three families to take extended vacations. Virgil and Shirley instilled their passion for traveling to their children, often vacationing with lifelong friends Betty and Jerry Van Wyngarden and family.
Virgil, Shirley and Max retired from the implement business in 1984. They closed the business and Virgil and Max purchased a farm where they farmed together for more than a decade.
Virgil volunteered countless hours at First Reformed Church, once claiming that there were few walls in that building that he hadn't painted at one time or another. He served many terms on Consistory, sang in the choir, volunteered as an Angel Tree Camp driver, loved Bible Study, and enjoyed food and fellowship on Wednesday nights at the church.
Virgil and Shirley loved the outdoors and taking extended drives through the countryside to look at wildlife, the crops, and the scenery. They often drove around Red Rock Lake to watch the eagles and pelicans.
He and Shirley enjoyed 65 wonderful years of marriage before Shirley passed away on May 17, 2020. It would be hard to find a more loving marriage than the one that Virg and Shirley shared. They were often together every hour of every day. A cross word was never heard between the two.
Virgil was a man of integrity who loved unconditionally. His legacy is one of quiet leadership by example. His faith, acceptance, wisdom and understanding will be sorely missed by his loved ones, but he left behind a wonderful roadmap for us to follow. Virgil loved Jesus, and looked forward to spending eternity with Him. His family and friends never doubted his love for them, and his strongest desire and prayer was that they would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Virgil leaves two children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren:
Bruce and Cyndi Boertje of Pella
Rachel and Blake Rozendaal of Urbandale, Iowa
Eliza, Bennett
Jessica Boertje and Patrick McNally of Dublin, Ireland
Nathan Boertje of Valley City, North Dakota
Barbara Boertje DeVries and Jeff DeVries of Pella
Also surviving is his sister-in-law Helen (Van Zante) Boertje of Pella and many nieces, nephews and their families.
Virgil was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; his parents, John and Barbara (Van Ryswyk) Boertje; his brother Donald; in-laws Freda (Hoeksema) and Ralph Wisse, Dorothy (Hoeksema) and Carl Gaass, and Max and Milly (Hugen) Hoeksema; and one special niece, Mary (Wisse) Vande Noord.
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