Mary Vander Werff

Mary Ann Vander Werff was born March 23, 1946, to  Marcellis and Dorothy (Schafer) Dreckman, Le Mars, Iowa.

Mary attended Le Mars High School, Cedar Rapids High School, and American Institute of Business, where she met Jim Vander Werff.

On January 20, 1967, she was united in marriage to James Edwin Vander Werff, in the Meredith Drive Reformed Church in Des Moines, Iowa. To this union they were blessed with two children: David and Hope. Mary and Jim moved to the Davenport area in 1967. They lived there for nine years before moving to Pella in 1975. Jim and Mary called the Pella area home for 44 years.

Mary worked several jobs. She worked with Jim in Davenport operating a consulting service for service stations doing their monthly accounting and tax work. After moving to Pella, she worked with Jim at Pella Implement. She also worked at Central College with the Upward Bound and Admissions programs, and she worked at The Red Lollipop clothing store. Mary is a “helps” person that loved to meet people and make them feel welcome. She enjoyed each of these jobs. Probably her favorite job was to care for her family. With a warm smile and a quick laugh, she made her home a joyful haven. She looked forward to having the grandkids stay overnight at Christmas and hosting her family throughout the year.

At age 59 Mary experienced symptoms of minor cognitive impairment. This eventually ended her work outside the home. Her progression into Alzheimer’s resulted in the loss of normalcy and eventually compromised her independence. Jim lovingly cared for her until she was 73. Heroically, he walked with her until releasing her care to Luther Park in Des Moines, Iowa, where she spent the last 4 and a half years of her life. At Luther Park she was treated with dignity and loved by all the staff.

She will be remembered for the joy and laughter she shared with friends and family, neighbors and coworkers. She truly loved each of them. Mary was a beautiful person inside and out. She cared so deeply for the people around her. She was kind and compassionate and made a positive impact on many lives.

Her legacy is rich as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and daughter who loved and feared the Lord. In one of the last conversations Hope had with her, Mary said, “Jesus is everything, I just wish there were more people in the world who loved him.” Mary is whole now in mind and body, worshiping her Lord and Savior. Because of the gospel, there is hope to join her someday.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband Jim and their family:

David (Lisa) Vander Werff

            Devin and Emily Vander Werff,

           Jarica and Brady Roberts

Hope (Bobby) Quayle

            Ethan Quayle

           Elizabeth Quayle

           Sara Quayle

She is also survived by her brothers: Mark (Jo Ann) Dreckman of Urbandale, Iowa and Paul Dreckman of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

 Mary was preceded in death by her parents Marcellis and Dorothy  Dreckman, parents-in-law Alfred and Lavina Vander Werff and Wilma Vander Werff, and brother-in-law Larry Vander Werff.

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