Henry Vander Meulen
Henry Vander Meulen
Henry “Hank” Vander Meulen went to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, Nov. 21.
Henry was born Sept. 6, 1938 in Bellflower, California to parents Ralph and Etta Vander Meulen.
Henry attended Bellflower Christian School through the fifth grade.
The family then moved to Sumas where he attended Sumas Christian through the eighth grade.
On Oct. 14, 1960, Henry married his sweetheart Kathy Dykstra of Lynden.
Together they were loving parents of four children, Starla, Wade, Tim, and Heidi.
Henry and Kathy dairy farmed on Rock Road in Sumas.
While he was farming, he was a butcher for numerous packing houses in Skagit and Whatcom counties.
Henry ran scrapers for J. Lak for 12 years while he custom raised calves for several dairy farmers in the county at Henry’s Calf Ranch.
In 2012, Henry retired and they moved to Lynden where he sharpened knifes for many restaurants in the Lynden area.
Henry was a charter member of the Lynden Protestant Reformed Church, where he held the positions of deacon and elder for numerous terms.
Henry also helped to organize and start Covenant Christian School where he was on the school board and was the grounds keeper for many years.
Henry is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Kathy; children Starla (Bernie) Mulder, Wade (Julie) Vander Meulen, Tim (Lorrainne) Vander Meulen, and Heidi (Matt) Moore; 17 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren with three more on the way.
Henry will be greatly missed by his sister Bertha (Lawrence) Silves, sister-in-law Lois Vander Meulen, sister Gertrude Stuit, brother-in-law Mel Yonkman, brother Ted (Dolores) Vander Meulen, sister Betty (John) Hoksbergen, and sister Edna (Bob) Vander Hoek along with numerous other nieces, nephews and cousins, friends from the church and the surrounding farming and local community.
Henry is preceded in death by parents Ralph and Etta (Keuning) Vander Meulen, brother Peter Vander Meulen, brother Andrew and his wife Janice Vander Meulen, brother-in-law Wilbur Stuit, sister Alyce Yonkman, and brother Swietze Vander Meulen.
Memorial donations may be made to Covenant Christian School, Parkinson’s Foundation, and Whatcom Hospice.
The family wishes to thank their church family, numerous in-home caregivers, Whatcom Hospice, and all who have been there to help.
Visitation was held on Friday, Nov. 26 at Gillies Funeral Home. The Graveside service was held on Saturday, Nov. 27 at Greenwood Cemetery followed by a memorial service at Lynden Protestant Reformed Church.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Gillies Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
