Den Hartog, John Junior 1935-2024

DENHARTOG, DEBOER, MUILENBURG

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/11/2025 at 13:28:07

Mr. John Den Hartog, age 89, of Orange City, formerly of Hospers, passed away on Thursday, November 28, 2024, at the Orange City Area Health System.

A visitation with the family present will be held on Tuesday, December 3, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City. A prayer service will take place on Wednesday, December 4, at 9:00am, at the church, followed by interment at the Hospers Cemetery. There will be a memorial service on Wednesday, at 11:00am, at the church with the Rev. Donald De Kok and the Rev. Mark Haverdink officiating. The Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City is in charge of arrangements.

John Junior was born on August 4, 1935, in Hospers, to John and Anna (De Boer) Den Hartog. He grew up in Hospers and attended the public school from which he graduated in 1953. The following year, on August 25, he was united in marriage to Anna Bernice Muilenburg at the Middleburg Free Grace Reformed Church, and together they made their home in Hospers.

In 1958, John entered the United States Army and was stationed in Korea. Following his honorable discharge in 1960, he returned home and spent several years working for area farmers. In 1966, he and “Ann” became co-owner of J&J Hardware in Hospers, which they operated for ten years. In 1976, John took over ownership of H&S Manufacturing in Hospers, and in 1989, he started Ace-Roto Mold. Today, the businesses he worked to establish and grow, are known as Den Hartog Industries in Hospers. John officially retired in 1998, and he and Ann continued to make their home in Hospers until 2016, when they moved to the Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community in Orange City. In 2022, they became residents of the Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City, and on September 11, 2022, John’s beloved wife of more than 68 years passed away.

Mr. Den Hartog was a member of the First Reformed Church in Orange City. He had previously been a faithful member of the First Reformed Church in Hospers, where he served on the consistory, taught Sunday school, and sang in the choir. He was very involved in the Hospers community, and in earlier years he served on the city council, was active in the Chamber of Commerce, and volunteered as a fireman. He and Ann were also instrumental in the development of the Hospers Swimming Pool and of the Hospers Community Center and Library. John was also an avid supporter of Words of Hope and of Northwestern College in Orange City, particularly of their athletic programs, and served on Northwestern’s Board of Trustees.

Spending time with their family was of great importance to both John and Ann, and they looked forward to the summer months with them at their home on Spirit Lake. They were also able to enjoy more than twenty years wintering as a couple in Arizona.

Survivors include three children, Barbara Ann Truesdell, and John Gregory (Jeanne) Den Hartog, all of Hospers; and Julie Kay (Jerry) Henrich, of Spirit Lake; eleven grandchildren, Tom (Carrie) Truesdell, Tim (Molly) Truesdell, Tyler (Lindsay Anderson) Truesdell, Tracy (Austin) Rozeboom, Jantina Wennerstrom, Christine (Dave) Koerselman, Greg (Bria) Den Hartog, Allison (Nick) Adams, Susan Henrich, Joe (Kinsie) Henrich, and Jenn (Jim) Eller; 28 great-grandchildren; a sister, Wanda (Bill) Johnson, of Dassel, Minnesota; three sisters-in-law, Audrey Den Hartog, of Orange City; Marlene (Rev. Gary) De Geest, of Atlantic; and Judith Muilenburg, of Seattle, Washington; and a brother-in-law, Bill (Shirley) Muilenburg, of Orange City; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by his stepmother, Hattie Den Hartog; an infant daughter, Joann Den Hartog; a son-in-law, Paul Truesdell; a great-grandson, Zachariah Wennerstrom; five sisters, Angeline (John) Zwagerman, Genevieve (Jerome) Van Kooten, Luella (William) Grotenhuis, Alma (Bert) Van Kley, and Wilma (Roger) Dekker; five brothers, Alvin (Alvina) Den Hartog, Francis (Ada) Den Hartog, Richard (Anna) Den Hartog, Howard (Jennie) Den Hartog, and Rev. Donald Den Hartog; and a brother in-law, Robert Muilenburg.

Memorials will be used to establish a scholarship at Northwestern College in Orange City.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.