Harriet Vande Hoef

Sibley, Iowa     CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVESTREAM

Harriet Vande Hoef, age 100 of Sibley, IA, died Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Osceola Senior Living in Sibley.

Visitation will be on Thursday, September 3rd with family present from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Christian Reformed Church in Sibley.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 4, 2026, at the Christian Reformed Church in Sibley, with Pastor Ben Wiersma officiating.

Private burial for family will take place prior to the service in the Holman Township Cemetery of Sibley.

Memorials may be directed to: Gideons International.

Arrangements are in the care of the Jurrens Funeral Home of Sibley, IA.

Harriet was born April 8, 1926, in Boyden, Iowa, the daughter of Herman and Lucy (Dykstra) Vander Maten. She was raised in Boyden and attended Boyden Christian School through elementary and graduated from Boyden High School. She continued her education at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA. She earned her teacher’s certificate and taught country school for a year north of Boyden, IA.

She was united in marriage to Richard Vande Hoef on September 4, 1946, at the Boyden Reformed Church. They lived in the Boyden area from 1946 to 1952. In 1952 they moved to the family farm southeast of Harris, IA. They were blessed with four children, Dennis, Judy, Duane and Brian.

Harriet loved being a homemaker along with helping with the day-to-day operation of the farm. She enjoyed music, often providing special music and singing for weddings; she kept a large garden, and was an excellent seamstress. Active in Farm Bureau, Keeping Up Club, and the Republican Party, she served as a 4-H leader. In 1973, she was one of five Iowa women to be awarded the Master Farm Homemaker Award.

As empty nesters, they became foster parents to two young girls. Later, Rich and Harriet were instrumental in founding and serving on the Iowa Foster Care Review Board.

When Richard was elected to the Iowa Legislature, she served as his administrative assistant and was active with the Legislative Ladies League. In retirement, they were active with the Gideons International and enjoyed traveling.

Harriet and Richard retired from the farm in 2000 and moved to Sibley, IA. They entered the Osceola Senior Living in 2018. On December 20, 2020, Harriet’s husband Richard died at the age of 95. Harriet remained living at the Senior Living until this past Saturday, August 29, 2026, where she died at the age of 100.

She is survived by four children, Dennis (Cynthia) Vande Hoef of St. Petersburg, FL, Judy (Robert) Hagey of Urbandale, IA, Duane (Pam) Vande Hoef of Sibley, IA, and Brian (Sandra) Vande Hoef of Harris, IA; 15 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and other extended family.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 74 years, Richard Vande Hoef, her parents, siblings and in-laws.