Jane VanSomeren, age 88 of Baldwin, is now with her Lord and Savior.  She died peacefully on Thursday, March 22, at the Baldwin Area Medical Center after a short illness. Jane was born on July 25, 1923, in Doon, Iowa; the daughter of Henry and Tillie (Westra) VanEngen.  She was raised in Hull, Iowa where she attended school.  On June 29, 1945, she was united in marriage to John VanSomeren, who was serving in the Army.  John was shortly thereafter discharged from the Army and they settled into their marriage which would last for 63 years.  Throughout their happy marriage, Jane enthusiastically tended to their home and enjoyed raising their six children in Baldwin.  All of her children attended the Baldwin Christian School and she was a dedicated member of the Baldwin Christian Reformed Church.  Jane was always busy and could often be found tending to her flowers, working in her vegetable garden and canning fruits and vegetables.  Her kitchen was never without a pan or two of freshly baked bars and cookies.  After her children were grown, her 22 grandchildren became the joy of her life.  Eventually, her 26 great-grandchildren stole her heart.  She loved with abandon.  Throughout her life she served her church and her community passionately.  Some of the organizations she was committed to were:  Treasures of the Heart, Hospital Guild, The Dorcas Society, Ebenezer, Auxiliary Society and the Baldwin Food Pantry.  More recently, she used her creative energy working with crafts.  Whether it was sewing dresses for little girls in Africa, cleaning and fixing older jewelry, re-purposing sweaters to make mittens, making beautiful broaches or her homemade greeting cards, Jane found joy in sharing her crafts and hobbies with friends and family.  Jane, always with a quick smile, an encouraging word and her infectious laugh, touched the lives of so many people, she will be greatly missed.  

Jane will remain in the hearts of her family;  daughter-in-law Lisa VanSomeren and her family Gretchen (John Beck), Anna (Mike Danziger), John David (Minori), Nick (Vanessa); daughter Charlotte DeVos (Harold) and their children Matthew (Liz), Erin (Jason Waller), Robyn (Pat Higgins), Seth (Alissa); son Doug (Betty) and their children Brian (Lisa), Corwin (Julie), Kirk (Brooke); son Keith and his children Chris (Jillian), Michelle (Brian Becker), Denise (Tim Monicken); son Wayne and his children Kim, Scott, Renee, Mark (Katie); daughter Karen Wynveen (Doug) and their children Nate (Madoka), Paul, Leah, Kelly; daughters-in-law Eileen VanSomeren, Cynthia Wall;  great grandchildren David, Lydia, and Annika Beck, Jack Danziger, Leo Fukuda VanSomeren, Sophia and Allison DeVos, Aidan Waller, Amelia Higgins, Grace, Hadley, Hannah, Gema VanSomeren, Ashley and Sean VanSomeren, Carter, Ethan, and Caden VanSomeren, Logan and Tessa VanSomeren, Nicholas and Nathan Becker, Gabrielle, Maddison, and Graiden Monicken, and Jane’s sister Alvina (Isaac) VanSomeren of Edina, MN. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband John, son David, infant great granddaughter Emma, siblings Fred, Donald, Leo, and Ella Geurkink.

The funeral service for Jane will be 11AM Monday March 26, at the Christian Reformed Church in Baldwin with Pastor Anson Veenstra officiating.  Burial will be in the Baldwin Cemetery with her grandsons serving as active casketbearers and granddaughters as honorary casketbearers. 

Visitation will be on Sunday from 4 to 7PM at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home in Baldwin and one hour prior to the service at church on Monday morning. Memorials preferred.