1922
Arthur
2010
Arthur VanderStek
July 19, 1922 — May 6, 2010
Funeral services for Arthur Richard VanderStek will be 10 AM Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Western Hills Loop. Visitation will be Monday, May 17 with family receiving visitors from 5-8 PM at Kirby & Family Funeral Home.
Arthur passed peacefully on May 6, 2010 in Mountain Home, Arkansas at the age of 87. One of four children, he was born July 19, 1922 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His parents, Leendert Jan VanderStek and Johanna Van Dooijeweert, were Dutch immigrants who came to this country in 1917 during World War I.
Art was a Veteran of the US Naval Air Corp serving in the Pacific theatre during World War II. On October 26, 1944 he married Grace Hattie Bruss in De Pere, Wisconsin. They moved with their first three children to Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona where he was a General Contractor. While in Arizona, three more children were born. Searching for the best area to raise their family, Art and Grace settled in Mountain Home in 1960 where Art established himself in real estate and land development, notably convincing Sam Walton to bring the first Wal-Mart, Store #11, to Mountain Home in 1967.
Beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Arthur leaves a legacy of cherished memories to his family. He will always be remembered for his enthusiastic embrace of life and adventure, piloting his own plane with Grace as co-pilot, water skiing on the lake at age 75, and canoeing the river at age 81. His family treasures the example he leaves them of hard work and industry, thriftiness and self-sufficiency, knowledge of health and gardening.
His love of family led him to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he was an organizer and leader. His many years of leadership in Boys Scouts of America enabled him to share his love of nature, canoeing, and clean waters.
Arthur is survived by Grace, his wife of 66 years, 6 children, Jeffrey (Vikki) VanderStek, Jess (Elizabeth) VanderStek, Jilleen (Kevin) Darracq all of Mountain Home and Jennifer (Thomas) Ferguson of Paradise, California, Jon (Sherrill) VanderStek of South Jordan, Utah, and Jane (Ernest) Richter of Doha, Qatar, 27 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren, brother Hank (Dorothy) VanderStek of Dearborn, Michigan, and devoted caregiver Mary Lou O'Conner of Mountain Home.
Arthur was preceded in death by his parents, 2 sisters, Alice Gerhard and Ann Stevenson, grandson, Derek Ferguson, grandaughter, Ann Marie Richter, and great-grandaughter, Angellica Darracq.
Memorials and donations may be made to the Baxter County Library Foundation P.O. Box 1014 Mountain Home, AR 72653.
Entombment with Military Honors provided by the (Kirby's to write official title) will be at Kirby's Tucker Memorial Cemetary. Pallbearers and Honorary Pallbearers will be grandsons, Bret and Richard Ferguson, Stuart and Ashley VanderStek, Eliott VanderStek, Darren, Paul, Lane, and Kent Darracq, Bradley and Blake VanderStek, and Roy, Will, Kent, and Reed Richter.
Arrangements are by Kirby & Family Funeral and Cremation Services.
Arthur passed peacefully on May 6, 2010 in Mountain Home, Arkansas at the age of 87. One of four children, he was born July 19, 1922 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His parents, Leendert Jan VanderStek and Johanna Van Dooijeweert, were Dutch immigrants who came to this country in 1917 during World War I.
Art was a Veteran of the US Naval Air Corp serving in the Pacific theatre during World War II. On October 26, 1944 he married Grace Hattie Bruss in De Pere, Wisconsin. They moved with their first three children to Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona where he was a General Contractor. While in Arizona, three more children were born. Searching for the best area to raise their family, Art and Grace settled in Mountain Home in 1960 where Art established himself in real estate and land development, notably convincing Sam Walton to bring the first Wal-Mart, Store #11, to Mountain Home in 1967.
Beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Arthur leaves a legacy of cherished memories to his family. He will always be remembered for his enthusiastic embrace of life and adventure, piloting his own plane with Grace as co-pilot, water skiing on the lake at age 75, and canoeing the river at age 81. His family treasures the example he leaves them of hard work and industry, thriftiness and self-sufficiency, knowledge of health and gardening.
His love of family led him to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he was an organizer and leader. His many years of leadership in Boys Scouts of America enabled him to share his love of nature, canoeing, and clean waters.
Arthur is survived by Grace, his wife of 66 years, 6 children, Jeffrey (Vikki) VanderStek, Jess (Elizabeth) VanderStek, Jilleen (Kevin) Darracq all of Mountain Home and Jennifer (Thomas) Ferguson of Paradise, California, Jon (Sherrill) VanderStek of South Jordan, Utah, and Jane (Ernest) Richter of Doha, Qatar, 27 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren, brother Hank (Dorothy) VanderStek of Dearborn, Michigan, and devoted caregiver Mary Lou O'Conner of Mountain Home.
Arthur was preceded in death by his parents, 2 sisters, Alice Gerhard and Ann Stevenson, grandson, Derek Ferguson, grandaughter, Ann Marie Richter, and great-grandaughter, Angellica Darracq.
Memorials and donations may be made to the Baxter County Library Foundation P.O. Box 1014 Mountain Home, AR 72653.
Entombment with Military Honors provided by the (Kirby's to write official title) will be at Kirby's Tucker Memorial Cemetary. Pallbearers and Honorary Pallbearers will be grandsons, Bret and Richard Ferguson, Stuart and Ashley VanderStek, Eliott VanderStek, Darren, Paul, Lane, and Kent Darracq, Bradley and Blake VanderStek, and Roy, Will, Kent, and Reed Richter.
Arrangements are by Kirby & Family Funeral and Cremation Services.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Arthur VanderStek, please visit our flower store.
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