Iva Dean L. Freese, 85, of Holland, passed away on Thursday, December 29, 2016 at the Unity Point Health Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo. The funeral service will be held on Monday January 2nd at 10:30 AM at the Pleasant Valley Reformed Church in rural Holland (Fern), IA with Pastor Rick Vollema officiating. Visitation will be held on Sunday January 1st from 4 to 6 PM at the Engelkes-Abels Funeral Home in Grundy Center. The burial will take place on Tuesday, January 3rd at 10:00 AM at the Rosehill Cemetery in Grundy Center. Memorials may be directed to the family where they will donate to a charity of their choice at a later date.
Iva Dean was born on April 26, 1931 in rural Grundy County, Iowa, the daughter of Henry G. & Trena K. (Meester) VanHauen. She grew up in Grundy County and attended Country School, later attending school in Dike, where she graduated with the class of 1950. On December 19, 1952, Iva Dean was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart Charles Freese at the Pleasant Valley Reformed Church. The couple welcomed sons Terry & Steven into their family. For a short time, Iva Dean worked at Mamminga's Grocery Store in Grundy Center and she worked mostly as a homemaker, but Iva Dean and Charles were able to work side by side on the family farm, until their retirement.
She was a member of the Pleasant Valley Reformed Church in Holland, where she served on the Ladies Guild and taught Catechism. Iva Dean enjoyed gardening, flowers and shopping. Iva Dean and Charles worked hard all their lives but took time to enjoy their family, especially their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whom they adored. Iva Dean will be dearly missed by her family she leaves behind.
Iva Dean is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Charles of Holland; sons Terry (Trisha) Freese of Dubuque, IA and Steve (Sheila) Freese of Grundy Center, IA; grandchildren Evan (Emily) Freese of Grundy Center, Bryan Freese of Waterloo and Erik (Kaitlynn) Freese of Grundy Center; great-grandchildren Savanna Flynn, Bentley & Kaylor Freese and Axel Freese; sisters Arlene VanHauen of Grundy Center and Beverly (Paul) Meyer of Colorado and brother Leland (Neola) VanHauen of Parkersburg. She was preceded in death by her parents; infant brother Edward Lee; infant grandson Dean Allen Freese; granddaughter Sara Freese Flynn.