Janice Elaine Van Deest

Janice Elaine Van Deest, age 82 of Grundy Center, Iowa,  died Thursday, November 24, 2022,  at Creekside Nursing Home in Grundy Center. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, December 2, 2022, at Bethany Presbyterian Church, Grundy Center with burial in Rose Hill Cemetery, Grundy Center. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, December 1, 2022, at the Abels Funeral and Cremation Service, Engelkes Chapel in Grundy Center and one hour before the funeral service at the church. Memorials may be directed to the family for designation at a later date.

She was born May 24, 1940, in Black Hawk County; daughter of Clarence & Wilhelmina Petersen. On June 28, 1959, she married Harlan Van Deest at the Union Congregational United Church of Christ , Reinbeck, Iowa; he died September 3, 2001.

They made their home near Grundy Center and later moved to Holland, where they owned and operated Van Deest Tire & Repair for 29 years and also started the garbage route in Holland owning and operating this business for 29 years. She was a beautician in Grundy Center for a couple of years and later in her home. Janice enjoyed spending time with her family and especially the grandkids and great-grandkids. She and Harlan enjoyed square dancing and going camping. Her greatest joy was playing bingo at the Senior Center and exercise. She loved doing circle word books, drinking Pepsi, watching the food channel and Wheel of Fortune. Her fondest memory was when her youngest son took her to Vegas for his wedding and had the best roommate, her granddaughter Kristen.

Janice graduated from Reinbeck High School in the class of 1958 and was a member of the Bethany Presbyterian Church, Grundy Center, where she was a member of the Women’s Circle.

Janice is survived by her children: Ronda (Daryl) Jans of Grundy Center; Wayne of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Brian (Melissa) of Dike; 5 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; two sisters: Sharon Drenner of Cedar Falls, Jean (Jerry) Hyde of Waterloo and one brother: Dennis (Pat) Petersen of Minnetonka, Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Harlan and infant daughter Ranae Dawn; brother-in-law Duane Drenner and grandson-in-law Anthony Guyer.