Kathryn Stek VanGilst

February 25, 1924 - August 23, 2018

Oskaloosa. Kathryn Ruth Stek was born, the third of five children, to William (Will) and Gertie Heslinga Stek of rural New Sharon, Iowa on Feb. 25, 1924. It was a humble, rural home with no electricity but filled with love. Kathryn and her siblings attended country school at Adams Township School. After helping her dad at home for 3 years, she attended Oskaloosa Community High School for 3 years. She later earned her GED degree. She professed her faith in Jesus Christ her Lord at the age of 16 at First Christian Reformed Church in Oskaloosa and lived out this faith through her whole life in her thoughtfulness and care of others. She prayed for all of her family by name every day. She married B. Edward Van Gilst on Dec. 2, 1943. They first farmed NE of Oskaloosa where their five children were born and later purchased a farm by Leighton. Pella was their next home before finally moving back to Oskaloosa. They loved to travel, and visited many foreign countries in six continents. They especially enjoyed worshipping with other believers around the world, experiencing the universal body of Christ. They spent winters at Fort Myers, Florida for many years. Edward died in 1998. The Lord blessed Kathryn with many talents which she used to serve others. Kathryn was a homemaker who kept a tidy and comfortable, happy home for her family. Her gift of cooking and baking were enjoyed by her family and many others as she shared with those who needed meals in a time of crisis. Her gift of playing the organ and piano were shared in church and other facilities that needed a pianist. You could often hear her voice singing praises to God. In her early years of helping her dad on the farm she got well acquainted with nature and carried this knowledge with her all through her years. Her children benefited from this love of God’s creation as she helped them with biology collections and projects in school. She loved flowers, birds, and butterflies, and often took her grandchildren on “nature walks”. She even wrote 3 books about nature for those grandchildren. Kathryn always had beautiful floral gardens and often shared fresh-flower arrangements in church on Sundays. She was a talented seamstress who made all of her and her children’s clothing as they grew up. She loved to crochet and knit and made many afghans for family members. Her hands were never idle. She loved to play word games, such as Scrabble, and would entertain any who wanted to play with her. In later years she made countless quilts, clothing items, and stuffed animals to send to those in the mission field. Kathryn was a historian and spent many hours researching family history all the way back to the Netherlands. For many years she would visit those who were elderly and needed someone to brighten their day. She always felt blessed by giving to others. On Thursday, August 23, 2018, Kathryn died at the MHP Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa at the age of 94 years, 5 months and 29 days. Edward and Kathryn were blessed with five children: Richard (Judy) Van Gilst of Manchester, MO., Dorothy Shutt of Newnan, GA., Jo (Arley) Bouwma of Spring Lake, MI., John (Meg) Van Gilst of Prior Lake, MN., and Shirley (Paul) Van Donselaar of Oskaloosa, IA. They had fifteen grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren and one on the way. Kathryn is survived by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, 2 sisters, Clarissa (Gerald) Rozenboom, and Harriet Brand; a sister-in-law, Ruth (Ken) Groenenboom as well as many nieces and nephews. She was proceeded in death by her husband, parents, 2 brothers, John and his wife Nadine Stek, and Gordon Stek, brother-in law Raymond Brand, and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Irene and Calvin De Bruin. Funeral services will be held Monday, August 27, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. in the First Christian Reformed Church in Oskaloosa with Reverend Jonathan Spronk officiating. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. in the basement of the church. Burial will be in the Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa. The Bates Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. Visitation will begin Sunday after 11 a.m. in the Bates Funeral Chapel and the family will be at the funeral chapel from 1:30 -3:30 Sunday afternoon to greet friends and relatives. Memorials may be made to the Oskaloosa Christian School or MHP Hospice.