Mr. Lloyd De Jong, age 84, of Orange City, passed away on Tuesday, March 31, 2009, at his residence.

There will be a funeral service on Monday, April 6, at 3:00pm, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Paul Colenbrander, the Rev. Dr. Perry De Groot, and the Rev. Edward Suffern will officiate. Interment will follow at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Visitation with the family present will be on Sunday, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, at the CHURCH. Arrangements are with the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

Lloyd Kenneth was born on July 3, 1924, in Alton, the son of William P. and Tillie (Menning) De Jong. He was raised at Newkirk, where he received most of his education, but graduated from the Alton High School. He then served in the United States Navy as a radioman, second class, stationed in the South Pacific Theatre.

On September 26, 1946, he married Elizabeth Lois Giesen in Orange City. They made their home in Orange City, where he was first a painter at Silent Sioux. He then became partner in two Orange City grocery stores, the Corner Market and I.G.A. Later, he sold cars at Punt Chevrolet-Pontiac-Cadillac for 29 years, and in retirement, he was a part-time custodian at the Sioux County Public Health building, both in Orange City.

Mr. De Jong was a member of the First Reformed Church, where he served as an elder and Sunday school superintendent and sang in the choir. He also belonged to the American Legion.

He liked all sports, especially baseball and his Yankees, and he played on the church softball team. He enjoyed singing, gardening and yard work, fishing, and vacationing at their lake with family.

Survivors include his wife of more than 62 years, Betty; a daughter and her husband, Myra and John Bowman, of Britt; a son and his wife, Wayne De Jong and Lisa Erdos, of San Francisco, California; two grandchildren, Ryan and Jill Bowman; his twin brother and his wife, Kenneth and Eleanor De Jong, and a sister-in-law, Frances (Ray) De Jong, all of Orange City; and nephews and nieces.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by five brothers and a sister, Peter W. De Jong, Anna Nieuwendorp, Ralph De Jong, William E. De Jong, Howard De Jong, and Raymond De Jong.

Memorials may be directed to the organ fund of the First Reformed Church in Orange City.