Renil Van Overbeke

1925-2023

Renil Joseph Van Overbeke, 97, was born on June 5, 1925 to Edward Gustaf and Emma (Van Hyfte) Van Overbeke and was raised near Minneota. He attended Minneota High School and spent two years in the U.S. Navy. Upon leaving the Navy, Renil found success as a boxer and became the Southwest Minnesota Golden Gloves champion.
He married Audrey Ness on Aug. 4, 1947 at St. Edward's Catholic Church in Minneota. Renil and Audrey spent their married years in the Minneota, Des Moines, IA and Sanborn, IA areas before moving to Sutherland, IA in 1966. They lived in Sutherland until 2017 and then moved to The Gardens Assisted Living in Cherokee, IA, and then on to Heartland Nursing Home in Marcus, IA in 2018.
Renil was a hard-working husband and father of seven children. Providing for his family included being an avid gardener. Throughout his life he worked primarily in co-op sales but also ran the Felco Experimental farm near Madrid, IA where he developed chicken feed, built a house in Alleman, IA where he used his artistic ability by painting a mural on the hall wall, raised white mice for Iowa State University, and became one of the Felco Cattlemen for Felco Corp. of Fort Dodge, IA, serving Northwest Iowa. Once they moved to Sutherland, Renil continued in co-op sales for the Sutherland Co-op, before he switched occupations and did maintenance for the nursing homes in Sutherland and Paullina, IA. It as during that time that he flipped several houses in Sutherland before flipping houses became a thing. In his later years, Renil enjoyed trips to Arizona, having coffee with friends, driving his pickup truck around town, and riding on the American Legion float during the Sutherland Labor Day parade.
Renil was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the American Legion in Sutherland.
Renil was preceded in death by his wife Audrey, son Chuck, his parents, brothers Lawrence, Tony, Alouis, and Odell; sisters Evelyn Carey, Joan Duis, Katherine Dusenberry, Genevieve Green, and Dorothy Brinkman Forster; twin infant grandsons Shawn and Jesse Mueller; and granddaughter Madison Ahlman.
He is survived by his children; David (Sandy) Van Overbeke of Rochester, MN; Nancy (Doyle) Woltman of Spencer, IA; Janelle (Denny) Horstman of Marcus, IA; Mary (Rick) Giese of Sutherland, IA; Tom (Kim) Van Overbeke of Okoboji, IA; Patty (Tony) Ahlman of Tonto Basin, AZ; daughter-in-law Lori Van Overbeke of Alden, IA; and sister Jeanette DeCock of Minneota.
Renil also had many grandchildren and great grandchildren; Sara (Chris) Wolf, Brock and Brady; Derek (Jessica) Woltman, Jadyn, Jace, Aralynn and Rylee; Kristin (Wes) Behounek and Aiden; Jen (Mike) Treinen, Brooklyn (Colin) Treinen-Morris, Madison and Tori; Bill (Jody) Horstman, Sydney and Mallory; Melinda (Stephen) Pallone and Guiseppe; Brenda (Dave) Hessenius; Stephanie (Dave) Cleveland, Emma and Ava; Bethany (Chris) Peck and Rilee; Tasha Wright (Mike Ford), Malana and Jaden; Tanner Van Overbeke; Charlie (Lisa) Van Overbeke, Genevieve, Mark and Karagyn; Nick Van Overbeke; Steven Van Overbeke; Alexis (Dan) Buckingham and Brooks; David Van Overbeke; Morgan Gongaware and Sutteyn; Reed Mueller; Shelby Ahlman, Dallin and Raylyn; and Chad (Jessica) Ahlman, Nicholas, Domnic and Andre.

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