Vernon Benjamin Terlouw passed away Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at St. Francis Manor in Grinnell at the age of 90. Visitation, funeral service, and luncheon took place at Lynnville Friends Church on Wednesday, Oct. 5, followed by interment at Adamson Grove Pioneer Cemetery near Newton. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial gifts to your choice of charitable organization.
Vern, the son of Benjamin and Delia (Boot) Terlouw, was born Feb. 16, 1932, in Newton. He attended grade school with his two older sisters Edith and Illa at Killduff School, a short walk down the gravel road from their farmhouse. He graduated from Sully High School with the Class of 1950 and farmed with his father until entering the Army in 1952. Vern trained in heavy weapons infantry at Fort Riley, KS, before joining the Second Infantry Division in Korea. After discharge, he returned to Iowa and farmed in the Killduff area until shortly before his death. June 14,1969, he married Gloria Schaefer in Newton, and to this union two daughters were born, Katie Johanna and Sarah Jean.
One of Vern’s favorite quotes is from Helen Keller: “There is no such thing as security. Life is an adventure or it is nothing.” Vern’s lifetime of adventure began after returning from Korea. He traveled with his sisters and cousins to many interesting places in the U.S. He made a solo trip in his new Corvair convertible to Acapulco, Mexico, where he slept on the beach. He joined the Iowa Mountaineers and went on a number of climbing expeditions with them, including to the peak of Wyoming’s Grand Teton. Vern and Gloria travelled to Europe early in their marriage, and during this trip, he summited the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. Vern instilled the love of travel in his children during family winter vacations when they could take time away from the farm and school. At the age of 50, Vernon discovered bicycling and completed his first RAGBRAI with Katie, leading to many more RAGBRAIs and other bicycle trips, including the Iowa 150 Ride Across America. During this journey, he and fellow bikers formed a close-knit family. They organized reunion rides that Vern happily took part in, including the Louis and Clark ride and the Route 66 ride that Vern completed at age 88. He enjoyed bicycling trips in Europe with Sarah, Katie, and grand-daughter Johanna, biking in Ireland, Holland, Italy, and Spain. Vern returned to mountaineering at age 73, when he joined Sarah to climb the highest peak in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro.
When Vern was at home, he enjoyed being outdoors and working on the farm, renovating the old farmhouse and barn, building furniture, writing, drawing, reading, baking, and spending time with his family and friends.
Vern also took an active part in the local community, serving on various boards, especially with the Newton and Lynnville Historical Societies. He was a lifelong reader and was a founding member of a men’s book club in Newton. He also taught Sunday school at Lynnville Friends Church.
Vern is survived by his wife Gloria, daughters Katie (Guy) Sommer of Galena, AK, and Sarah (Amini) Ndikumana of Iowa City; grandchildren Yves and Beatrix Ndikumana of Iowa City and Johanna Galauska of Fairbanks, AK; sister Illa Guthrie of Newton; and brother-in-law Paul (Maria) Schaefer of Pine Valley, CA.
