Cornelius Vriend

Neil was the 10th of 11 children born to Nanne and Antje Vriend. Nanne, a successful tulip bulb grower, brought his family to Canada in 1939. They settled in Houston, BC, where they farmed vegetables. Neil took a break from school to help his father on the farm before graduating from high school as a young adult. He felt a strong calling to the ministry and travelled to Michigan in 1955 to study at Calvin College. There he met and married his beloved life partner, Winny VanAndel in 1959 and was blessed by the arrival of his first two children. He graduated from Calvin Theological seminary in 1962 and was ordained as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church of North America. In the following 10 years Neil and Winny welcomed four additional children to their Vriend clan.

Neil and Winny’s ministry started in Gallup, New Mexico when Neil was a student pastor. Following his ordination, they served churches in Emo, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, and Lacombe, Alberta. In 1974, they moved to Neerlandia, Alberta, pastoring there and also in Barrhead, Alberta for many years.

Neil is a beloved child of God. As a husband and father he was an example of loving and serving others, rock solid in his faith and consistent in his affirmation that we all belong and his message to remember who we are as God’s children. Neil was dedicated to serving his community, always taking time to listen and leading with a servant heart. Neil was also an artist, innovative and always enthusiastic about trying something new. Of his various creative endeavors, handcrafting beautiful chairs from wood he gathered became a long-term passion.

Neil was predeceased by his wife, Winny in 2024, his parents, his siblings, his son-in-law Raymond DeBlois, granddaughter Tia Vriend and great granddaughter Claire Wolf. He is survived by his children Anita (Gary) Veldhuisen, Janice (Garry) Wierenga, Christine Vriend (Rocky Lattery), Mark (Janet) Vriend, Steve (Irene) Vriend, Derek (Danielle) Vriend, 18 grandchildren and 36 great grandchildren.

To honor Neil’s life, funeral services will be held at Neerlandia Christian Reformed Church at 1 pm on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.