Gerrit Van Maanen

Gerrit Van Maanen was born on the family farm in Doon, Iowa, on January 30, 1922, to Edward and Hattie (De Vries) Van Maanen. He has three brothers, John, Henry, and Charles James (Jim), and two sisters, Wilhemina and Henrietta. He attended Rock Valley Christian School and completed the 8th grade as most farmer's children did at that time. He continued to work on the farm until he was drafted into the war.

Gerrit was drafted in the Army in January 1943, just before his 21st birthday. He was inducted in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and traveled by train to Los Angeles for basic training. Gerrit completed training with Battery A. 54th Anti-Aircraft Training Battalion on March 27, 1943, at Camp Callan, California, which was located north of La Jolla. He was on the troop train to Stoneman, California, and then boarded a troop ship to Hawaii. He was stationed on Ford Island, a naval air station in Pearl Harbor, where they lived in tents. Being stationed next to the mess hall had its benefits because the cooks would bake the men rolls. From Hawaii, Gerrit went to Saipan, where they finally landed on D-Day plus four (days). They encountered sniper fire, built foxholes, and finally finished securing the island. He stayed on Saipan until the end of the war and operated the anti-aircraft guns. After the war ended in 1945, Gerrit was transported by ship to Los Angeles and then by train to get home. He arrived home on Christmas Eve day in 1945.

A few weeks after returning home from the war, Gerrit met Berdina Oostra through a neighbor, and they were married in the Oostra home in August of 1947. Gerrit had plans to go to school to be a mechanic, but that fell through, so Gerrit and Berdina drove to Bellflower, California on their honeymoon and stayed here. Soon after they settled in their 16 foot trailer home, Gerrit and Berdina went to a radio show and mentioned that he was looking for employment; someone present at the show hired him as a roofer, which he continued to work as for some years. In 1949, they bought their first home on Autry Street in Lakewood.

In the mid-1950's, Gerrit and Berdina helped Rev. Frank De Jong start a new church; they became charter members of the Lakewood Christian Reformed Church, now known as Long Beach Christian Reformed Church, located on Wardlow Road. Gerrit served as a deacon and elder. He also sang in the choir and spent many years working with the bus ministry.

In 1956, Gerrit bought Pioneer Overhead Door Company, a small, part-time garage door business, that he grew to a business that comfortably supported his family and two employees. Pioneer Overhead Door Company was operated out of their home with Berdina working as his secretary. Gerrit built and installed wood, fiberglass, and aluminum garage doors and automatic garage door openers; he was known from as far north as Malibu, as far south as La Jolla, and as far east as Hemet and Victorville.

In December of 1956, Gerrit and Berdina adopted their first daughter, Verna; and in September of 1958, they adopted their second daughter, Brenda. Soon after the girls were adopted, they bought their home on Arabella Street in Lakewood, where Gerrit lived for the next 40 years.

After Gerrit retired, he continued to work as a general handyman building fences, gates, installing interior doors and security doors, and other general carpentry jobs. He always kept his Tuesday and Friday mornings open for golfing with his buddies and some evenings open for square dancing at Leisure World, where he resided from 1998-2007. In December 0f 2007, Gerrit moved to the Artesia Christian Home where he resided until his death.

Gerrit is survived by his daughters, Verna Zak and Brenda Van Maanen, his son-in-law, Christian Zak, and his grandchildren Brad (Brandi Ramirez) Tiemeyer, Laura Tiemeyer (James) Ogle, Ryan Tiemeyer, Tyler Zak, Jason (Brandy) Park, Jonathan (Jennifer) Park, Julie Park (Stuart) Butterfield, Casey Van Maanen, Scott Van Maanen, Sean Van Maanen, and Thomas Van Maanen, great grandchildren Peyton Ogle, Lauren Ogle, Jason Park, Lexi Park, and Justin Tiemeyer. Gerrit is predeceased by Berdina (Oostra) Van Maanen, Elda and Charles James Van Maanen, Art Vanden Bosch, John and Elizabeth Oostra, Ralph and Cynthia Oostra, Andrew Oostra, Gerrit Van Engen, Ray Grooters, Gerald and Gertrude Oostra, Geraldine Oostra, and Marinus Oostra. In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations be made to the Artesia Christian Home in memory of Gerrit Van Maanen.