August 11, 1949 – May 29, 2022

A Celebration of Life service for Twyla Vander Ley, 72, of Artesia, Calif., was held Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at Trinity Christian Reformed Church in Artesia with Pastor Rick Westra and Pastor LeRoy Christoffels officiating. Interment was in the Artesia Cemetery.

Twyla Joy Vander Ley was born to and Louis and Bertha (Spronk) Christoffels  on August 11, 1949, in Luverne, Minn. She grew up on the family farm near Hardwick, Minn., and graduated from Southwest Christian High School in 1967. She attended Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, where she met Elroy Vander Ley at the cafeteria milk machine. Elroy and Twyla were married on August 21, 1970. Twyla taught K-2nd grade at Lebanon Christian School in Iowa. 

They moved to San Diego, Calif., in August of 1971 as Elroy had enlisted in the Navy. A month later, their first child was born. These moves across the country for jobs became a common theme during her life, and she was a firm believer in supporting her husband. They moved to Pella, Iowa, during which time her second and third children were born. She became a farmer’s wife in June 1977 wherein she enjoyed raising chickens in the country, baking, and of course “picking eggs” twice a day. They moved back to Pella in November of 1978, where they lived until March of 1987. During these years, Twyla served her family and two young ladies from the Christian Opportunity Center, who lived with the family for seven years. She also babysat children for some years before working outside the home at an eye doctor clinic.

In 1987, the family again made a big move out west to California where she resided for the rest of her life. She worked at the Artesia Christian Home for 28 years.

Twyla was a member of Trinity Christian Reformed Church in Artesia. She was baptized at Steen Reformed Church and professed her faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior at Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minn.

She was brought to her heavenly home on May 29, 2022.

Twyla is lovingly remembered by her husband of over 51 years, Elroy Vander Ley; three daughters, Michelle (Will) Robison of Bellflower, Calif.; Monica (Ed) Hawkins of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and Mark (Alison) Vander Ley of Quincy, Ill.; and a bonus daughter, Stephanie (Juan) Guzman of Thousand Oaks, Calif. She is also survived by her siblings: LeRoy (Dorothy) Christoffels, Markay (Dave) Lyon, Dwayne (Pat) Christoffels, Virgil (Ann) Christoffels, Meredith (Greg) Dekker and their families and her in-laws, Cliff (Jeri) Vander Ley, Rod (Judy) Vander Ley, Eunice (Rod) Green and their families.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Bertha, mother and father-in-law, Art and Juliana Vander Ley, her sister-in-law, Cherlyn Christoffels, her brother-in-law, Gary Huxford, and her niece, Teresa Lyon.