KEITH VAN EE

July 12, 1955– April 10, 2025

Keith Vernon Van Ee was born to Vernon and Christine (Dahm) Van Ee on July 12, 1955. Ten years later, he was joined by a sister, Carol. Keith grew up on a farm just west of Peoria. His parents fostered in him a love for the Lord, tending the land and animals, sports, a strong patriotic spirit, and a desire to fly.

Keith grew up in the Peoria CRC where he was baptized and made profession of faith. He went to Peoria Christian School and graduated from Pella Christian High School in 1973. He often said that his time at Dordt College got him three majors: History, Business, and a major in Music by the name of Sue Walhof.

After graduating from Dordt in 1977, Keith and Sue were married on December 27, 1977. They settled in Pella where their family soon grew by Tricia Suzanne on May 16, 1980, and Krystal Faye on February 14, 1982. They were members of Faith Christian Reformed Church from which they have life-long friends. In 1980, Keith left his position at Pella Corp to begin farming with his dad.

In the fall of 1982, they moved to the farm just off from old Highway 102 where they still reside. Keith loved every season of growing crops. In 1978, Keith followed through with his desire to fly, earning his pilots’ license from Roy Vander Waal at the Vander Waal Air Strip by New Sharon. He quickly earned other certifications, and in the 80s he began giving flying lessons at the Pella Airport. He flew with 127 different pilots, giving lessons flight reviews, check rides, and competency checks. He flew occasional trips for De Vries Electric, Pella Corp, Heritage Imports, and Glaco for a few years, and in 1992 he began flying for Vermeer Manufacturing. He was named Chief Pilot and Director of Flight Operations in 2007. He became known for his “safety first” attitude, his attention to detail, and being fiscally conservative (Which FBO has the lowest landing fees? Which has extra costs? Which has the best and most plentiful free cookies?) All of this combined made this newly formed department “take off.”

He retired from Vermeer in 2023, finishing his career with a total of 10,491.1 flight hours. He flew to most of the 48 contiguous states, as well as to Alaska, Canada, and the Bahamas. While he greatly enjoyed his years of flying, Keith’s love for his family and his farm was his heart. He had loved watching his daughters in all of their sports and music activities, and later his attention turned toward his granddaughters and their activities.

When Keith and Sue became empty-nesters, they changed their church membership to Peoria Christian Reformed Church. Here, Keith felt like he was “back at home.” He soon became immersed in various responsibilities and fellowship of the church. As the position at Vermeer began to take more of Keith’s time, his son-in-law Ben became the manager of the farming operation in 2014. Keith enjoyed being the “hired hand” as they expanded the farm to include a cow-calf operation once again. Keith enjoyed calving, naming the ‘permanent residents’ creatively, and simply watching the herd.

In December of 2022, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. While the treatments were difficult, he was able to spend 23 months doing the farming he loved: tending animals, doing some field work, and driving his John Deere 4020. After a courageous battle of 2 years and 4 months, Keith passed to his Eternal Home on April 10, 2025, surrounded by his family on his beloved farm.

Those left to celebrate Keith’s life are his wife Sue, their children Tricia and Chandler Molbert of Minneapolis, Minn., and Krystal and Ben Lefevre of rural Pella; 4 granddaughters; sister and brother-in-law Carol and Bruce Lamfers, in-laws Curt and Kathy Walhof and Karen Walhof, nieces and nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Keith was preceded in death by his parents, Vernon and Christine, his parents-in-law Peter and Florence Walhof, and a brother-in-law, Ed Walhof.