Cecelia Van Gorp, Mitchell

Cecelia Van Gorp, 100, Mitchell, died Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, at Avera Brady Health and Rehab in Mitchell.

She was born July 5, 1912.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the First Reformed Church in Mitchell.

Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery.

Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the First Reformed Church.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Cecelia Margaret Van Gorp was born at Stickney, to Ernest and Minnie (Woerner) Zaegel.

At age 6 she moved to Mitchell with her parents where she attended school and graduated from Mitchell High School.

On June 5, 1927, she was confirmed at the First Lutheran Church in Mitchell.

On Oct. 24, 1932, she married Neal Van Gorp at Modesto, Calif. They moved to Stickney and farmed there for 37 years.

She was a member of the Aurora Center Reformed Church where she was a church organist for many years, was a member of the Ladies Aid and taught Sunday school. She was also a 4-H Leader.

They moved to Mitchell in 1968 where she was a member of the First Reformed Church, the Hannah Circle and taught Vacation Bible School. She enjoyed making Afghans, quilts, gardening and was a RSVP volunteer.

She is survived by four sons: Gordon and wife, Norma, of Stickney; Harold and wife, Sylvia, of Aurora, Colo.; Donald and wife, Joan, of San Saba, Texas; John and wife, Pam, of Mitchell; three daughters: Bonnie Maeschen and husband, Norman, of Ethan; Mavis Thompson and friend, Ronald Lapour, of Rapid City; Eileen Moller and husband, Ronald, of Mitchell; 25 grandchildren, 51 great-grandchildren; nine great-great-grandchildren; one step-grandson; two step great-great grandchildren and one step great-granddaughter.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Neal, on Aug. 1, 1987, a daughter-in-law, Norma Van Gorp; a granddaughter, Nancy Gretebeck; a step-grandson, Jeremy Rus; three brothers: Carl, Herman and Ervin Zaegel; and three sisters: Anna Drews, Katherine Bruinsma and Emma Zaegel.

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