Charles "Chuck" Ver Steeg

Rock Valley, IA: Charles “Chuck” Ver Steeg, 90, of Rock Valley, Iowa, passed away Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at Hegg Health Center in Rock Valley. A funeral service will be held Monday, March 16, at 2:30 PM at First Reformed Church of Rock Valley with Rev. Cliff Hoekstra and Rev. Harlan De Jong officiating. The service will be livestreamed at https://www.rvfrc.org/. Burial with military rites will follow at Valley View Cemetery of Rock Valley. Visitation with the family present will be held prior to the service from 1:00-2:00 PM at First Reformed Church.

   In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Rock Valley First Reformed Church Flood Relief Fund. 

   Charles “Chuck” Ver Steeg was born August 14, 1935, at a home in Pope County, Minnesota, to Theodore and Florence Ver Steeg. He was the oldest son of twelve children and was raised on the family farm. One of his favorite childhood memories was working in the field with his father and brothers when they saw their mother waving a white sheet from the house. They hurried home to find her with tears streaming down her face as she shared the joyful news that World War II had ended following Germany’s surrender.

   After finishing 8th grade, Chuck wanted to attend high school but was needed on the farm. It was eventually agreed that he could attend an accelerated high school program in Morris, Minnesota, where he earned his diploma in just 18 months. After graduating, Chuck enlisted in the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1958.

   Following his military service, Chuck traveled to Rock Valley, Iowa, in search of work. One of his first jobs was putting up grain bins. On payday, he would send money home to his parents, and the story has it that his father was questioned when depositing the checks about whether Chuck was robbing a bank.

   In 1958, Chuck met Sandra Jean DeZeeuw. The two were united in marriage on October 13, 1961. Chuck later went to work for Charlie Kooima at Kooima Manufacturing, which eventually became Hayes-Albion. In 1980, Chuck and Leonard Van Otterloo left Hayes-Albion and partnered with two other investors to start Valley Machining.

   In the early days of the struggling business, Chuck traveled to Mexico for two weeks at a time to repair machines that others were unable to fix. Though he did not have a formal engineering degree, Chuck had the mind of an engineer and was later awarded an honorary engineering degree by Dunwoody Institute of Technology. He excelled at creating and constructing solutions even when the necessary components had not yet been invented. He often started by sketching an idea at his desk before setting out to turn it into reality. Under Chuck’s leadership, Valley Machining became a highly successful business and continues to operate today. In 1997, Chuck and his partner, Len, sold VMC to their employees through an ESOP.

   After retiring, Chuck and Sandy spent many years traveling throughout the country in their motor home. Even in retirement, Chuck remained active in the community. In 1997, he joined eleven other Rock Valley investors in recognizing the need for a local bank in Rock Valley, helping to establish Premier Bank, which has since grown to six locations. Chuck greatly enjoyed this endeavor and the relationships it brought.

   Chuck and Sandy were blessed with three children: Gwen, Gail, and Todd. They raised their family in a Christian home. They faithfully attended church twice each Sunday and once during the week. Even on family vacations, they made it a priority to attend church wherever they went. They were members of First Reformed Church, where Chuck served as a deacon and elder for many years.

   Chuck and Sandy spent many evenings and weekends cheering on their children and grandchildren in their athletic and musical activities throughout high school and college. Chuck was an incredibly proud father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and treasured every moment he spent with his family.

   Chuck was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on February 6, 2026. During his time in hospice care, he was blessed with five precious weeks surrounded by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The day before he died, all seven of Chuck’s living siblings gathered at his home to share memories, laughter, Scripture, and prayer. It was a deeply meaningful day for the entire family. He was admitted to Hegg Health Center later that evening and died there within 24 hours on March 11, 2026.

   Chuck will be remembered as a humble and generous man who faithfully served his Lord, family, church, and community. Chuck is survived by his wife of 64 years, Sandy; their three children, Gwen (Scott) Starkweather of Orange City, Iowa; Gail (Kevin) Negaard of Sioux City, Iowa; and Todd (Tricia) Ver Steeg of Kennesaw, Georgia; and special nephews, Alan Ver Steeg of Rock Valley and Phillip Bonnema of Prinsburg, Minnesota.

   He is also survived by his grandchildren, Brady (Makenzie) Starkweather, Trevor (Daisy) Starkweather, Jena (Dr. Jon) Nilles, Dr. Matt (Brianna) Negaard, Megan (Aaron) Tysseling, Jordan (Kylen) Ver Steeg, Jameson Ver Steeg, Grace Ver Steeg, and Gabriel Ver Steeg. His great-grandchildren include Koa and Lucy Starkweather; Solomon and Bowen Nilles; Asher and Ada Tysseling; Madelynn and Carver Negaard, and Crosby and Susie Starkweather.

   Chuck is also survived by his siblings, Jean Johnson, Delores (Whitney) Long, Nelva McAdams, Tony Ver Steeg, Ken (Tres) Ver Steeg, Bob (Joanne) Ver Steeg, and Deb Ver Steeg. He was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Florence Ver Steeg; his in-laws, Gilbert and Alvina DeZeeuw; brothers, Clarence and Doug Ver Steeg; sisters, Anna Mae Evink and Darlene Kone; sisters-in-law, Winerva and Bernie Ver Steeg; brothers-in-law, Conrad Evink, John Bonnema, Harold McAdams, and Ron Johnson; and nephews, Theron Ver Steeg and Kevin Evink.