Kermit "Kerm" De Vries

Inwood, IA: Kermit Leroy De Vries of Inwood, Iowa, passed away on Monday, August 24, 2026, at Whispering Heights in Rock Valley, Iowa, at the age of 84. A funeral service will be held Friday, August 28, at 10:30 AM at Inwood Christian Reformed Church with Nathan Nieuwendorp officiating. The service will be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/@inwoodcrc1270/streams. A luncheon will be held at the church following the service and burial will be held at 1:45 PM at East Lawn Cemetery in Sheldon, Iowa. Visitation with the family present will be held Thursday, August 27, from 5:00-7:00 PM at Inwood CRC.

   Kermit Leroy De Vries was born on September 3, 1941, in Sheldon, Iowa, to Clarence and Cora (Janssen) De Vries. He married Brenda Farnsworth on November 8, 1963, at the Archer Methodist Church in Archer, Iowa. They made their home in Sheldon, and together they had 5 children.

   Kerm spent his childhood as a farm kid near Sheldon. He attended Sheldon Christian School and Western Christian High School. He then became a mechanic for Lou’s Conoco and later for Les Van Beek. Kerm would go on to start De Vries Grinding as a mobile feed grinder for area farmers. In 1969 he began farming with “his right-hand man” Brenda, north of Sheldon where he spent the majority of his livelihood and raised his family. He enjoyed working with his hands and fixing almost anything mechanical, often performing his own repairs on his equipment. Kerm was a member of the Sheldon Christian Reformed Church where he served on the council. He also served on the board of the Ritter elevator and Christian School. He farmed until his retirement in 2005. He was proud of raising his kids on the farm and teaching them life lessons. Kerm enjoyed most things that involved being outdoors. Throughout the years he spent many hours fishing, camping, working with his horses, and doing woodworking projects.

   After retiring, Kerm and Brenda moved to Inwood, Iowa to be closer to family. Upon their move, Kerm and Brenda became members of Inwood Christian Reformed Church. Kerm continued to work side jobs, first for Marlin Faber and later with a local silage crew. He enjoyed going on tractor rides in the area during the summers and spending winters in Texas at Trophy Gardens. Kerm spent countless hours in his garage or shop, always finding something that he thought needed fixing.

   Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 62 years, Brenda; son, Kurt (Kay) De Vries and their children, Bailey (James) Bakker, Riley De Vries and Jacee De Vries; daughter, Kara De Vries and her children, Mia (Damon) Dekkers and Kate Schnabel; son, Kody De Vries and his daughter, Whitney Minter; step-grandchildren, Tamika Eastman, Sierra Eastman, and Torri Neal; 5 great-grandchildren and another due in November; 2 sisters, Mary (Joe) Bosma and Helen Peuse; and 4 siblings-in-law, Wanda (Don) Steffens, Tom Farnsworth, Sandra (Mike) Yost, and Susan (Jerry) Murphy.

   He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Cora De Vries; stepmother, Ann De Vries; and his children, Kami De Vries and Kacy De Vries.