Louis Christoffels, 81, of Seal Beach, CA, formerly of Edgerton, died Oct. 20, 2000 at Los Alamos, CA.
Louis was born September 30, 1919, in Woodstock, MN. He was the son of Gerrit and Lucy (Vander Streek) Christoffels. He married Bertha Spronk, December 11, 1942, in Steen, MN.
He attended country school and grew up on the family farm. His father died when he was two years old and during his childhood, he was a farm hand for his bothter and sisters. He worked in dairies in California until he joined the Army during World War II. He was in the 90th Division of the Army in the European Theater and participated in the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge as a truck driver. He was discharged in 1945 and farmed near Steen, MN and later bought a farm near Hardwick, MN. He sold the farm in the early 70s and became a feed salesman in Edgerton. He retired and moved to Seal Beach, CA in 1988. There he drove a bus and enjoyed working in his garden and visiting with his friends.
He professed his faith and was a member of the Steen Reformed Church, was a member of the Bethel Christian Reformed Church of Edgerton where he served as a deacon. Recently he was a member of the Bethany CRC of Bellflower, CA. He served in various committees in his churches and the Christian School. He was a member of the Edgerton VFW.
Surving are his wife Bertha and children, sons; LeRoy and Dorothy of Worthington, MN, Dwayne and Pat, Virgil and Cherlyn of Sioux Falls, SD. daughters Markay and Dave of Denver, CO. Twyla and Elroy VanderLey of Bellflower, CA, and Meredith and Greg Dekker of Phoenix, AZ: sister, Lucy (Bertus) De Groot of Edgerton, MN, Brothers-in-law Dries Fikse, Ray (Mona) Roozeboom, Gerrit (Daisy) Spronk; sisters-in-law, Trina, Effie, and Ann Christoffels; twenty grand children and 4 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Emmett, John, Andrew, Henry and sisters; Emma Van Epps, Henrietta Fikse, Jen VandenHeuvel, one granddaughter Teresa Lyon and several infant brothers.