John Van Der Laar

John Van Der Laar, 90, died Thursday morning, September 3, 2015, at his home in rural Helena. John was born on November 3, 1924 in Boekel, North Brabant, in the Netherlands to Jacobus and Marie (Linders) van der Laar. He married Henrika (Riek) Rijkers on May 29, 1952 in the Netherlands. They immigrated to the United States two weeks later. Henrika preceded him in death on Jan. 26, 1985. John married Sandra Posey Gerner in 1991 and she died on September 24, 1992. He married Nancy Magrum Dannemiller on June 4, 1994 and they spent 21 happy years together. Nancy survives him. John was a retired Scott Township farmer who was best known in the area for his work on behalf of people who suffer from mental illness and their families. He founded the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI of Seneca, Sandusky, and Wyandot Counties) in 1988, after his son David was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He received the first annual Ray of Hope Award from the affiliate in 2004. He served as a trustee on the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Sandusky, and Wyandot Counties for 9 years. He was a NAMI Ohio board member, an Ohio Department of Mental Health advisory committee member, and a member of the Memorial Mental Health Unit advisory group. He led NAMI family support groups in 3 counties for 13 years. He received the Leadership Sandusky County Board Member of the Year Award for his work on the NAMI Board. He was a tireless fundraiser for NAMI, organizing a winning team for the NAMI Walk each year, including this past spring. He continued to be a dedicated advocate for NAMI's mission, even during his recent illness, never missing an opportunity to educate the doctors and nurses who ministered to him in the hospital and the hospice workers in his home. He was a devoted member of St. Mary's Church in Millersville, including the Holy Name Society, Christian Family Movement, Lakota Ecumenical Discussion Group, Parish Council president, and facilitator of Bible and Religious Education Study Groups in Millersville and Bradner. He served on the Toledo Diocesan Assembly and the Diocesan Pastoral Council. He was a member of the Cursillo Movement and the Charismatic Renewal. He was also a member of Tiffin Area Pax Christi. He was ordained a deacon by the Diocese of Toledo in 1982 and served at St. Mary's until he left the diaconate to remarry after the death of his wife Riek. He was granted laicization by the Vatican. As a member of the Human Rights Commission of the Diocese of Toledo, he represented the Equal Access Committee at a Vatican Conference on Church and People with Disabilities held in Rome in the early 90's. John was a great believer in the value of support. In addition to NAMI family support groups, he also led a Single Again support group and was a Beginning Experience Team member providing diocesan retreats for widowed and divorced Catholics. He strongly believed that as we share our grief we heal both others and ourselves. He was a Scott Township Trustee from 1978 - 1986. He was a 4H advisor and a member of Farm Bureau and many local farm organizations. He graduated with a degree from the Landbouw Winter School in the Netherlands and proceeded to work in forestry and soil conservation. When he and his first wife Riek came to this country they lived for a year in Wisconsin and then moved to Hinckley, Ohio where John managed a dairy farm. He was active at St. Ambrose Church in Brunswick where he organized a school bus company to bring children from Hinckley to St. Ambrose School, because he valued Catholic schooling for his children. In 1963, he and his family moved to Risingsun where John was herdsman for the Norm Phillips farm. In 1966 he and his wife realized their dream and bought a farm in Helena where he raised hogs for many years. For the first 10 years he worked at Brush Wellman while he built up the farm. In 1976 he began farming full time. He is survived by his wife Nancy, his children Josie (Denny) Setzler, Mary Jo (Dan) Wagner, John H.(Kelly) Van Der Laar, all of Fremont; Betty (Brad Mossman) Harrison of Bowling Green; daughter-in-law Jeanine Van Der Laar of Helena (widow of Jim); stepchildren Kathy (Doug) Smith, Sue (Steve) Missig, Gary Dannemiller, all of Fremont; Diane (Mark) Buck, Gibsonburg; Ron Dannemiller, Portland, OR; Linda (Kevin) Crowe, Helena, 18 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 13 step grandchildren, and 4 step great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Stiena Hendriks, and brother, Albert van der Laar, both of the Netherlands and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sons, Jim and David, and by his brothers, Piet and Theo and sister, Anna Kanters. Visitation will be Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015, 1-3 & 5-7 p.m., at the Herman-Kinn-Veh Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Gibsonburg. Mass of Christian Burial will be said on Monday, Sept. 7, 2015, 10:00 a.m., at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Millersville where his body will lie in state beginning at 9:00 a.m. Burial will be at St. Mary Cemetery, Millersville. Memorials may be made to NAMI Seneca, Sandusky, and Wyandot Counties, 428 Croghan St., Fremont or Millersville St. Mary Church, Helena, Ohio.