Services
Obituary
Dennis E. VerHelst, 78, of Belmond, passed away on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Belmond.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 1207 3rd Street Northeast, in Belmond. Burial will be in St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Belmond.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 PM on Monday, November 25, 2024, with a Rosary and Scriptural Wake starting at 4:00 PM, at Ewing Funeral Home, 111 Luick’s Lane South in Belmond. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Tuesday.
Dennis Earl VerHelst was a loving husband, an adoring father, an extremely proud grandfather, a dedicated Vietnam veteran, a dear friend, and an amazing human being.
Dennis VerHelst was born on April 22nd, 1946 in Mason City, IA to parents Ida Rose (Olinger) VerHelst and Earl Leslie VerHelst. He was the oldest of three siblings: himself, Deb Sankey of Fort Dodge, IA, and Dean VerHelst of Algona, IA. He started school in Belmond, IA, and moved to Clarion, IA as a sophomore, where he later graduated high school in 1965. Uncle Sam drafted him in November of 1965, and after a short training period, he went to fight for our country in Vietnam. He later completed his two-year service period in the parts depot at Fort LeonardWood in Missouri. He was a hired man at “The Ranch” west of Dows, IA.
He happily married Donna Rae Rink on April 21, 1968, and had two wonderful children, Troy and Katie. In the 27 years that he farmed, he spent five of those years on a large dairy farm in Austin, Minnesota. He also drove semis on and off for various businesses. After moving to Belmond, IA, in 1998, he worked for American Woods and followed up with Wright County Motors as a service tech until his retirement in 2016.
He and Donna loved going on cruises in their Corvette and spending happy hour on the deck with the neighbors. He loved his green machinery, his collie dogs, and being a eucharistic minister at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. They also loved watching their children and granddaughters grow up.
He suddenly and peacefully passed away on November 21st, 2024 surrounded by his family in Belmond, IA. He leaves behind a loving family, including his wife of 56 years, Donna VerHelst; his son, Troy (Gloria) VerHelst; his daughter, Katie (Marc) Schlichting; three beautiful granddaughters, Morgan Schlichting (Alex Ferdinand), Briana VerHelst, and Piper Schlichting; his younger sister, Deb Sankey; his younger brother, Dean VerHelst; his brother-in-law Dennis Rink; and numerous friends that felt like family.
He is preceded in death by both of his parents, Earl and Ida VerHelst; his brother-in-law, Thomas Sankey; his sister-in-law, Sandra VerHelst, his mother and father-in-law, W.M. and Florence Rink, and numerous aunts and uncles.
He will be dearly missed by those who had the good fortune of knowing and loving him.