Darrel Dean Van Ellen

Darrel Dean Van Ellen, 71, of Waterloo, died Monday, January 20, 2014, at NorthCrest Specialty Care in Waterloo. He was born August 18, 1942 in Aplington, Iowa, the son of Ernest and Annie (Buseman) Van Ellen. Darrel served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and worked for thirty-five years as a truck driver for John Deere & Company in Waterloo, retiring on December 31, 1998. He was a member of Waterloo U.A.W. Local 838. Survivors include his daughter, Holly Thovson, of Marshalltown, Iowa; two grandchildren, Kolten (Alex Johnson) Shultz of Dougherty, Iowa and Hannah (Trevor Schutte) Clark of Clinton, Iowa; a great grandchild, William "Little Fart" Schutte; two sisters, Marlene Vanderwerf of Aplington, Iowa and Donna Miller of Conrad, Iowa; his special friend, Carlyn Baugus, of Dike, Iowa, and family friend, Randy Wildeboer. Darrel was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Ronald Van Ellen. Services will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 24, 2014, at Dahl-Van Hove-Schoof Funeral Home in Cedar Falls. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Military honors will be conducted by Cedar Falls AMVETS Post 49. Memorials may be directed to the U.A.W. Local 838 Brown Baggers Fund.