Gerald Van Kovering

Gerald (Jerry) R Van Kovering, age 72, passed away in his residence at 7:45pm March 1st, 2012. Born May 28th, 1939 to Gerhard and Phoebe (Norman) VanKovering, Jerry grew up in Riverdale, Illinois. He, his mother, father, and sister Jean, attended Gano Reformed Church in Roseland, Illinois. Jerry recalls that “if church was open, we were there”! As a young boy, he accepted Jesus at a group, “Youngsters for Christ”, which he and his family participated. Also as a boy, he worked in the fields alongside his grandfather, Jake Norman, doing truck farming. Jerry loved sports, especially basketball. He played the trumpet in band both at Washington Grade School and Thornton Township High School. While he did not care at all for “formal schooling”, he did graduate from high school in 1957 and has since continued his lifelong learning in the “school of hard knocks”! Jerry has always had a passion for vehicles (he distinctly recalls his first car… a 1949 green Chevrolet) and could identify many vehicles by make, model, and year until recently when most vehicles are “look a likes” of one another, no longer having clearly distinctive lines, characteristics, etc. Workwise, Jerry had three places of employment during his working career: Quint Brothers, Hammond, Indiana (carburetor / electrical) – 8 years; Standard Oil, Evergreen Park, Illinois, (car repair clinic) – 14 years; Petro Brothers Chrysler, Warsaw, Indiana (Service Manager) – 27 years… from which he retired in January 2009. Jerry met Janet M. Paul (Uncle Carlyle Paul’s daughter from first wife, Marvel Paul) and they began dating after Gerhard and Phoebe’s 25th wedding anniversary. Jerry and Janet were then married in November 1959. Born to them were Ron A. VanKovering and Shari A. VanKovering. Having attended may Bible conferences and vacationed in the Winona Lake / Warsaw, Indiana area, when Jerry’s job with Standard Oil was eliminated, the family jointly decided to relocate to Warsaw, Indiana in 1979 to be a part of the lake area they all so enjoyed. On April 27, 1982, Janet suffered a cerebral aneurysm, from which she did not survive. Jerry and wife Nancy Crum Herrin, met at the First Presbyterian Church, Warsaw, where both attended, and were united in marriage February 12th, 1983. Jerry and Nancy were privileged to enjoy a wedding trip to Hawaii, the first time ever for Jerry to fly! Their blended family now includes: Ron and Kelly Van Kovering, Zachary, Chloe; Shari(Van Kovering) and Steve Walter, Paul; David and Martha Herrin, Megan, Kevin, Ryan, Katelyn; sister Jean and (spouse Harold) DeVries. Jerry and Nancy have always been active exercisers and fitness enthusiasts. Since March 2011, that lifestyle has been dramatically altered due to Jerry’s diagnosis of Mantle Cell Lymphoma, the treatment for which is chemotherapy. The goal of the treatment is remission of lymphoma, as at present, there is no cure. God ALWAYS has been my life’s director and I continue to trust His leading always and in all ways! Funeral services for Jerry will be held on Monday March 5th, 2012, 11:00am at the McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, Warsaw. Visitation will be on Sunday March 4th, 2012 from 1:00pm to 5:00 pm at the McHatton Sadler Funeral Chapel, Warsaw. Pastor Jeff Pfeifer will be officiating the service. Burial will be at the Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw. Family has asked for memorials to be made out to the Warsaw Community Church or Fellowship Missions.