John "Bud" Van Ravenswaay, 79, of Kissimmee, Florida, formerly of Sioux Center, IA, died Sunday, January 17, 2010 in Florida.

Visitation will be held Friday from 4-8PM with the family present from 5-7PM at Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.

A Funeral Service will be held Saturday at 10:30AM at Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center with Reverend Tanner Smith officiating. Interment will follow the funeral in Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center.



John “Bud” Van Ravenswaay was born in Sioux Center, Iowa on November 5, 1930, the son of Joe and Dena (Vande Hoef) Van Ravenswaay. He lived in Sioux Center until he joined the Navy in 1951.

In February, 1956, he married Patricia Steffen. The couple operated a dairy farm in the Sioux Center area until 1962, at which time they moved to a farm near Remsen, Iowa. John and Pat had two daughters, Donna and Sandra.

John moved to Boca Raton, Florida in 1973, where he later married his second wife, Nelva (Dolieslager-Roos) Van Ravenswaay. While in Florida he worked in the construction field until his retirement in 1997. John later moved to the Kissimmee, Florida area to be closer to his family.

John maintained a very active status with the VFW, American Legion and Eagles. He was a very skilled carpenter, welder and farmer over the years. Anybody who needed something done, knew they could go to John. While living in Florida, he had a love for growing orchids.

Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Donna and Chet Berry and their two daughters: Cassie and Lacey all of Kissimmee, Florida; daughter, Sandra (Haggard) Sider and her two children: Gavin and Kaily of Keller, Texas; his first wife Pat; four sisters-in-laws: Ruth (Rich), Lena (Adrian), Sadie (Gary), Lila (Don) and numerous nieces and nephews.