William "Bill" Roelofs

Bill Roelofs, age 87 of Sioux Center, Iowa died Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.

A prayer service will take place at 9:45 AM Saturday, January 24, 2026, at Central Reformed Church.

A memorial service will be at 10:00 AM, Saturday, January 24, 2026, at Central Reformed Church in Sioux Center, with Reverend Jesse Henkle, officiating.

Livestream of Bill Roelofs service: Bill Roelofs Service

Visitation will be held Friday, January 23rd from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Memorial Funeral Home in Sioux Center.

Memorials may be directed to Heritage Village in Sioux Center or The Central Reformed Church Mission Fund.

William Howard “Bill” Roelofs, 87, died suddenly on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was born August 18, 1938 in Sioux Center, Iowa, to Davis Melvin and Margaret Anna (Dykshorn) Roelofs.

After graduating from Sioux Center High School, Bill attended Northwestern College in Orange City for two years, finished his bachelor’s degree in education at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and after teaching for two years at South Haven, Michigan, he completed a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Adventure was calling so he joined the Peace Corps in Ethiopia, teaching Biology in the University High School in Addis Ababa for two years. Always focused on improving education, he went on to get his Specialist in Education Degree at the University of Iowa, where he met his future bride.

Bill and Dixianna Hardesty were united in marriage on August 29, 1967, in Cresson, Texas, and they made their first home in the resident director’s apartment in a men’s dormitory at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Bill served two years as Dean of Men at Coe College and one year as Head of the Counseling Center at Central College in Pella. In 1970, Bill and Dixie moved to Mussoorie, India where Bill was the Guidance Counselor at Woodstock Christian International School for five years. Their son Brett Ajay was born only three weeks after their arrival in India.

Upon returning from India in 1975, Bill started his 29-year banking career at American State Bank in Sioux Center. In 1976, they purchased his parents’ Roelofs Store, which they owned until 2017. He was a lifelong member (with a few interruptions) of Central Reformed Church as Elder, Deacon, Sunday School Teacher, Choir member, and Missions Committee member.

Son Drew Michael was born in Sioux Center in 1985. Bill, who always enjoyed music, was delighted to give his overwhelming support to his sons’ endeavors, showing up at every concert of theirs and promoting their further education. They attended Brett’s music performances at Central College in Pella, Iowa, as well as those in which he was heavily involved in New York City. Drew entertained them on stage from Wagner College in Staten Island, New York, and around the USA, Canada, and in Central and South America in the traveling Broadway Cats production.

Bill’s other enjoyment included monthly book clubs and discussion groups, daily reading of local and world news, the weekly men’s coffee group, senior swim time at the pool, watching Sioux Center and Iowa ballgames, attending NISO and other music events, feeding the backyard birds and squirrels, and meeting and hosting friends from around the world.

Bill’s volunteer activities included being on the Sioux Center Community School Board and for 30 years being on the New Homestead Board. After retirement he loved being involved at Heritage Village where he helped create the vintage “Roelofs General Store,” patterned after his grandfather’s store.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Dixie; sons, Brett and Drew, all of Sioux Center; sisters, Darlene Mouw (Marion) of Sioux Center, Mary Chapman (Steve) of Superior, Colorado; Norma Vande Bunte of Charlottesville, Virginia; and brother, James Roelofs (Merry Lynn) of Baxter, Minnesota. Also surviving are brother-in-law, Pat Hardesty (Glenda Fontenot) of Bellaire, Texas; nine nephews and nieces, and many great nieces and nephews.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, parents-in-law, and brother-in-law Ron Vande Bunte.