Arnold De Kam

Arnold J. De Kam, son of the late John Peter and Margaret (Schelhaas) De Kam, was born March 28, 1931. He passed away on February 7, 2025, at the age of 93.

Arnold was the second of seven children and was raised on the family farm near Edgerton, Minnesota. He attended Edgerton Christian Elementary through eighth grade and worked on family farms near the Edgerton area.

From February 1952 through November 1953, Arnold served in the United States Army, active duty in the Korean War. He earned a medal of bravery for saving a fellow serviceman. Upon returning from Korea, he was united in marriage to Annetta “Faye” DeKruif on February 12, 1954. They lived on different farms in the Edgerton and Chandler areas and were blessed with four children.

In 1981, Arnold and Faye retired from dairy farming and moved to Mountain Grove, Missouri. In Missouri, Arnold started off doing construction work and eventually purchased a truck and became a long-distance truck driver. This had been something he had always wanted to do. He and Faye enjoyed lots of trips together as he worked as a truck driver. 

Arnold accepted the Lord, Jesus Christ, as his Savior at a young age and was a man with a deep Christian faith that he openly shared with everyone. His family members knew they were covered continually in his prayers. His godly example left a legacy to all who knew him. Arnold served faithfully at Chandler Reformed Church in Minnesota and continued his service at First Baptist Church in Mountain Grove, Missouri. He enjoyed coaching the church softball leagues and using his talents to help with the building project at his church in Mountain Grove. He lived out his faith with a gentle demeanor and a servant’s heart. 

Arnold enjoyed spending his time with his children and grandchildren and spending time outdoors. He loved walking, riding his horses, and enjoying trail rides with other horseback enthusiasts. He and Faye traveled their entire life. During the early years, they would spend the off season of farm life traveling the United States with his brother and sister-in-law. After retirement, they spent the winters in Texas and enjoyed a lot of overseas travel, even visiting his family heritage area of the Netherlands.

Besides his parents, Arnold was preceded in death by three brothers, John, Harold, and Elmer; two sisters, Nelvina and Laura; and many brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. 

Arnold is survived and lovingly remembered by his wife of seventy-one years, Faye; four children, Rod (Marilyn) De Kam, Randy (Angie) De Kam, Gary (Elaine) De Kam, and Joan Jones; seven grandchildren, Brian, Katie, Ashley, Chase, Corey, Tucker, and Ellie; eleven great-grandchildren; one sister, Marlys (John) Bouw; four sisters-in-law, Hennie De Kam, Evelyn Runia, Adrianne DeKruif and Viola Dekruif; and many other relatives and friends who will miss him greatly.