Katherine “Katie” Ten Pas, 99, of Oostburg, passed away on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Pine Haven Christian Communities – Haven Drive.
Katie was born on January 16, 1927, to James and Lucille (Van De Wege) Van Stelle on a farm west of Sheboygan. She attended the one-room school, with her siblings making up half of the students. She grew up helping on the family farm during the depression years. Over the years, Katie worked at Rocky Knoll Sanitarium, Wolf Laundry, Musebeck Shoe Co., as an aide at a nursing home, in home care nursing, and helped her daughter at Village Shoe Service.
On May 7, 1948, she was united in marriage to Robert Ten Pas at her parent’s home in Sheboygan. Together they had three children: Vonda, Suzette, and Brent. Once their children were out of the house, they had a foster daughter, Penny, who lived with them for 4 years until she was 18. Katie and Bob enjoyed camping all around the state and traveling to Marco Island, FL and spending time in Arizona, visiting their son, Brent.
Katie was a member of Oostburg CRC, where she served as a Girl’s Club leader (now GEMS), a teacher in Friendship Ministries, and was a member of Martha Society. She was a member of Oostburg Christian School Circle and worked at the Good As New. Katie worked for World Renew (formerly CRWRC) and volunteered at the Salvation Army Free Clinic. She was also a member of the Pine Tree Quilters Guild.
Katie enjoyed crafting, quilting, and fishing. She loved baking for the grandchildren and spending time with them and her great-grandchildren. In recent years, she enjoyed planting sunflowers in the Pine Haven courtyard and being a duck mama to Martha, a mallard duck, who built her nests in the Fellowship courtyard for 3 years.
Katie is survived by her daughters, Vonda (Mark) Style of Grandville, MI and Suzette Veldboom of Oostburg; son, Brent Ten Pas of Prescott, Arizona; grandchildren, Jill Crame (partner Christopher Barlekamp), Joy (Joel) Bundy, Jodi (Brad) Vis, Scott Oonk, Jeff (Amy) Oonk and Nicole (Drew Petry) Krutke; 16 great-grandchildren, Katelyn (Tyler) Hallenbeck, Paige Crame (friend Noah Pizzala), Claire Crame, Megan Crame, Blaine Bundy, Braxton Bundy, Brady (Ally) Vis, Peyton (Sydney) Vis, Sydney Vis (friend Clayton Collins), Carson Vis (friend Olivia In’thout), Ryan Oonk, Joshua Oonk, Estelle Oonk, Elizabeth Krutke, Kayla Petry, and Emmalee Petry; great-great grandchild, William Bronson Vis; sister, Jeanette Taws; nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
Katie is preceded in death by her parents; son-in-law, Eugene Veldboom; grandchild-in-law, Jared Krutke; siblings: Matthew, infant twin brother John, Donald, Harold, James Jr., and Cora.
Private family services will take place and a public celebration of Katie’s life will be held at a later date.
Katie’s family wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staffs at Pine Haven Christian Communities in Oostburg and at Haven Drive, as well as Sharon
S. Richardson Community Hospice for their compassionate care.
Memorials are appreciated in Katie’s name to Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice or Friendship Ministries.
Wenig Funeral Home in Oostburg is honored to serve the Ten Pas Family. Please visit wenigfh.com for more information.
Safely Home
I am home in Heaven, dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over,
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in Heaven at last.
There is work still waiting for you,
So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remaineth–
You shall rest in God’s own land.
When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you Home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting,
Oh, the joy to see you come!
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