Ann VanBeek, 90, of Akron, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at the Akron Care Center.

A Celebration of Life will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 5, 2024, at Wesley United Methodist Church in Akron.  Interment will be at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, rural Union County, South Dakota.  Visitation with the family present will be from 10:00 a.m. until service time and following the service during a time of lunch and fellowship in the church hall. Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Akron. Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com.

Memorials can be made in Ann's name to the Akron Care Center.

Ann Patricia Bridges, the daughter of Arthur and Winifred (Searle) Bridges, was born on February 11, 1934, in Hanwell, England. She attended school and graduated from high school.

During the Korean War, Ann was a pen pal with the soldiers that were fighting in the war. She caught the eye of young United States Air Force Solider by the name of Peter VanBeek. They were united in marriage on December 29, 1951, in Hanwell, England.

The couple made their home in Bryan, Texas, for seven months. They then moved to Hawarden, Iowa, where they lived for nine years before moving to the Akron area where they farmed in Union County, South Dakota. Peter passed away on August 3, 1988. After Peter passed away, she moved to Akron.

Ann went back to school at Western Iowa Tech in Sioux City where she received her surgical technician degree. She worked at St. Luke's in Sioux City before moving to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she worked for Dow Rummel Nursing Home until her retirement. She moved back to Akron and lived at Ridgewood Apartments.

She was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Akron. Over the years, she enjoyed doing word searches, bowling, and playing solitaire on her phone. Her family and many friends will remember her for her birthday calls. She would call them and sing "Happy Birthday" to each and every one of them.

Survivors include her 5 children: Debbra Heyl (Barry Stahl) of Sioux Falls, SD, Russell (Beth) VanBeek of Aberdeen, SD, Robin (Pat) Pitrello of Green Valley, AZ, Lee Ann (Jeff) Wolf of Mapleton, IA, and Grant (Jodi) VanBeek of Hawarden, IA; 15 grandchildren: Stephany Winston, Lindsey (Tim) Dacy, Cindy (Matt) Niederbaumer, Cristy (Brad) Bunt, Jessica (Matt) Wineland, Nick (Liz) Hansen, Chelsea (Isaac) Jorgensen, Ethan (Samantha) Wolf, Karlee (Colby) Seuntjens, Kenna Wolf, Lauren Wolf, Ashlynn VanBeek, Kendrin VanBeek, Braydon VanBeek, and Emersen VanBeek; 22 great grandchildren; her in laws, Sandra Bridges of Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ, Mary Ann Zhart of Alburnette, IA, and John (Sandy) VanBeek of Irene, SD; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Peter VanBeek; and a brother, Norman Bridges.