William Van Slageren a longtime resident of Clear Lake passed away Thursday, April 4, 2002 at his home with his loving wife Beverly and son Dirk, daughter Barbara and grandaughter Colleen by his side at the age of 70 years. He was born April 19, 1931 in Hynes, California to Peter and Edna DeVries Van Slageren. Willie William was the oldest of 5 children. At the age of 3 his parents moved back to Holland. Two years later Willie and his family returned to California where he lived to the age of 10. He and his family then moved to Washington State to the Kent area and then on to the Skagit Valley. Willie graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1949. Upon graduation Willie went to Holland and spent a year with his grandparents. Willie was then inducted into the US Army in 1952 and was stationed in Germany. William married Beverly Fox on November 23, 1956 in Clear Lake and they lived in Conway till 1963 until moving to their current home in Clear Lake. Willie worked for over 40 years in the commercial fishing industry. Most of those years were in Southeastern Alaska for Wards Cove Packing Co. Willie loved to read about the history of the fishing industry and also of the Skagit Valley. Willie was a member of the Mount Vernon First Christian Reformed Church and the American Legion Post #147 in Conway. Willie retired from Wards Cove in 1999 due to health and spent much of his retirement time at his sons’ dairy farm in Granger. William loved to travel and he and Bev were able to take a trip to Costa Rica and the Panama Canal in 2001. His last remaining weeks were spent with his children and friends. Willie was preceded in death by his mother and father, his brother John, and stepmother Bette Jo . Willie leaves behind his wife of 45 years Beverly Van Slageren of the family home in Clear Lake. His children; daughter Beverly Koopmans and her husband John and their children Stephan, Corinne, Caleb, Micah, and Joel Peter of Zillah, WA; daughter Barbara Boze and her husband Jim and their children James, Colleen, and John of Stanwood, WA; son Dirk Van Slageren and his wife Carol and their daughter Cobi of Granger, WA; son Bill Van Slageren of Granger, WA; and a daughter LizBeth Wentz and her husband Mark and their children Adam, Madeline, and BethAnn of Bonney Lake, WA. Two brothers Tom Van Slageren and his wife Nickie of Arlington, WA and Martin Van Slageren of Mount Vernon, WA and a sister Libby Werkhoven and her husband Leroy of Wapato, WA. Numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Monday, April 8, 2002 from 9am to 5pm and 7pm to 8pm at Lemley Chapel. Graveside Services will be Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 11:00 AM at the Clear Lake Cemetery with a Memorial Service to follow at 1:00 PM at the First Christian Reformed Church 701 W. Blackburn in Mount Vernon with Pastor Michael Kooy officiating. Memorials are suggested to Mount Vernon Christian School 820 W. Blackburn Mount Vernon, WA 98273 or Skagit Hospice PO Box 1376 Mount Vernon, WA 98273. Arrangements and Services under the care of Lemley Chapel, Sedro-Woolley.