Carolus “Karel” Van De Heijning, 71, of Custar, Ohio, passed away on March 1, 2019, at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. He was born to Adriaan van de Heijning and Anna Hoefmans on April 24, 1947 in Baarle-Nassau, Netherlands.
Karel served in the Belgium Army for one year after high school, and then began working on his family’s farm in Baarle-Hertog, Belgium. When Karel started on the farm, they had chickens and dairy cows. Over the years the farm expanded, started to focus only on dairy cows, and changed locations. In 1995 the farm moved to Bree, Belgium. In 2005, Karel and his family moved to the USA and built Reyskens Dairy in Custar, Ohio. Karel was proud of their family farm and was passionate about his work as a farmer. He worked on the farm until the end of his life.
Karel married Mariette Verheijen in 1974, and together they had two sons, Patrick and Mark. Karel was a loving, devoted husband and father. One of his greatest joys was becoming an “Opa”. Karel enjoyed many adventures with his grandsons around the farm and will be sorely missed.
Karel was preceded in death by his parents and his grandson, Adam Van De Heijning. Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Mariette Verheijen, sons Patrick Van De Heijning of Rudolph, Ohio, and Mark (Betsey) Van De Heijning of Bowling Green, Ohio, sisters Maria (Fons) Van De Heijning of Brasschaat, Belgium and Jeanne Van De Heijning of Merksplas, Belgium, grandsons Nolan Barber, Luke Van De Heijning, and Tommy Van De Heijning, and many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday March 7, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 150 S. Enterprise St. Bowling Green, Ohio 43402. Father Mark Davis will officiate. Interment will follow at Wingston Cemetery in Rudolph, Ohio. Visitation will be held Thursday from 12:00 – 12:45 p.m. at Dunn Funeral Home, located in the Historical District of Bowling Green at 408 West Wooster St.
Memorial contributions may be given in his memory to Wood County 4-H.
To share an online condolence with the Van De Heijning family please visit www.dunnfuneralhome.com.
