Mark Van Roekel, son of Al and Marie Van Roekel, grew up in Pella, holding the usual succession of jobs as a youth, from delivering Town Criers, to working at the Pella Nursery, for the City Parks Department, and for Pizza Ranch. But he also worked at Garden Chapel Funeral Home, washing cars, mowing the law, helping at services, observing. Little did he know then he was to become the full-time funeral director there in September of 2007.
After graduating from Pella High School in 2001, he entered the pre-medical program at the University of Northern Iowa. In his senior year, though, he switched to biology and teaching. When his grandparents died, he "really loved the service aspects" of the funerals, and considered going into the ministry.
Instead, he went to Mortuary School at Des Moines Area Community College, the only mortuary school in Iowa, according to Van Roekel. He was in their second graduating class. To attend mortuary school you must have two years of undergraduate education, then will spend one year in mortuary school and one year in a mortuary internship. Mortuary classes consist of "a lot of biology courses, pathology, embalming, restorative art, funeral home management, mortuary regulations, and grief management," among others.
While going to DMACC, he met through friends Angie Vander Leest from Sully, a Central College graduate and high school art teacher in Creston. They married in July, 2007. She is a substitute teacher in the area now, works in Pella's after-school art program, and helps at Garden Chapel.
Garden Chapel averages about fifty funerals a year. The funeral home can do four simultaneous visitations, three easily. The facility has a casket display room holding eighteen to twenty caskets, as well as miniature vaults, from cement to solid bronze or copper.
The funeral industry is highly regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Public Health Board of Mortuary Scientists. The industry tries to keep the consumer well informed. Hidden fees are prohibited. There are rigorous Occupational Health and Safety Administration standards. Continuing education for funeral directors is a must. "Iowa is proactive on the regulatory front," says Mark. "The pre-needs system is highly regulated as well." Mark is a member of the Iowa and National Funeral Home Directors Associations, and is active on the Young Funeral Directors Advisory Committee.
Funerals cost from $6000 to $35,000, with "most averaging about $10,000," according to Mark. There are fees for the casket, vault, use of the funeral home, cemetery fees, perhaps a crematorium. "Cremation is growing at about 1% a year," reports Mark, "but having a service and viewing before the cremation to say good-by makes it real and helps the family in the long run."
Because of the nature of the business, the director is "always on call. I can't be more than an hour away from the funeral home," says Mark. And that is what he will say is the worst part of the job - never knowing your schedule. "You can be called out at 2:00 a.m. to the Comfort House or to the hospital. That part's been an adjustment for Angie."
What Mark likes best, though, is working with the families. "It's a unique opportunity for me to meet families at their lowest time, times of great stress. We want to honor their loved one. That's what the industry is fundamentally about - family, honoring the family member, putting the pieces back together and reforming the family."
Mark's goal is to "make improvements at Garden Chapel with more personalized options, and to make sure I'm making things as easy as possible for families. I am really excited to be back in Pella, serving the families I know."
Garden Chapel is governed by a board of eight local citizens. They meet once a month for updates and to review finances. From Feb. to Sept. of 2007, when Garden Chapel was without a director, they ran the funeral home.
In his spare time, Mark enjoys golfing, biking, yard work, anything outdoors. He reads from Hemingway, Jack London, and John Eldridge. A high school soccer player, he enjoys watching sports on television. Together, he and Angie work with a church youth group of five high school freshmen young men, having weekly Bible studies, throwing birthday parties and a Super Bowl party, and doing service work. They will participate in Third Church's trips to St. Louis, Mexico, and/or Compton, CA to help build houses.
Garden Chapel Funeral Home gladly gives tours to school children and participates in Hospice training. If you have questions or concerns, you may contact Mark at 628-2430.
