Bobby (later to be known as "Van")
with his Grandma Van about 1944

Pictures from Bobby's school days @ Hay Elementary.

Bob, Rich, John (their mother's "3 Wise Men") with Edward & Martha

Van, Claudia, and his dog "Duke" at Van's Austin, IL home - 1962.

Van & Claudia's Wedding - two pictures overlapped:
Claudia's Grandmother and Parents (left)
Van & Claudia exchanging rings (right)

Claudia & Van - April 6, 1963

Van's ordination 1966.

Van's first picture as a minister - 1966

John & Van playing in 1966.

Van holding Mara on her baptism day
with Grandpa Van (left) & Grandpa Hutton (right) June, 1969

Van by the stained glass windows in Cambridge, IL - about 1977.

Van & brother Rich - 1986

Van officiating the marriage of his neice, Ellyn to Nick Gaich in San Diego approx. 1979.

Van baptising his great-nephew, Justin Gaich in San Diego in the mid-1980s.

John (brother), Van, John (son)
watching a Cub game? 1986

Van & Claudia dancing at their "surprise" 25th Wedding Anniversary celebration at Grace Lutheran - 1988

Grace Lutheran celebrates Van's 25th Ordination Anniversary - 1991

It was a SURPRISE! Mara came home from college and other people came walking into church from Van's past.

Van met John in Hawaii and they set sail on the USS Juneau back to San Diego on the Tiger Cruise - 1991

Typical Van - being silly with the acolyte (Ross Berger) and crucifer (Steven Audet) of the day

Van on the field in LA at the Dodger's vs Cubs "Lutheran Night"

Top: John, Blythe & Van @ a Rutgers celebration
Bottom: Van, Fran Rutgers (Aunt), & brother John
after 1994

Top: Van & Claudia at Mara's graduation from Indiana University (Masters in Higher Ed) - May, 1996
Bottom: Van in lederhosen celebrating rootbeer and peanuts in Decatur, IL - about 1980

Van's last parish (1985-1997)
Grace Lutheran Church, Culver City, CA
(also where Chris & Mara were married in 2004)

Bryan, Karen, Joey, Claudia, Mara, & Van. The last photo we have of Van on Easter Sunday, 1997 - he passed away about 10 days later.

Mom and Uncle John revealing the memorial plaque.

In front of the memorial plaque at the dedication:
(front row, l-to-r) Saturn Van de Ven, Claudia Van de Ven, John Van de Ven, Dr. Ann Mohrbacher, Mara Violanti, Fran, Kitty Quackenbush
(back row, l-to-r) John Mark Van de Ven, Judy Hutton, Rex Hutton, Pastor Jim, Dolores (back row)

Dr. Mohrbacher talking about the latest info on myeloma research and stem cell leukemia just after the plaque dedication.