Ken Slagter, 82, of Oskaloosa, passed on to glory on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at the Mahaska Health Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa.
Kenneth Eugene Slagter, son of Wilfred John and Josephine (Van Arendonk) Slagter, was born March 4, 1943, in Oskaloosa. At one year of age, the family moved to a farm east of Cedar. He was a 1957 eighth-grade graduate of Cedar Consolidated Schools, and his faith was nurtured and grew at the Cedar Christian Reformed Church. Ken attended Pella Christian High School and graduated in 1961. It was there that he found his sweetheart, Joyce Meinders, and they married on June 19, 1963, at the Leighton Christian Reformed Church. In 1964, they moved to a farm south of Oskaloosa in the Spring Creek area. They later purchased a farm in the area and lived and worked the land for many years. After farming for 30 years, Ken began driving a semi-truck; health issues forced him to give that up, but he was able to continue to drive a bus for William Penn University and The Oskaloosa Community School System.
Ken was an active member of the First Christian Reformed Church; he served the Lord through the church council, the Cadet program, Crossroads Prison Ministry, and the Oskaloosa Christian School Board of Directors. He enjoyed the Dutch Master’s Car Auto Club and traveling with Joyce, especially to Branson, Missouri.
Ken had several health issues, but God graciously restored him; these issues brought him closer to the Lord, and he was very thankful for God’s mercy. His greatest love was for his Saviour, Jesus; his wife of 62 years; his children; his grandchildren; and his great-grandchildren.
His family includes his wife, Joyce; his three children: Nancy (Daryl) Beyer of Knoxville, Jerry (Beth) Slagter of Clive, and Mark (Marcie) Slagter of Oregon, Illinois; ten grandchildren: Jacob (Emma) Beyer, Kent (Morgan) Beyer, Kayla Beyer, Sydney Slagter, Jackson Slagter, Austin (Julia) Slagter, Sadie Miller, Claire Miller, Levi Slagter and fiance, Maya Gomez and Violet Slagter; and six great-grandchildren: Joseph, Isaiah, Laurel, and Adriana Beyer, and Toby and Ken Slagter. As an only child, Ken developed a special love for Joyce’s siblings: Wilma (Eldon) Vander Berg of Sioux Center, IA, Mary (Ed) Groenendyk of Leighton, and Marti Meinders of Pella.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his mother and father-in-law, Everett and Gertrude Meinders, two brothers-in-law, Nick and Ed Meinders.
Funeral Services for Ken will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at the First Christian Reformed Church with Rev. Eric Kamp and Rev. Jonathan Spronk officiating. A Family Prayer Service will be held at 10:15 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Burial will be in Forest Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m., Friday, at the church; the family will greet visitors from 4-6 p.m. Langkamp Funeral Chapel has been entrusted with Ken’s final arrangements. Instead of flowers, the family requests memorials made to Crossroads Prison Ministry, link: https://cpministries.org/donate or the First Christian Reformed Church.
