Custom bikes, antique tractors, collector cars to be auctioned in honor of funding mission work

Gary Vanderpol’s feet were firmly planted on the ground. He owned a construction company for about 60 years, scraping away earth so something new could rise. His off-hours were spent on projects that would send him scurrying over prairie and hills: motorcycles, three-wheelers, cars and antique construction equipment.

He also had his eyes on the sky and was a pilot for many years. One of Vanderpol’s favorite activities was making his passengers squeal as he made the plane perform acrobatic movements in the air.

Most importantly, his heart and soul were focused on eternity. His heart for missions expanded after the death of his youngest son, Tom, on Nov. 1, 1998. Tom was a pilot for Mercy Wings; he died when the plane he was co-piloting crashed in Guatemala as he was helping evacuate people from the approach of Hurricane Mitch.

Gary died Nov. 12, 2020, at his home between Harrison and New Holland. He was 81. His family is honoring his wishes with an auction Saturday. Up for sale are Gary’s projects: his custom motorcycles and trikes, his collector cars, antique tractors, construction equipment and more.

All proceeds from the sale will go to the Tom Vanderpol Memorial Fund set up by his parents, Gary and Pat, after Tom’s death. The memorial fund was created to help teenagers afford to take part in youth mission trips, support individual missionaries and fund mission projects worldwide.

“As we look back, we can see a lot of good that has come from it,” Pat Vanderpol said.

Tom had been called to mission work as a young boy, said his sister-in-law, Nancy Vanderpol of Geddes. Tom was 12 or 13 when she married his oldest brother, Steve, and he became like a younger sibling to her too.

“He just always made the right choices in life even as a teenager because he had made a commitment to give his life to the Lord as a young boy,” Nancy said. “He felt called into missions early, specifically as a pilot. He already got his pilot’s license when he was in high school.”

Tom attended a Bible college before training with Moody Aviation in Chicago and Tennessee. He not only was licensed to fly but also could take care of an aircraft’s mechanics.

Gary’s interest in flying also began early, Steve Vanderpol said. His father first soloed in the early 1960s, but Gary never got his license until his sons pursued theirs in the 1980s. The family includes Gary and Pat’s third son, Dave and his wife Cyndee of Harrison, and their daughter, Laurinda of Sioux Falls. Gary’s interest in mechanical things also included planes, and at various times he owned a Cessna that needed painting, a Cub that required recovering and several biplanes waiting for repairs.

As his kids grew older, going to car shows such as the annual event in Canton became a family outing. One year, daughter Laurinda took one of his cars there, Gary brought his trikes, and other family members also participated.

“Dad liked to show off a little bit anyway,” Steve said. “He was pretty proud of everybody.”

Nancy described her father-in-law as “larger than life,” both in person and in personality. His earth-moving company meant he worked with big equipment, his hobbies led Gary to create big toys, and he was big in stature.

His dad pushed, Steve said. He’d have ideas and want to get them done right away.

“That’s how he got so much done,” Steve said. “He worked hard and taught his boys to work hard.”

Her husband’s imagination led him to take parts from one vehicle and combine it with others to make something unique, Pat Vanderpol said. He spent thousands of hours on his creations. The only thing to top his big imagination? His big heart.

“He loved children, and children loved him. When we lost our youngest son, that broke his heart, but that sent us into supporting missions. One of the quotes our son claimed comes from Jim Elliott: ‘He is no fool that gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’ That’s part of what Gary’s doing now. He built these vehicles and restored them, and he wants the proceeds to help missionaries and people to come and know the Lord around the world.”

Tom was 28 when he died in the plane crash. According to news reports from the time, Tom was co-piloting a twin-engine DC-3 as part of the Texas-based ministry Living Water Teaching and Mercy Wings. He and his wife, Renae, had served in Guatemala since 1995. They were the parents of 11-month-old Shayla, and expecting a second daughter.

The Vanderpols remain active with Living Waters. Every Christmas they collect shoeboxes filled with necessities and toys for the children. But Gary focused not only on working with the mission in Guatemala but also primary schools in the Philippines and India.

“Dad grew up like a lot of us in the area, going to church, and historically he always understood that Jesus lived and died,” Steve said. “But after a weekend retreat in the late ’80s, he saw how Jesus suffered and died, and that was personal. It wasn’t just a historical fact, but Jesus died for him. He was still intense, but he had a tenderness of heart he didn’t have before.”

“But not perfect,” Pat interjected.

“No, not perfect,” her son agreed.

Gary likely would have laughed at his family’s assessment. He likely would have agreed. For over 81 years, he had come to understand perfection is not to be found, not on this earth. What you can ask for, what you can expect, is an opportunity to help others.

For as long as you can.

About the auction

The Gary Vanderpol auction will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 14, at 26406 377th Ave. near Harrison. Learn more about the auction here. Proceeds will support the Vanderpol Memorial Fund for Missions. It was established in memory of Gary and Pat Vanderpol’s son, Tom, who was a missionary.