Denise Van Pelt

Denise “Zunkel” Van Pelt 69, of Ogden, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday February 17, 2026, at the Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa.

A visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Community United Methodist Church in Ogden, Iowa, with Denise’s Celebration of Life service to follow at 11:00 A.M. Rev. Heidi Farmer will be officiating. Denise’s wishes were to be cremated. Carson-Stapp Funeral Home in Ogden has been entrusted with arrangements.

Denise was born on May 23, 1956, the daughter of LaVern and Beverly Zunkel. She is one of six girls and the middle child of the famous Boone County Zunkel Triplets. She graduated from Ogden High School with the class of 1975.

Denise was united in marriage to Steve Van Pelt on June 10, 1977, at the Community United Methodist Church in Ogden. 

Denise had multiple jobs throughout her lifetime. At the age of 21, she was employed at Gates Rubber Company for 31 years until the company closed. Upon being laid off, Denise decided to take some time off and work on small projects around her and Steve’s beautiful acreage outside Ogden. She did go back to work after some time off, holding some small kitchen jobs at Pizza Ranch and Whatcha Smokin when those businesses first opened. In 2011, she began working for ISU in the janitorial services. She loved working at ISU as it was like being a mother to 1000s of kids. Shortly after Steve’s passing in 2016, Denise again took some time to travel with her sisters during the summer and again do more home projects. She finished her working career at the Boone Community Schools in their Food Service Department; she loved being a Lunch Lady. Denise finally fully retired on January 1, 2026, due to a newly diagnosed health issue. 

Denise loved gathering with her large families, the Zunkel and Van Pelt clan. She and Steve had two daughters together and they spent lots of time following those girls in sports starting with Elementary T-Ball clear up to College Basketball and Softball. She also had a big love for her lawn (mowing), sports, and the ISU Cyclone, particularly Audi Crooks. Very rarely did she miss a game whether it was on TV or she had to pin it to her phone. 

Denise was preceded in death by her parents, LaVern and Beverly Zunkel; her grandparents, Ted and Ethel Baedke and Clifford and Marie Zunkel; husband Steve Van Pelt; her father & mother-in-law Roger & Jo Zunkel; and her identical triplet sister Deanna Leichliter.

Survivors include her daughters, Amy (Lindsy) Van Pelt of West Des Moines; Nicole (Troy) Showers of Boone; four sisters, Patty (Ken) Caldwell of Jacksonville, FL; Vicki (Steve) Harper of Rockwell City, IA; Cindy Kennedy of Des Moines, IA; and Debbie (Rick) Gustoff of Boone, IA; grand-pups Bella, Irie, Mayor; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. 

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.