Verlyn Leroy Kooi was born on January 20, 1952 to Randall and Margaret (Jansen) Kooi in Sioux City, Iowa.  He was baptized in the Lebanon, Iowa, Christian Reformed Church.  He attended Inwood Christian Grade School and Western Christian High School in Inwood, Iowa, finishing his high school education at Southwest Christian High School in Edgerton, Minnesota.  At the age of 16, the family moved to Hardwick, Minnesota, where his father married Mary (Pool) Kooi.  Verlyn attended Southwest Minnesota State University for one year before switching to the vocational school in Pipestone.  He graduated with a two-year diploma in auto mechanics.  On October 5, 1979, Verlyn was united in marriage to Brenda Zeinstra at the First Christian Reformed Church in Edgerton, and through this union they were blessed with four children. 

In his adult life, Verlyn worked at Co-op Oil, Roelofs Implement, and OK Repair in Edgerton.  In January of 1993, Verlyn started his own tractor repair business, Kooi’s Repair.  He spent 22 years at Kooi’s Repair fixing many tractors, doing numerous truck inspections, and teaching his kids good work ethics, and sharing many cans of pop and laughs with them. 

Verlyn was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church in Edgerton where he served as a deacon.  He loved to volunteer.  He was a Cedets leader for his sons.  Being the Emergency Director and Chief Weather Spotter in Edgerton for years was important to Verlyn.   He also served on the Edgerton Fire Department for 28 years which was his “call of duty.”  Verlyn enjoyed reading,  history, paintballing, playing Xbox, hunting with his friends, playing softball, and traveling with Brenda and his family.  The grandkids remember their Papa by his love of Case tractors, rides in the fire truck, his horse bites, and always having a lap to sit on. 

Verlyn is lovingly remembered by his wife, Brenda; four children, Shannon (Jason) Beal of Mankato, Minnesota, Jordan (Jill) Kooi of Brandon, South Dakota, Caitlin (Greg) Arp of Edgerton, and Kellen (fiancé, Kaila Hamann) Kooi of Edgerton; eight grandchildren, Savannah, Rowan, and Jovienne Beal, Paislyn Kooi, Keaton, Tucker, and Bergen Arp, and Kaenen Kooi; his father, Randall Kooi; mother-in-law, Marie Zeinstra, and loving siblings, nieces, and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his mother, Margaret Garretson; step-father, Ken Garretson; step-mother, Mary Kooi; father-in-law, Bernie Zeinstra; one brother-in-law, Monte Zeinstra; and one grandson, Wilson Arp.