A Pella firefighter was honored for his years of service after retiring from the department.

Ken Van Woerkom retired at the beginning of this month after 35 years of volunteering with Pella Fire. Chief Doug Van Gorkom says Van Woerkom helped countless people during his more than three decades of service.

“We’re going to miss him, because he’s a very good firefighter and he also liked to have a lot of fun and kept us loose when we needed to be loose, but when he needed to tighten up and do his job, he did a very good job.”

Van Woerkom was honored at the recent Public Safety Appreciation banquet with a plaque containing a firefighter’s axe.