Van Tiger's Married 65 Years

VAN TIGER, LUITJENS, BAUMGARTNER, KRUSE

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 1/8/2011 at 15:03:49

A Grundy Center couple will observe their 65th wedding anniversary on Saturday, Dec. 13th - their entire married life having been lived in the Holland and Grundy Center areas.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Van Tiger have lived at 801 6th St., Grundy Center, since their retirement from their farm north of Holland 23 years ago.

Mr. Van Tiger, in spite of his 86 years, painted his house this past summer and raised a good garden and many lovely flowers. Mrs. Van Tiger, one year younger than her husband, walks with the aid of a walker due to arthritis, so confines her activities to her household duties. She had to give up helping her husband with their garden and flowers when she was stricken with asthma a number of years ago.

Sarah Luitjens and Charles Van Tiger were married at the East Friesland Church parsonage in German Township, Grundy County, by the late Rev. Henry Smith. Charley recalls that there had been a big blizzard a few days before so getting to the church in the horse drawn cutter was real difficult over the big drifts. Their two attendants, the late Mrs. Peter H. Knock and Mrs. Oltman Oltmans, were then called "witnesses." No one else attended the wedding. The couple left by train for Bucklin, Mo. to visit his parents and family on the farm where Charley had lived since he was 7 years old. They remained there for a weeks visit. To get to New London, a distance of 15 miles, to visit his relatives, they drove a two year old frisky colt hitched to a two-wheel cart. The round trip was made without any tip-overs.

The couple began farming on the homestead of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Luitjens, where she was born, Sept. 30, 1884. When reminiscing about her school days at Shiloh No. 3 she said she only went as far as the sixth grade - then her father said, "That's far enough - just so you can count your eggs and figure your groceries." After that she had to stay home to help with the housework. She was one of seven children - four girls and three boys. Four sisters died when very young. She recalls when her three year old sister who had the whopping cough, ran into the yard, choking and gasping for breath and fell dead in her father's arms. She is the last of her family.

Charley - no one ever calls him Charles - was born on a farm near New Boston, Mo., Oct. 2, 1883. In his family there were four boys and four girls. His mother and four sisters were all school teachers. One brother was the late Dr. Henry Van Tiger of Eldora. A bachelor brother, Frank, remains on the home farm between Bucklin and Marceline, Mo. Charley states "There is not a week goes by that we don't write to each other. If you don't write you won't get letters," he chuckles. A sister, Mrs. Mary Richerlson lives at New Boston.

Charley was 17 when he decided to "go up into North Dakota to look for work for the summer." Mid-way through Iowa as he was looking out the train window he saw a woman pitching bundles - he said "Surely I can get work around here" so he got off at the next stop - Cleaves, in Hardin County.

When he asked a young boy where he could get work he was directed up the road to the Jake Christians farm. "He's too fat to work" the boy added. He was hired to pitch oats. His new employer was the husband of one of Sarah's sisters. One day Sarah came to visit her sister. When Charlie saw her for the first time he thought, "That's a nice girl--". But he never thought he'd get her. He returned to Missouri that fall to complete his sophomore year at Marceline High School.

In the spring of 1902 he returned to Iowa and was hired to work on the farm of Willie Luitjen - a brother of Sarah. Of course, Sarah went to visit at her brother's farm - and there she and Charley met and their 2-year courtship began.

Charley believes it was an act of God that caused him to look out of the train window that summer day in 1901 and see the woman pitching bundles which led to his decision to get off at the next stop.

After Charley and Sarah farmed on her parents home place seven years they bought a 160 acre farm north of Holland for $125 an acre-plus $600 a year interest. They lived 35 years on this farm before retiring in 1946. They still own the farm which Charley says is worth $650 an acre today. A year ago he refused a $100,000 cash offer for the farm.

Charley served as Colfax Township school director, Justice of the Peace, Township trustee and 15 years as township committeeman. He served nine years as secretary to the congregation of the Colfax Center Presbyterian church, the rural church where they have been members since 1913. Charley attends church services there regularly - even though it is eight miles from home. He drives there every Sunday. It takes a considerably bad day to keep him from driving - like this Sunday when eight inches of snow fell. Charley decided not to drive and attended services at the Bethany Presbyterian church - where is nephew, Rev. Calvin Vanderwerf, is pastor. Mrs. Van Tiger has been unable to attend church or climb stairs for two years.

The couple has three sons, Harmon, Benton City, Washington; Henry, Ackley, and Harold, Anaheim, Calif, and one daughter, Mrs. Walter (Susie) Baumgartner, Monterey, Calif. A daughter Mrs. Conrad (Elizabeth) Kruse, died in 1945.

There are 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.