DIRKS, J. Edward 1919-1981

DIRKS, SMIT, VOIGT

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 9/23/2013 at 13:09:04

Former Resident J. Edward Dirks Dies

J. Edward Dirks, son of John S. and Henrietta Smit Dirks, was born on a farm in Colfax township, Grundy County, Iowa on July 18th, 1919. He graduated from the Grundy Center high school and pursued his studies in English and Philosophy at the University of Dubuque where he received a B.A. degree. In 1943 he received a B.D. degree from the Yale Divinity School with additional studies in Theology at the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, the Union Theological Seminary in New York and the Universities of Zurich and Basel in Switzerland. He was ordained in the Colfax Presbyterian Church on April 19, 1944.

On June 19, 1943 he was united in marriage to Annabelle Voigt. In 1947 he completed the requirements for a PhD in Philosophy from Columbia University. His teaching experience includes professor of Philosophy and Religion, Lake Forest College; Professor of Religion in Higher Education, Yale; Senior Fulbright Lecturer in Philosophy Madras University and Visiting Professor of Philosophy, Bangalore University, India.

Death on Sunday night, April 5th, 1981 was due to a massive heart attack and although he had a heart condition he was very active in student affairs of the University of California in Santa Cruz, California where he was a professor. He also was the leader of other civic organizations in the area there.

He attained the age of 61 years, 8 months and 18 days. He was preceded in death by his father and mother and two sisters who died in infancy.

He is survived by his wife, Annabelle; 3 sons, Christopher of St. Louis, Missouri; Timothy and his wife, Lynn, of Mountain View, California, Nicholas and his wife, Leela, of Pasadena, California, and one daughter, Rebecca, and her fiance, Robert McDonald of Bangkok, Thailand. Also one granddaughter, Sandhya and two sisters, Mrs. John B. Janssen and Mrs. C. A. Janssen and their husbands of Wellsburg. Also nephews and a niece, other relatives and a host of friends and acquaintances in the United States and many foreign countries.

Funeral services were held Thursday, April 9, 1981 at the Engelkes-Abels Funeral Home in Grundy Center with the Rev. Calvin W. Vanderwerf of the Bethany Presbyterian Church officiating. Casket bearers were William Janssen, Robert Janssen, William Anderson, Donald Janssen and Charles Janssen. A memorial service was held at the Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Santa Cruz where he was Parish Associate. Burial was in the Colfax Center Presbyterian Church cemetery, rural Holland, Iowa.

--newspaper clipping, source unknown