BOTTEMA, Rhinert 1872-1918

BOTTEMA, JURGENS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 10/5/2016 at 11:28:33

Death Removes Seven Within A Week's Time

Many Homes In This Vicinity Have Been Saddened During the Past Few Days

Seven Deaths In Less Than Week

All of these Deaths Were Due to the Prevailing Epidemic of Influenza and Pneumonia

Five homes in which there were seven deaths have been saddened during the past week in this city and vicinity by the Death Angel. In one home--that of the Bottema family living northeast of here--there has been three deaths. All were due to pneumonia following the influenza.

Three Deaths in One Family
The family of Rhinert Bottema, living five miles northeast of this city on the Williamson & Willoughby farm, have been greatly afflicted with the influenza the past two weeks, every member of the family consisting of ten children and the parents being sick at one time.

Early Tuesday morning of this week the father passed away. Katherine, a thirteen-year-old daughter, passed away Tuesday afternoon, and a few hours later John, the oldest son, aged 15 years, died.

The funeral services for the three were held Wednesday afternoon, Rev. Norris, of the Catholic church, officiating.

The heartfelt sympathy of the entire community will be extended to this grief-stricken family who have seemingly suffered more than their share.

Other members of the family who have been very sick are at this writing expected to recover.

--The Grundy Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 28 November 1918, pg 1, 8

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Two Bottema Deaths

Reinhardt Bottema died early Tuesday morning at his home on the Williamson & Willoughby farm east of Grundy Center. He and all of his ten children had been suffering from influenza since our second outbreak of the epidemic.

Katherine, the thirteen year old daughter, died Tuesday afternoon and the two bodies will be laid to rest Wednesday afternoon, November 27th in the Grundy Center cemetery.

Mrs. Bottema has not taken the disease but is very much overwrought by the condition of her family.

Mr. Bottema leaves three brothers, John, Jake and Theodore. His father, John Bottema, lives with Theodore.

Reinhardt was born March 2nd, 1872 in Holland. Twenty-three years ago next spring he came to America, coming first to Lafayette, Indiana, where he remained for five years. In 1900 he came to Grundy County, working here first for Heiko Boven and later for other farmers of the neighborhood.

February 24th, 1903, he was married in Waterloo to Miss Annie Jurgens, whose parents live at Renville, Minnesota. Of the ten children in the family, seven boys and three girls, the eldest is fifteen and the youngest a year and a half.

Five years ago last spring the family moved to Minnesota, where they farmed until their return here last winter to farm the Williamson & Willoughby place.

--The Grundy County Dispatch (Grundy Center, Iowa), 27 November, 1918, pg 1