HEYENGA, W. J., Rev. 1888-1954

HEYENGA, REINEKING

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 1/10/2017 at 08:26:28

Rev. W. J. Heyenga Dies Suddenly At Home In Stout

Rev. W. J. Heyenga died suddenly at his home in Stout early Friday morning. Coronary thrombosis was the cause of his death. The end came soon after he was stricken. He had been in apparently good health up to the time he was stricken. He was 65 years, 10 months and 4 days old.

Rev. Heyenga had served as pastor of the Reformed church at Stout for 28 years, which was a longer period of pastorate of one church than that of any other minister now in pastoral service in Grundy county. His sudden death came as a shock to all of the members of his congregation and to others among his large circle of associate ministers and other friends in Grundy and adjoining counties.

Services for Rev. Heyenga were held Monday afternoon in the church where he had been the officiating pastor at final rites for upwards of one hundred of his former friends and members of this congregation.

Rev. Peter Koenen, pastor of Bethel Reformed church north of Aplington, and Rev. M. Weeldreyer from the Reformed church at Allison, conducted the services. Assisting them were Rev. Otto Poppen from Belmond, who offered prayer, and Rev. John Frerichs, Parkersburg, who read scripture. There were other pastors of nearby churches at the service.

Overflow Attendance
Every seat in the auditorium of the church was filled during the service and there were upwards of fifty in the basement who could follow the service through the help of loudspeakers. Many former members of the church who live as far as 100 miles away came for the service. Burial was in the cemetery at Stout.

Members of the consistory served as pallbearers. Music was by the regular quartet, composed of Elmer and August Meester, Alfred Bulthuis and Calvin Clauson.

Rev. Heyenga had expected soon to retire from active service in the ministry, and only recently he had purchased a residence property in Cedar Falls which he looked forward to as a home for himself and wife.

Was Born in Germany
Rev. Heyenga was born in Germany. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Claus Heyenga. At the age of 3 1/2 years he came to America with his parents. The family located at Clara City, Minn. Later they moved to Kesley, Iowa.

On June 19, 1918, Rev. Heyenga and Mary Reineking were married at Sheboygan. They remained at Sheboygan until he completed his theological course at the seminary there. Before attending the seminary, he completed the course at Pleasant Prairie Academy at German Valley, Ill.

Rev. Heyenga was pastor of only two churches during his 34 years as an active minister. He accepted a call to the Reformed church at Alexander, Iowa, in 1920 and remained there for six years, when he accepted a call to the church at Stout in 1926.

The church at Stout has had a substantial growth in membership during the years that Rev. Heyenga was its directing head. Under his promotion with the united support of the church membership a fine new church building was completed in 1930. The church organization also has provided a modern home for the pastor and his family.

Wife and Two Sons Survive
Surviving are the widow and two sons. The sons are Calvin and Walter John. There are five grandchildren. Other surviving relatives are three brothers: Edward from Allison, and Joe and Carl from Parkersburg.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 14 October 1954, pg 1, 8