WERKMAN, Dick Sr. 1885-1955

WERKMAN, BOVEN, SMIT

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 3/20/2017 at 09:15:39

Dick Werkman Sr. Dead; Last Rites Held on Monday

Dick Werkman Sr., 70, died at 11 a.m. at his home in Holland last Thursday following a lingering illness.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Monday in the home and at 1:30 p.m. in the Christian Reformed church of Holland with Rev. J. A. Wesseling officiating. Burial was in the Holland cemetery.

Mr. Werkman had been in poor health for some time after being stricken with cancer. He had one lung removed at University Hospitals in Iowa City several months ago and remained in a weakened condition ever since.

The church was filled to capacity Monday during the services, which reflects in part the high esteem Mr. Werkman was held in this community by his many friends.

Casket bearers were Tom Dreesman, Ernest Henze, Dick Luhrs, Al Slickers, LaVern Dieken and Harm Aalfs.

Obituary
Dick Werkman was born Jan. 26, 1885, in Ostwald, The Netherlands, son of Hendrich and Henrietta Boven Werkman.

He was united in marriage to Winnie Smit at Ostwald on Feb. 15, 1907. Three of the Werkman children, Onno, Henrietta and Grace, were born in The Netherlands before the family came to this country and settled in Holland on April 1, 1910.

Three days later--April 4, 1910--Mr. Werkman started to work as a laborer on the section for the Rock Island Railroad. At first he was paid 15 cents an hour for a 10-hour day and because of his growing family, he unloaded coal at 10 cents a ton for extra income. The couple had 11 children, nine of whom survive.

After working five years for the Rock Island, he was made foreman of the section, a job he maintained until his retirement in December, 1951, after 41 years of devoted service.

Mr. Werkman was a charter member of the Holland Christian Reformed church, and for many years was an elder of the church.

Surviving besides the widow are six sons and three daughters: Onno, of Kalamazoo, Mich., Mrs. Henrietta Harms of Holland; Mrs. Grace VanDeest of Grundy Center; Henry of Grundy Center; Dick Jr. of Holland; Winnie at home; George of Steamboat Rock; and Jake of Grundy Center.

Other survivors include 25 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and three brothers and two sisters, George, Thomas, John, Grace and Clara, all of Ostwald.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, and two children who died in infancy.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 6 October 1955, pg 19