Tolsma, John J. 1865-1944

TOLSMA, BAKKER

Posted By: Plymouth CC
Date: 2/14/2004 at 13:27:05

John J. Tolsma Taken by Death...resident here past fifty years

John Jacob Tolsma, 79, 420 Seventh Street, SW, died Friday night, Sept. 29 (1944), shortly before midnight at the home of his son, Edgar Tolsma, 316 Seventh Street, SW., where he was cared for in his last illness. Mr. Tolsma had been failing in health for some time due to increasing years and two months ago his condition became serious.

Mr. Tolsma was a resident of LeMars for more than forty years. Coming here in 1893 he was employed with the Plymouth milling company and in later years worked at gardening and landscaping. He was an industrious citizen, a worthy member of society, a neighbor and friend, who enjoyed the esteem and respect of all who knew him.

John Jacob Tolsma was born July 22, 1865 at Waaxelns, Friesland, in The Netherlands, Europe, where he grew up and received his education and worked as a young man. He was married to Jennie Bakker in 1892 and immediately after their marriage formulated plans to emigrate. Mr. Tolsma had relatives in South Africa at that time who offered him inducements to settle near Cape Town, but on consideration, he decided to come to northwestern Iowa, where numbers of his countrymen had settled in great numbers in the seventies and eighties.

His first wife died April 21, 1921, and he subsequently married Mrs. Laura McAuliffe Hayden, November 1, 1931, who survives him together with one son, Edgar Tolsma, and four grandchildren, John, Suzanne, Jeanette and Edgar Jake. A daughter died in infancy and a son, Jacob Tolsma, was killed in France fighting in the First World War, when half a company of which he was a member were blown to pieces in a mine explosion set by the Germans.

The funeral was held Monday afternoon at the Presbyterian church with Rev. Golden O. Thompson officiating and interment was made in the city cemetery. The Mauer funeral home was in charge of arrangements.