Evink, Tunis 1855-1957 & Engeltje Van't Hul Family

EVINK, VANTHUL, VIERHUIZEN, NIEUWMEIJER

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 12/9/2021 at 06:48:54

Tunis Evink (1855-1957) and Engeltje Van’t Hul Family, includes their daughter, Mrs. Cornelius (Alice) Van Dyke Family

This story was taken from the ‘Rock Valley Records & Recollections’ book written about 1976 in honor of the two hundredth birthday of our nation. It was a revision of the history written by Lottie Thomas in 1955. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw and some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg, both of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society.

Tunis Evink, who lived to be the oldest citizen of Rock Valley, was born in the Netherlands on April 30, 1855, and came to the United States in 1920. He lived a year at George, Iowa, then served as janitor at the First Reformed Church, Middleburg, Iowa for five years. He moved to Doon in 1926 and to Rock Valley in 1930.

At the age of ninety-eight, Mr. Evink still sawed wood almost every day and walked down town several times a week. His big milestone was to celebrate his one hundredth birthday, which he did, and an open house was held in his honor. He lived most of his later life in his daughter’s home, Mrs. Cornelius (Alice) Van Dyke.

He married Engeltje Van’t Hul in the Netherlands, April 27, 1882. They were the parents of ten children, and at the time of his death, 102 years of age, there were thirty-nine grandchildren and eighty great-grandchildren.

Mr. Evink’s daughter, Alice, married Cornelius Van Dyke in the Netherlands. They and Mr. Evink came to America together in 1920. The Van Dykes settled in the Hull area, and in 1922 Cornelius began to work for the railroad which he did until his death in 1938. He also worked at Spencer, Iowa, a few years before coming to Rock Valley in 1930. Here he and his family lived in a house just south of the depot (now the lot between the depot and Van’s Foodland), which was made of two railroad cars built together. Nine of the years he worked for the railroad was as a foreman. There are three members of the Cornelius Van Dyke family living in Rock Valley: Mrs. Tillie Helgerson, Mrs. Al Rhods, and Mrs. Ed De Vos.

(End of the family story in the Rock Valley Book)

RESEARCH NOTES added by Wilma J. Vande Berg

Birth record in the Netherlands has Teunis Evink son of Jan Evink, a carpet marker, age 27 and Hendrikje Vierhuizen age 32, Teunis was born 30 Apr 1855 at Oldebroek, Netherlands.

Birth record of Engeltje van’t Hul born 28 Jun 1856 at Kampen, Zwolle, Overijssel, Netherlands to Reijer van’t Hul, a cattle breeder, and Aaltje Nieuwmeijer.

Marriage record list Teunis Evink of Oldebroek age 25 married Engeltje Van’t Hul of Kampen age 25, married 27 Apr 1882 at Kampen, Overijssel, Netherlands. His parents were Jan Evink and Hendrikje Vierhuizen and Her parents were Reijer van’t Hul and Aaltje Nieuwmeijer.

Children – Teunis’s obit mentioned that he had fathered 10 children and the five surviving children were listed in his obit According to a report on ancestry.com the children listed were:
Teunis Evink 1870-1961, Jan Evink 1883-1943, Reijer ‘Raymond’ Evink 1884-1976, Hendrik Evink 1886-1886, Hendrik Evink 1887-1940, Albert Evink 1889-1958, Gerrit Evink 1891-1970, Barteld Evink 1893-1894, Barteld 1895-1895, Aaltje ‘Alice’ Evink 1896-1968, Tillie Evink 1899-1976.

OBITUARY OF TUNIS EVINK
Tunis Evink a resident of Rock Valley the last 30 years, died Friday afternoon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Alice Van Dyke. Services were held Tuesday afternoon in the First Reformed church of Rock Valley. Burial was in Valley View cemetery.
Active until he reached the century mark, the venerable Holland native had been growing steadily weaker the last two years. He was born April 8, 1855 Oldebroek , Gelderland, The Netherlands, and married Engeltje Van't Hul in The Netherlands April 27, 1882. Mrs. Evink died in 1927 and her husband also outlived five of their 10 children. Mr. Evink came to the United States in 1920, lived a year at George, la., and then served as janitor at the First Reformed church. Middleburg la., for five years. He moved to Doon in 1926, and after his wife's death moved to his daughter's home here. Before his retirement, he did general farm work as well as janitorial chores. At 98, he still sawed wood almost every day and walked downtown several times a week. He underwent major surgery twice, once at 88, and again at 94, and recovered each time.
Survivors include three sons, Ray of Sheldon; Albert of Holland, and Gerrit of Assen, The Netherlands; two daughters, Mrs. Van Dyke and Mrs. Tillie Heltman of Newkirk, la.; 39 grandchildren and several great grandchildren.
Source: Rock Valley Bee 8/29/1957

OBITUARY OF MRS EVINK (Engeltje Van’t Hul 1856-1927)
Life Summary – from FamilySearch
The Life Summary of Engeltje
When Engeltje Van't Hul was born on 27 June 1856, in Kampen, Overijssel, Netherlands, her father, Reijer van't Hul, was 54 and her mother, Aaltjen Nijmeijer, was 32. She married Teunis Evink on 27 April 1882, in Kampen, Overijssel, Netherlands. They were the parents of at least 8 sons and 2 daughters. She died in Oct 17, 1927, in Rock Valley Iowa, United States, at the age of 71, and was buried in Hillside Cemetery, Doon, Lyon, Iowa, United States.

The Rock Valley Bee of a few weeks during the time of Oct 17, 1927 were scanned but no obit was found. The Rock Rapids Reporter for that time period was scanned with no luck. If the dates are correct in Tunis Evink;s obit she would have been living in Doon at the time of her death and was buried there. No death notice was found.

OBITUARY OF daughter ALICE VAN DYKE
Funeral services for Mrs. Cornelius Van Dyke were held Tuesday, March 28, at 1 p.m. from the First Reformed Church with the Rev. Ralph Ten Clay officiating and with Porter Funeral Home directing. Interment was in Valley View Cemetery. Mrs. Van Dyke died Saturday in Hegg Memorial Hospital following a long illness.
The former Alice Evink was born June 18, 1896 in The Netherlands. She married Mr. Van Dyke there May 23, 1918. Mr. Van Dyke preceded her in death nearly 37 years ago.
Mrs. James Vander Sluis and Mrs. Kenneth Kooima sang a duet accompanied by Mrs. George H. Van Beek at the organ. Pallbearers were: Bernard Rhods, Robert Renken, Murray Van Dyke, Kenneth Rhods, Wendell Renken, and James Beltman.
Survivors include sons Tony of Santa Anna, Calif., and Gerrit of Sioux Falls; daughters Miss Angelina Van Dyke of Sioux Falls, S.D., Mrs. Herman Renken of Akron, Mrs. Tillie Helgerson, Mrs. Al Rhods and Mrs. Edwin DeVos, all of Rock Valley and Mrs. Richard Hansen of Denver, Colo.; one sister, Mrs. Gerrit Beltman of Hospers; two brothers, Ray of Sheldon and another in the Netherlands; 26 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Source: Rock Valley Bee, March 28, 1968.

OBITUARY OF (son in law of Tunis) CORNELIUS VAN DYKE
ROCK VALLEY SECTION FOREMAN KILLED BY TRAIN
Case Van Dyke, section foreman on the railroad in Rock Valley, was fatally injured Monday morning about 8 o'clock when a locomotive and caboose crashed into a motor car on which he was riding, breaking both his arms and legs and causing internal injuries from which he died a few hours later.
Mr. Van Dyke and Gerrit Kersbergen were returning to town on an errand, and were about three miles west of Rock Valley when the tragedy occurred. Mr. Kersbergen jumped when he saw the train coming but Van Dyke stayed with the car hoping to make siding. The train brought Mr. Van Dyke to town where he was rushed to the Hull hospital in the Vander Ploeg ambulance. He died within a few hours.
He leaves to mourn his grief-stricken wife and nine children, the youngest of whom is a two-week-old baby.
Source: Sioux Center News, August 4,(1938).
* * * * * * * * * *
Rock Valley:--Mr. Cornelius Van Dyke, who was killed in the locomotive and rail motor car collision on Monday, August 1, was born in the Netherlands, January 1, 1896, where he grew to manhood. He was united in marriage with Miss Alice Evink in May, 1918. Two years later Mr. and Mrs. Van Dyke and the two older children John and Angeline came to this country where Mr. Van Dyke obtained employment with the Milwaukee Railroad Co. as a section hand soon after his arrival in this country. His faithful services won him the position as section foreman on the Rock Valley section after a few years service at the neighboring town of Hull.
The family moved here seven years ago from Hull and since that time Mr. Van Dyke has been foreman up to the time of his death. He also served as foreman at Garner, Spencer and Hull.
Mr. Van Dyke leaves to mourn his sudden passing his wife and nine children, namely, John, Angeline, Everdena, Bertha, Tillie, Tony, Alice Jane, Gerrit John, and Cornelia. He also leaves his aged parents, two brothers and four sisters in the Netherlands.
Funeral services were held at the home at 1:30 and at the First Ref. Church in Rock Valley at 2:00 o'clock. The services were conducted by Rev. H. J. Aberson on Wednesday afternoon. Interment took place in the new division of the Valley View cemetery.
Mrs. Frank Gunnink and Mrs. James Vander Ploeg sang "Sometime We'll Understand," with Mrs. Jake Vander Weerd play[ing] the accompaniment and funeral march. A number of railway men attended the funeral in a body and six section hands acted as pallbearers to carry one of their brother workmen to his final resting place. Several large sprays of flowers marked the feelings of his fellow men.
Source: Sioux Center News, August 11, 1938.
The obituary was also published in the Sioux County Capital, August 11. (1938)
* * * * * * * * * *
Case Van Dyke In Fatal Accident
Case Van Dyke, section foreman for the Milwaukee Road here, met with an accident Monday morning which caused his death a few hours later. Mr. Van Dyke and Gerrit Kersbergen had gone out with a motor car to look over the tracks and were traveling back east towards Rock Valley when they met an engine and caboose going west. The accident happened about three and one-half miles west of Rock Valley.
Gerrit jumped from the car and escaped injury, but Mr. Van Dyke failed to jump and met the on-coming engine head on. Both of his legs were badly broken and crushed, both arms were broken and he was injured otherwise. He was taken back to the Rock Valley depot and Dr. A. L. Lock, railroad physician, was summoned who gave him first aid and ordered him taken to the Hull hospital. The accident happened at about 8:30 o'clock and he died in the Hull hospital at about 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon.
This is a most regrettable accident. Mr. Van Dyke leaves his wife and nine children, the oldest boy being 19, and the youngest a babe of about three weeks. He is also survived by his parents, two brothers and four sisters in the Netherlands. He had served as section foreman here for the past seven years, coming here from Hull. Prior to coming to Rock Valley, he served as section foreman at Garner, Spencer and Hull. He was a man who was well thought of wherever he was known. He was a kind husband and father, and a good citizen and he will be greatly missed here by his family and friends.
[The rest of the obit repeats the information about his early life, and a brief note about the funeral services.]
Source: Rock Valley Bee, August 5, 1938.
* * * * * * * * * *
ROCK VALLEY MAN KILLED BY TRAIN
Didn't Jump as Hand Car Hits Engine
Van Dyke 'Froze' at Controls of Section Car
Case Van Dyke, section foreman for the C. M. St. Paul and Pacific railroad at Rock Valley, was killed Monday when the motor car he was riding was hit by a special train on a curve three miles west of Rock Valley. Gerrit Kersbergen, who was riding with him, jumped when he saw the train coming and escaped injury. The engine hit Van Dyke's hand car head on. He had both arms and both legs broken besides cuts and bruises and internal injuries. The train crew picked him up and brought him back to Rock Valley where he was rushed to the Hull hospital. He died there at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Van Dyke had taken his men to work that morning and then had taken Kersbergen with him to inspect the track on up to Inwood. While in Inwood the station agent told him to wait and leave the special to go through but Van Dyke said that he had time to beat the train back to where he had his men working.
The train consisted of the big engine, coal car and one other and they were speeding a little faster than Van Dyke thought possible. Kersbergen said that as they rounded the curve he saw the engine bearing down towards them and that he jumped off and down the grade. He expected Van Dyke to jump but for some unaccountable reason he failed to do so.
Van Dyke is survived by his wife and nine children, the oldest about twenty years of age. The baby is only three weeks old but Mrs. Van Dyke was able to go to the hospital to be with her husband who was conscious for several hours before he died.
Gerrit Kersbergen, who escaped from the railway motor car uninjured, told The Democrat Tuesday that it all happened so quickly there was little time to think. He said, however, that there was plenty of time to jump and that he waited some seconds for Van Dyke to move before jumping himself. Kersbergen waited so long, in fact, that the engine crew was uncertain as to whether or not he had escaped the drive wheels of the locomotive until they saw him get to his feet after the train had passed.
The section boss, who had been in two similar accidents before, apparently "froze" at the controls of the motor car when the engine appeared around the curve some 600 feet away and did not move from his seat until the crash. H was crushed by the impact and lay on the cow catcher of the locomotive when the train was brought to a halt. His ribs, arms and legs were broken. The man was placed on the train which backed up to Rock Valley and from there he was taken to the Hull hospital by ambulance. He died at 2 P.M., about five hours after the accident.
At the time of the crash the section car was moving east at good speed after the men had completed a run to the west end of the section. The car had entered a cut where the rails curve northward to Inwood at a point about three and one-half miles west of Rock Valley. Engineer Wagner of Sanborn was at the throttle of the engine with Fireman Chas. Jacobs also in the cab. Wagner had just taken his hand off the whistle cord when he saw the section car and reached fast for the emergency brake lever.
Kersbergen says he saw the steam from the whistle just as the engine rounded the bend on a down hill grade. He called to Van Dyke, "There she comes," and got ready to jump. Van Dyke sat as though hypnotized. Kersbergen jumped to the south bank of the cut and rolled down into the ditch close to the ties. Aside from a slight stiffness in one knee he showed no ill effects Tuesday.
Van Dyke was known as a conscientious section boss who never shirked his work. His assistant, Gerrit Kersbergen, believes that he was anxious to complete the inspection run and get at other work in the yards at Rock Valley, He had been warned in advance about the "caboose hop" to be made by the special from Sanborn, the engine, coal car and caboose being dispatched to Canton to ppick up a train there. It was foolhardy of Van Dyke to enter the cut eastbound under the circumstances, Kersbergen says, since there was no chance to get the car off the track if the train should appear before they got through the cut.
Funeral services for the deceased man who was about fifty years of age were held at the home at 1:30 and at the First Reformed church at 2:00 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, in charge of Rev. H. J. Aberson, pastor.
Source: Alton Democrat, August 5, 1938.

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