TePaske, Agnes, Mrs. Anthony, 1878-1954

TEPASKE, DYKSTRA

Posted By: Lydia Lucas-Volunteer (email)
Date: 10/17/2011 at 20:09:02

MRS. ANTHONY TEPASKE DIES IN COLLISION NEAR CHICAGO
Members of M. A. Te Paske Family Hurt Seriously When Car Hits Truck; Funeral Held Tuesday

A collision of a station wagon driven by Maurice A. Te Paske and a large gravel truck during a driving rain storm last Thursday afternoon [June 10] in a northern suburb of Chicago resulted in the death of Mrs. Anthony Te Paske and the injury of all members of Maurice's family.

Listed in critical condition immediately following the accident were Mrs. Vera Te Paske and their daughter Maureen, both of whom are still in the Little Company of Mary hospital in Chicago. Less seriously hurt were Maurice, who suffered bruises and a cut on his forehead and the two boys, Derrick and Bradley. The boys suffered only shock and minor bruises.

Mrs. Vera Te Paske received a serious back injury and received immediate surgery. While she was reported to be making good progress yesterday, it seems likely that she will be hospitalized several weeks. Maureen suffered a ruptured spleen and required emergency surgery. Her condition was reported critical until Sunday. She will be released to return home this week-end.

Mrs. Anthony Te Paske died of a broken neck. She was riding in the front seat along side of her son.

On 4-Lane Highway

The accident occurred at 3:20 p.m. on a four lane highway north of Chicago. The family had been at Buck Hills Falls, Pa., where Maurice had attended the Reformed church synod meeting. They had taken a short vacation in the East and were on their way home from Quincy, Mich., where Mrs. Anthony Te Paske's daughter, Mrs. Amy Broad, lives.

The truck driver, Jacob Kats, 24, of Chicago, told police officers he had stopped at a stop sign and was driving through the intersection when the station wagon hit the truck. Maurice Te Paske said it didn't appear that the truck driver had seen his car approaching.

Brakes and an attempt to swerve to miss the truck failed in an effort to avoid the collision. The station wagon crashed into the truck at about the mid point. The truck driver, Kats, was charged with reckless homicide. Te Paske's station wagon was a total loss.

Maurice was released from the hospital Saturday morning and flew home with his two sons to take charge of funeral arrangements for his mother. Mr. and Mrs. Adelphos Te Paske arrived a short time later from Mexico, where he has been stationed with the State Department.

Funeral Held

Funeral services for Mrs. Agnes Te Paske were held Tuesday afternoon in the First Reformed church following a brief prayer service in the home. Rev. P. A. De Jong officiated and arrangements were under the direction of the Vander Ploeg Funeral home.

Special music was furnished by John Wesselink, who sang two numbers, "Precious Jewels" and "Shall We Gather at the River," and by Mrs. James Wandscheer, who sang "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and "Be Still My Soul." Mrs. Edward Bolluit was the organist.

Honorary pall bearers were P. J. Haverhals, F. C. Aue, H. K. Eggink, John Boevink, H. J. Schalekamp and Gerrit Doornwaard. Active pall bearers were John Van Gorkum, Gerrit E. Den Herder, Elmer Den Herder, George De Royter, P. B. Mouw and H. J. Ramaker. Interment was in the Sioux Center Community Cemetery.

Mrs. Agnes Te Paske was born Aug. 7, 1878, at Pingjum, Friesland, Netherlands, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Dykstra. In June, 1882, she came to Sioux Center with her parents. At the age of 16 she became a school teacher after graduating from Northwestern Academy at Orange City. She was married to Anthony Te Paske July 2, 1903. Later, in 1909, she was admitted to the bar and became an able assistant to her husband in his law practice here.

Civic Leader

Mrs. Te Paske was very active in civic and social affairs in the community and was a leader in the temperance movement in the county for many years. At a time when many immigrants were settling in the county, she took a special interest in Americanization and encouraged hundreds to become citizens in their adopted land. It is said that she has welcomed more than a thousand new citizens at ceremonies in the court house in Orange City.

She took an active interest in her church where she was a Sunday school teacher for 60 years. She was a member of many church groups and societies and worked actively for the church's missions. In her later life she devoted countless days toward the establishment of the Community hospital, and it was one of the great highlights in her life when the institution opened its doors to serve the community.

Woman of Achievement

Rarely seeking credit for herself, she nonetheless deserved the praise that was given her privately on countless occasions. She was a Woman of Achievement choice of the Sioux City Sunday Journal in October, 1948. In the same year she flew alone to Amsterdam as an accredited visitor to the World Council of Churches. In 1936 she and her husband were delegates to a world Sunday school convention at Oslo, Norway. Her last trip out of the country was taken a year ago when she attended an international temperance convention in Vancouver, B.C. in the company of her granddaughter Maureen Te Paske.

She was preceded in death by her husband in 1946. She is survived by her daughter, Amy Ruth Broad, of Quincy, Michigan; her sons, Maurice Anthony and Adelphos Herman, both of Sioux Center, and six grandchildren. Mrs. Te Paske had six brothers and sisters of whom only the Rev. B. D. Dykstra of Orange City, Iowa, survives her.

Source: Sioux Center News, June 17, 1954.
The obituary includes a photo of Mrs. Te Paske.

An article in the Alton Democrat, June 27, 1903, about her upcoming wedding gives additional biographical information.