Gleysteen, Dirk, 1828-1904

GLEYSTEEN, VANDERLINDEN

Posted By: Lydia Lucas-Volunteer (email)
Date: 11/20/2011 at 21:14:06

Dirk Gleysteen died at his home in Alton Wednesday afternoon [November 9] aged close to seventy-seven years. He had long been a great sufferer from chronic bronchitis and this fall it became more severe than usual. Six weeks ago he took to his bed and since then only his naturally rugged constitution and iron will kept him alive. His realized that it was his last illness but faced it with a strong Christian faith and that cheerfulness of disposition for which he was noted through life. A truer Christian never lived but there was nothing longfaced about his religion. He had a strong vein of humor and almost his last words to his children were tinged with pleasantry.

Dirk Gleysteen was the youngest and last of his family. He was born in Horn North Holland on January twelfth 1828. In his boyhood and youth he worked at carpentry on the famous dutch windmills which are a feature of the landscape in the country of his nativity. At the age of about twenty-two he came to America and landed at New Orleans. He traveled all over the south and southwest and worked at many things in the lumber camps and on the river and at carpentry in the cities. He came up the Mississippi to St. Paul Minnesota over fifty years ago when this region was a savage wilderness. In the early fifties he located at Keokuk and operated a cooper shop. The callouses from this hard labor remained in his hands to his death.

While at Keokuk he visited Pella and there wooed and won Miss Klazina Vander Linden--the noble woman who today mourns his demise. They lived at Keokuk till 1860 and there two children--of the eleven who stood beside their father in his last hours--were born. They are Mrs. Joseph Pierce of Sioux City and John of Alton. From 1860 to 1872 the family lived at Pella where six children came to bless their union. They are Mrs. John Meyer and Guy of Alton, Mesdames Skillman of Los Angeles California and Corkins of Topeka Kansas, and Mrs. Zwemer and Dr. Gleysteen of Alton.

The family came to Alton over thirty-two years ago--in the spring of 1872 and homesteaded on a farm south of town and here were born Mrs. Bosworth of Oklahoma City and Charles and Will of Alton. The first years here were hard ones. The father left most of the farm work to the older children and himself worked at carpentry and bridge building for the Omaha. Later he went into the lumber business and general merchandise. By earnest effort and good management a competency and more was amassed.

Dirk Gleysteen had for over thirty years been actively connected with the varied interests of this community. He had shunned political office but held several minor ones and was school treasurer at his death. He helped to found the Reformed church here and was one of its staunchest pillars--an elder or deacon through all the years. Dirk Gleysteen was one of nature's noblemen and he died like a patriarch full of years and honors amidst a family that has few equals. It was the first death to visit the family of thirteen--the youngest of whom is a man twenty-five. Well might Father Gleysteen pass from earth with a smile on his lips for the world is vastly better for his having lived. His sons are strong able prosperous business men and his daughters model wives and mothers. He had seen them grow up around him and had helped them to the advantages of education and religion and refinement. He saw his youngest son only awaiting the end to start for the mission field. His life work was done and peacefully and tranquilly he passed to his reward. The funeral was held this Friday afternoon. The stores were closed and a large concourse of people attended.

Source: Alton Democrat, November 12, 1904.