Druyvesteyn, Adriana, Mrs. F. C. W., 1856-1896

DRUYVESTEYN, DREUYVESTEIN, DRUIJVESTEIJN, VERHOEF, KLEIN

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/29/2012 at 10:53:16

AN AWFUL DEATH.
A Woman Near Alton Burned So Badly She Dies.

Last Wednesday morning, Mrs. F. C. W. Dreuyvestein, living about three miles north of town, met with a terrible accident while boiling some linseed oil which she was preparing for the floors. The oil boiled over on the stove and caught fire, and in the endeavor to remove it, her clothing became ignited. She ran outdoors and the breeze fanned the flames, until her whole body was on fire. Chas. Edmonds and another gentleman from LeMars happened to be passing the house just at that time and hurried to her assistance. They tore her blazing clothing off and smothered the fire. Mr. Edmonds wrapped her up in some bedclothes and brought her to town, while the other gentleman remained at the house and put out the fire that had caught on the inside of the house from the burning oil. Mrs. Dreuyvestein was taken to Dr. Miller's office, where the burns were quickly dressed. Nearly her whole body, with the exception of her face, was burned and blistered. The deepest burns were on her arms, breast, finger tips and one foot.

Mr. Dreuyvestein was away from home at the time of the accident. He had gone to Orange City with a load of hay and his wife remained at home with the children, who were all too small to be of any service in an emergency of this kind.

Later: Mrs. Dreuyvestein died Friday morning from the frightful burns.

Source: Alton Democrat, August 29, 1896.

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A Fatal Accident

An awful accident occurred last Wednesday at the home of F. C. W. Dreuyvestein, three miles east of this city [Orange City]. Mr. Dreuyvestein was in town with a load of hay and his wife was boiling some linseed oil for putting on the floors. The oil boiled over on the stove and in attempting to remove the kettle the unfortunate woman's clothing caught fire. She ran outdoors and two gentlemen from LeMars who happened to be passing came to her assistance and succeeded in extinguising the fire. One of the rescuers started to Alton at once with the woman, while the other remained and put out the fire which had started in the kitchen. Dr. Miller dressed the woman's burns and she lingered in terrible agony until Friday morning, when death came to her relief.

The funeral services were held at the First Reformed church in this city Saturday afternoon. Mrs. Dreuyvestein was an excellent woman and her terrible death causes profound sorrow among our people. Her husband and eight children survive her, the youngest being a mere infant. Mrs. Dreuyvestein was a sister of G. Pas of this city.

Source: Sioux County Herald, September 2, 1906.

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Genealogical notes from the original obit posting by Wilma J. Vande Berg, 5/17/2011:

(The spelling of the surname varies a lot. Dreuyvestein, Druyvesteyn, Druijvesteijn (in Holland). From Cemetery Index of Sioux County - Adriana Druyvesteyn b. 30 Sep 1856 d. 28 Aug 1896 buried Orange City. Husband F. C. W. Druyvesteyn b. 20 Feb or 21 Sep 1849 Alkmaar NH Neth. His full name was Francois Constantyn Willem Druijvesteijn. He was the son of Peter F. C. Druijvesteijn and Johanna Alewijn. Adriana Verhoef was born 30 Sep 1856 in Pella IA, they were married 22 Apr 1879 Orange City IA. In 1910 census of Sioux County F.C.W. had died and his children were living Peter born 1881, Johanna Mrs. James Schuller b. 1882, Herman, Maggie Christina. Other children noted in the 1900 census were Nellie 1892, Wm. 1896 and Johannes 1890. According to Ancestry.com Adriana was the daughter of Harmen VerHoef 1805 - 1860 and Maaike Klein 1823- ).

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Transcriber's note: The Dutch Immigrant Collection at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, has a photocopy and translation of a letter that appears to describe this same incident. It is identified as Koenraad De Jong, letter to (unidentified) relatives in Haarlem, Noord Holland, October 29, 1896, talking about the death of his wife. Only after returning home and searching for accounts of the death in Sioux County newspapers, did I find the discrepancy in names. It is likely that either the donor or the translator of the letter mis-identified the writer, since the other details match the newspaper accounts above. Here are extracts from the translation that describe her accident and death. The writer refers to his wife as "Jane," which is a common English form of "Adriana."

"I feel a need to share with you all the particulars of those sorrow-filled days, August 26-27, 1896, and everything that is more or less related to these events." He then describes in detail his farming activities of the past week. "Jacques [not otherwise identified] and I brought two loads of hay to town on Wednesday, August 26." After talking about his deliveries and the people he talked to, he reverts to a reminiscence about his wife: "The last normal day of her life was Tuesday, August 25. She had been to Mrs. W. Velthuizen for butter and Mrs. Velthuizen had showed her many goods, or things from Chicago, in which she had a great deal of interest. Also when the boys picked cackle berries and brought ears of corn she was very elated about the beautiful corn crop. She loved to be involved, and was interested in the work outside of the house, and was equally interested in the work inside the house. Some painting still had to be done in the big new room. Some papering and carpeting was still to be done. It was her intention to purchase some of these items the last part of the week, when I would go to Alton with some corn. We would have been able to do all of this work. She had also been busy for a couple of weeks canning cabbage and small apples etc. and preserves. She had also been busy with needle-work. We could have experienced a nice time and enjoyed life...."

"On my way home ... suddenly W. Veldhuizen appeared, completely out of breath.... He told me that the house had burned, but that they had been able to put out the fire. However, the wife had been burned badly and clothes on her body had been on fire and she had been taken to the doctor. He wasn't certain whether she had been taken to Alton or to Orange City. I immediately feared the worst. When I arrived home, I learned that a pot with linseed oil had been placed on the stove, and caught fire. When she tried to remove it her clothes caught fire or maybe she dropped the pot and so it was that her clothes caught fire as the oil was ignited and the clothes that were hanging there were suddenly ignited, I don't know exactly. W. Van Veldhuizen and Mr. Edmonds from LeMars and a stranger who happened to be in the yard at Kuyper's were the first people here and put out the fire." He acknowledges the various people who helped.

"My wife had come out of the house with her burning clothes. The girls threw rainwater on her to make her clothes wet, and then her clothes were removed. At this point Mr. Edmonds took her to Alton and because Dr. Smit was not in his office, he took her to Dr. Miller. I hitched a team to the buggy and took some bedding with me. I exchanged the buggy at the livery for a more comfortable conveyance, and I borrowed a sort of crib from Kurkenmaker [Kurtenacker?].... Then I went homeward with my dear wife and Dr. Miller. She seemed to be reasonably well and Dr. Miller was very hopeful and so I also had quite a bit of courage. He seemed to me to be a good doctor and he appeared to know how to treat her and so I trusted him and so did my sister-in-law Mrs. Arie Versteeg."

"Upon advice of others I requested Dr. Smit to come and he came on Thursday afternoon, the 27th, and he judged that she was not out of danger. That afternoon both doctors were here for a while. That evening Dr. Miller came again and he treated her well. However, when Dr. Smit saw danger I became disturbed and all the more when Dr. Miller said that her feet were so cold even though she was warm and so thirsty, even though it was cool in the room. It was on Thursday evening that I became deeply aware of the sad lot that was awaiting me and the children. Dr. Miller then spoke more specifically to me and my brother-in-law, G. Pas who asked the doctor for the outcome and was assured that there was no danger. I did not have much hope. When Dr. Miller had left, Dr. Smit came afterwards and stayed for at least three hours and stayed until after 2 o'clock. She died around 4 o'clock. That happened on Friday, the 20th [i.e., 28th] of August. She was conscious almost to the end. She did not talk much about the children or that she wanted to see them. She was not aware that she was going to die. Late that evening her sister Annechie (Mrs. den Hartog) asked her if she thought she might die. She answered: 'Oh no, I will recover, I am not that bad.' When she was asked whether she was afraid to die she confessed freely and directly, 'No.' Shortly thereafter she said 'Life is as a vapor and death can come any time.' And later she said 'Oh what a happy day.' Her sister (Mrs. den Hartog) asked 'What are you saying aunt Jane, is it a happy day?' And she said 'Yes, yes!' and she died with a happy smile on her face. It was the kind of smile that characterized her when she was pleased with the state of affairs. Thus we may believe that the Lord in His great compassion has taken her to Himself and has received her in peace."

Talks about Scripture reading and faith in the Lord. "On Friday we received many visitors both neighbors and friends, among them our old friend [not identified]. Also W. K. Scholten [this may be the old friend referred to], our sympathetic and kind minister and friend Rev. P. Lepeltak led in the funeral service. At the funeral service in the home the house was filled with people. We went to the church with 49 teams. The funeral service was held in the First Reformed Church of Orange City where Rev. Lepeltak gave a beautiful and very appropriate funeral message. The church was packed, and from there we went to the resting place of the dead." Followed by a poem.

"As soon as my dear wife drew her last breath, the thought came to me 'what must I now do with that child, with Willie.' Actually the thought came to me even while she was dying. My first thought was Aunt Grietje (Mrs. A. Versteeg). Perhaps she can take care of him to his second year. She has no small children and not such a large family. Then I thought that if Jane den Hartog could remain here, then perhaps we could keep him with us. She is familiar with us, is used to us and she dearly loves that little child. She also gets along well with Johanna and the other children. When it became daylight and I was sitting with my brother-in-law, J. den Hartog and his wife, John said to me, 'Frans you better give that child along with me'." I was hesitant to do this. "'However,' I continued, 'we are now all here together and if you agree and if Jane agrees then I propose that Jane stays with me.' This suggestion was favorably received. And so it was that Jane was incorporated into our household...."