Betten, Antonie J., 1813-1900

BETTEN, VANDERHAGT, KLOMP, VANPELT

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 5/14/2012 at 12:20:12

Sioux County herald of Dec 12, 1900 p.5
A. J. Betten, Sr.
The subject of this sketch was born at Utrecht, Holland in 1813 and died at Orange City Dec. 6th, 1900. Mr. Betten was no ordinary man and his life deserves more than passing notice. He was married in 1834 and ordained a minister in 1842. In 1847 an organization called the Christian Union for Emigration was formed in his native land and Mr. Betten became vice president. One year later four vessels laden with well-to do Hollanders started from Rotterdam for Baltimore. The passage by sailing vessel at that time required nearly two months so the party which left in April did not reach the new continent until June. A few of the leaders looked over St. Louis for awhile and finally a settlement was made at Pella in September From that time on Mr. Betten's life was an active one.

He preached in the school houses on Sunday and engaged n business during the week. There were no courts in Pella and offenses were tried by the church consistory before the congregation. If one of be colony was guilty of lying he was pretty apt to find himself confronted by the elders and pastors whose reproof was sometimes the hardest kind of punishment. Mr. Betten found him amid many duties to prosecute a critical study of the bible and was deeply learned in biblical lore. Especially interesting to him were scriptural references to the second coming if Christ and it has been thought that he meditated a book along this line. It was the very vigor and independence of his mind, perhaps, which led him to decline to be bound by any formal church rules or regulations though everyone recognized his piety and upright character. He came to Sioux county in 1872.

His physical frame was a strong one and death came last Thursday only after a long illness, The funeral on Saturday was largely attended, The pallbearers
were Adrianus Kuyper, T. H. Muilenburg, D. H. Schalekamp, L. Knook, A. Van der Meide, H. J. Van der Waa. Dr. Steffens, Revs. Kolyn and Winter officiated at the last sad rites which were very impressive.

(From an ancestry.com account – Antonie J. Betten was born 1813 Netherlands died 6 Dec 1900 Orange city IA. He was the son of Jan Betten 1788 –1820 and Jacoba Klomp 1789. He had two wives the first being Jacob Harmina vander Hagt b. 1811 married Feb 19, 1834 Utrecht Neth. with whom he had six children Jaocba 1836, Jan 1838, Hermanus 1841, Anthony 1843, Gerrigje 1848 and Dingema 1849. The second wife was Adriaantje VanPelt 1829-1887, they had five children Derek 1858, Jacob 1861, Adriana 1863, Jantje 1885, and Isaac 1886.)