VanEldik, Dick, 1898-1959

VANELDIK, VANDERVELDE, HEIMSTRA

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/14/2012 at 22:07:12

DICK VAN ELDIK, 60, WIDELY KNOWN TOWN MARSHALL DIES
Never recovered from stroke suffered last week

Funeral services for Dick Van Eldik, 60, town marshall here for the last 31 years, were at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Vander Ploeg funeral home and at 1:30 p.m. at the First Christian Reformed church. Rev. Christian Huissen officiated. Mr. Van Eldik died Monday [April 6] at a Sioux Center hospital after a one-week illness.

He was born June 10, 1898, at Ben Clare, S.D. His parents were Nellie Vander Velde Van Eldik and Dick Van Eldik. The family moved to Rock Valley in 1911, where the deceased lived ever since. He was a graduate of the local high school.

He married Martha Hiemstra at Rock Valley March 9, 1920. Three children were born to the couple. One daughter born May, 1922 died in December, 1923, and the other two are Betty, Mrs. John Brunsting of Rock Rapids and Dr. Dick Van Eldik, jr., of Lakeworth, Fla.

Mr. Van Eldik was also preceded in death by his parents, and three sisters, Jennie, Mrs. Herman Vande Weerd, Minnie, Mrs. Gerrit Harmelink, and Esther, Mrs. Sam Vander Way.

Surviving besides the widow and two children are two brothers, Herman and William both of Rock Valley; four sisters, Cora, Mrs. Walter Vander Well, jr., of Rock Valley, Bertha, Mrs. Robert Downs of Lapeer, Mich., Margaret, Mrs. Gerrit H. Harmelink of Rock Valley and Ardelle, Mrs. David Lieux of Miami, Fla., and five grandchildren.

Source: Rock Valley Bee, April 9, 1959.
The obituary includes a photograph.

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Similar obituaries were also published in other area newspapers.

The Alton Democrat obituary (April 9) begins thusly:
Dick Van Eldik, 60, died at about 4 o'clock Monday morning at the Sioux Center hospital, where he had been since last Tuesday when he suffered a stroke. At that time he was found in the alley near the Schemmer building. He was taken to the hospital then and never fully regained consciousness.
It also gives his deceased daughter's name as Ruth Annette.