Bekman, Henry K., 1875-1915

BEKMAN, KLEINBEKMAN, LUKAS, LUCAS, MUYSKENS

Posted By: Lydia Luas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/12/2016 at 21:28:38

From the Alton Democrat, January 1, 1916, p. 1:

Henry K. Bekman

Born, September 2, 1875; died at Orange City, Dec. 25, 1915.

Henry Bekman came with his parents from Holland in the spring of 1889. In 1899 he bought out the tailoring business of A. J. Kluitenberg at Orange City and has been actively and prosperously engaged there in the succeeding years. He had received excellent training at the trade from his father and his brother, John K. Bekman, has also a successful business in the same line at Alton. In the fall of 1899 he married Miss Anna Muyskens. Five children have come to the Bekman home, three boys and two girls, the oldest fourteen years and the youngest nine months. Mr. Bekman was an active member of the First Reformed church of Orange City and has acted as secretary and treasurer of its Sunday school for 15 years.

The funeral services were held there Dec. 28 and were largely attended. Burial took place in the Nassau township cemetery. The Democrat extends its sympathy to the sorrowing family on the death of an exemplary husband and father.

(The obituary includes a photograph.)

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Also in the Alton Democrat, January 1, 1916: What's Doing at the County Seat:

Two young men, in the full strength of life, heads of families, have passed away. In the first place we mention Henry K. Bekman, who, after an illness of six weeks, died on Christmas evening, at the age of forty years. He was born near Zutphen, Netherlands, September 2, of the year 1875. At the age of fourteen he came with his parents to this country. The latter established a home in Alton, where they are still living. Deceased came to Orange City in 1898, seventeen years ago, and started his tailoring business in July of that year. In September of the same year he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Muyskens. Five children were born to them: the oldest, a son, is 14 years, the youngest 10 months old. Mr. Bekman is survived by his parents, his wife and five children, a brother, John, at Alton and two sisters, Mrs. Peter Lucas and Miss Gertie at Alton. Funeral services were held in the First Reformed church Tuesday afternoon, whereafter the remains were brought to the Nassau cemetery near Alton. [there follows an obit for Okko Peters] Both church services were overflowing with relatives and friends of these young men.

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A news note in the Alton Democrat of November 27, 1915, say that he is suffering from a light attack of typhoid fever. A news note in the Democrat of December 4, 1915, says that he is still quite sick and that his illness seems to be scurvy. (However, a few other people in the area died of typhoid around this time.)

The Orange City newspaper (Sioux County Herald) for December 30, 1915, in which an obituary would logically have appeared, is missing.

He was the son of Alton tailor John Albert Klein Bekman and Gertie Lukas (or Lucas).