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Wibben, Gerrit, 1851-1900

WIBBEN, WEBBEN, DEGRAAF, MUYSKENS, DYKSTRA

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:38

From the Alton Democrat, June 2, 1900, county Capitol news:

Gerrit Webben, who for nearly twenty years past has been a resident of Sioux county and the last eight years has resided in Orange City, took paris green with suicidal intent about six o’clock Friday evening and died at two o’clock Saturday morning. His wife died about six months ago, leaving seven children from six months to seventeen years of age. The eldest daughter married recently leaving the next oldest daughter, a girl of fifteen, to care for the family. Grief over the death of his wife and worry over domestic affairs is supposed to have unbalanced his mind. Deceased was forty-eight years of age. The funeral services were held at the Christian Reformed church Monday afternoon.

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From the Sioux County Herald (Orange City), May 30, 1900

Death From Paris Green

Dr. Wormser was hastily called to the Webben home in the southwest part of the city last Friday evening at about six o’clock, and on his arrival found the head of the family, Gerrit Webben, suffering from the effects of poison. The doctor at once charged him with having taken poison, which he denied, but after evading the doctor’s questions for some time admitted having taken a teaspoonful of Paris Green three hours earlier in the afternoon. He said he had taken the poison with the intention of killing himself and refused to receive medical treatment, but the doctor persuaded him to submit to treatment and did all he could for the unfortunate man. Dr. Wormser realized that the case was almost a hopeless one and called Dr. De Lespinasse in consultation, and they combined their efforts to relieve the sufferer, but the poison had been taken so long before medical aid was called it had passed into the bowels and poisoned the entire system to such a degree as to render medical treatment of little avail, and he died at 2 o’clock Saturday morning.

Dr. Wormser has been their family physician for a number of years and has been called to treat the deceased a great many times, but never detected any traces of insanity in the patient, but says there was a mental derangement and believes his patient to have been in an irresponsible condition when he made this successful attempt on his life. The neighbors of the Webbens also say that his actions for the past two weeks indicated a failing condition of his mental faculties. Last Friday forenoon he took a dose of hog cholera medicine, but it did him no harm further than producing vomiting, and no physician was called. The doctors think he took more than double the amount of Paris Green he admitted to having taken.

Gerrit Webben was forty-eight years old, was a native of Holland, and has been in this country for about twenty years, having been a resident of this county most of that time. He has lived in Orange City for the past eight years. Six months ago his wife died leaving him with seven children, ranging in age from six months to seventeen years. The eldest daughter having married, the housekeeping fell on a daughter of fifteen. Mr. Webben realized that the responsibilities were too great for her, and has worried over his domestic and other affairs until his mind gave way, and in a moment of dementation ended his life and worldly troubles in suicide.

The funeral was held Monday afternoon from the Christian Reformed church, of which he has long been a member, and has lived a life which commanded the respect of all up to his recent misfortune. The heartfelt sympathy of all turns to these parentless children, who are thus so ruthlessly deprived of parental protection and love.

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The Sioux County Cemetery Index has Gerart K. Wibben, born 6 Dec 1851, died 26 May 1900, ss Tietje, West Lawn Cem, Orange City IA. His wife is listed as Tietje (DeGraaf) Wibben (1857-1899).

The Iowa Deaths and Burials Index on Ancestry.com has Gerrit K. Wibben, widowed, a book peddler, age 48, born in Germany, died 26 May 1900 in Orange City, buried at Orange City

FindaGrave.com has Gerrit Wibben, born 6 Dec 1851 in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany; died 6 May [i.e., 26 May] 1900, Orange City; buried in West Lawn Cemetery, Orange City. Spouse Tietje De Graaf Wibben, 1857-1899, married 1876. Children: Anna Wibben Houtsma (1877-1950), Nettie Wibben DeVries (1882-1965), Clara Wibben Baker (1885-1952), Tryntje Wibben Vander Pol (1888-1923), Ebenezer Wibben (1892-1969), Marie Wibben/Muyskens Wassenaar (1896-1950), and John Dykstra (1899-1988).

A published notice of the appointment of the estate administrator (Sioux County Herald, June 6, 1900) calls him George K. Wibben.

The 1900 U.S. census, taken in June, shows most of the Wibben family still together: Nettie, age 17, head, occupation landlady; Clara, age 15; Tena, age 12; Ebenezer, age 8; Mary, age 4; Clarence, age 1.

The submitter did not spot any news notes indicating what provisions were ultimately made for the now orphaned children. However, the FindaGrave data suggests that the two youngest children may have been raised by a Muyskens and a Dykstra family, respectively.

Announcements of a public sale of G. K.’s household goods (De Volksvriend, June 14 and 21), gives an idea of the family’s possessions: household bureaus, stoves, chairs, tables, etc.; a batch of Dutch books; carpenter’s tools; two cows; three dozen chickens; seven hives of bees.


 

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