Werkman, Jan Dirks 1841-1926

WERKMAN, WERKMAN

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:37

*Jan Dirks Werkman 1841-1926 buried Zeeland MI. Former Hull Resident

Sioux County Index of Apr 2, 1926

John D. Werkman was born at Rottum, Groningen Netherlands on Jan 15, 1841 and died at Zeeland MI, March 19, 1926. In the year 1847 the family left the Netherlands to make their home in the United States.

After a stormy passage of forty nine days, they arrived in New York on the seventh day of May. Next a fourteen day trip by canal boat then a boat trip to Milwaukee Wis, which was the first home of the new arrivals. After a three months stay at Milwaukee the best wages being 75 cents a day then, they were attracted to Grand Haven where $1.00 a day was paid.

In the spring of 1848 they joined the colony at Old Gronigen where much hardship and privation befell the early settlers in addition to loss by death of his mother in April 1952. Later the family removed to Holland MI where they went into the general store business and were also interest in a flour mill. In 1864 John D. Werkman and Aafke Werkman were married at Holland MI. Prospects were looking bright until the great fire of October 1871 where all was lost, even 100 barrels of flour in a warehouse in Chicago.

Undaunted they started in business again and were doing well until the panic of 1873 which crippled all business for several years. The subject of this sketch concluded it would be best to go to a new country, so in March of 1878 he migrated to Orange City IA.

He resided in Orange City about a year and half and then he located at Pattersonville, now Hull, IA, where he was in the general merchandise business until 1894. When he returned to Michigan in the spring of 1896 he made his home in Zeeland until the time of his death.

In the spring of 1889 his wife had died. A few years later he married Miss Jane De Pree who died at Zeeland about twenty years ago.

John D. Werkman was a man of sterling quality and a zealous worker in this church. He was a charter member of the Third Reformed Church of Halland Mich., and also a charter member oft eh Frist Reformed church, of Hull IA, and upon his return to Zeeland, he served many years as elder of the First Reformed church of that place.

Surviving him are three children as follows: Miss Gertrude of Zeeland, who has for many years been her father’s companion; Dr. D. J. Werkman of Cedar Rapids IA, and Edward J. Werkman of Grand Rapids Mi. there are also Seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren surviving him.

Funeral services were held at the home and in the First Reformed church of Zeeland, MI on March 22, 1926. The funeral sermon at the request of the deceased was preached by Rev. J. P. De Jong of Holland form the text Gen. 49 verse 18. The Rev. DeJong was a life long friend of the deceased.