VanZandbergen, Herman, 1910-1937

VANZANDBERGEN, VANDEBERG

Posted By: Lydia Lucas-- Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:34

Born: January 24, 1910
Died: May 4, 1937

From the Sioux County Capital, May 6, 1937:

HERMAN VAN ZANDBERGEN

Herman Van Zandbergen, 27, of Hospers was instantly killed Monday night when a car crashed into his truck.

He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Van Zandbergen of Hospers. Mr. Van Zandbergen was born on a farm near Hospers. When he was 6 the family moved to Springfield, So. Dak. They lived there for 8 years and then moved to Marion, So. Dak. where they remained 5 years. His parents then moved to Hospers and the young man came to live with them 4 years ago. He attended the Alton High school for 2 years and was graduated from Greenland High in Marion, No. Dak. [yes, there is a Marion in both North and South Dakota]

Surviving are his parents; two sisters, Tracy, Mrs. Henry Jacobsma and Sophia, Mrs. John Holtrop both of Hospers; and one brother, Ted, who attends the Sheldon Junior College. The young man was engaged to marry Miss Margaret Schuller, daughter of Pete Schuller of Hospers.

Funeral services will be held in the home at 1:30 and in the First Reformed Church Hospers at 2:00. Reverend Geerlings of the Christian Reformed church will officiate in the absence of a regular pastor in the First Reformed Church. He will be assisted by Reverend Mr. John Brink of Boyden.

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Immediately preceding this obituary is an article about the fatal accident:

ACCIDENT FATAL FOR VAN ZANDBERGEN
Herman Van Zandbergen of Hospers Killed When Car Driven by James Rowe of Lake Park Hits Truck

Monday evening at 9:30, a big truck owned by John Hartog of Seney and loaded with grain lost a front wheel near Nibbelink’s curve on highway 33 between Alton and Carnes and upset in the ditch. Richard Koldenhoven, the driver, posted flares and went for help. He returned to the scene and Jake Mulder, Paul Reeves and John Hartog, all of Seney, came to the wrecked truck to transfer the load of oats to another truck.

As truck drivers passed the wreck, they stopped to see if they could be of help. Among those who aided in clearing up the ditched load was Herman Van Zandbergen of Hospers who was driving a truck owned by Horton Jacobsma. Case Eshuis of Hospers was driving a truck ahead of Van Zandbergen and when the two men reached the scene of the wrecked load of grain they stopped, well within the six flares posted to warn drivers of danger ahead.

The men finally cleared up the wreck of Hartog’s truck around 1:30 a.m. and Van Zandbergen returned to his two ton Diamond T. truck loaded with a thousand pounds of hay, to start for home. He was in front of his truck, apparently to crank it, when the Chevrolet driven by James Rowe crashed into the rear, pushed the truck ahead and crushed Van Zandbergen between the front axle and the shoulder of the road. The accident was fatal. Truckers and men jacked up the front of the truck and Jake Mulder pulled Van Zandbergen from beneath. The impact had moved the heavy truck 15 or 20 feet according to reports.

It was at first feared that occupants of the car were also injured as the Chevrolet was badly wrecked. The car was owned by Tom McGuigan of Lake Park and his son, Robert, was one of the passengers along with Ralph Weaver, Andrew Jacobsma, Arlow Meyer and the driver James Rowe. Meyer was injured and brought to Dr. Larson in Alton but the others were only shaken and bruised. All of the boys are from Lake Park. Rowe is 18 and has no driver’s license.

Sheriff Synhorst and Deputy Dykstra were immediately called to the scene of the fatal accident and after investigation took the boys from Dr. Larson’s office to the Hawkeye Hotel in Orantge City to await the coroner’s inquest. Tuesday morning, a coroner’s jury composed of George Dunlop, Charles Tye and Henry Bastemeyer heard evidence regarding the accident and returned a verdict of “negligence and reckless driving” of J. Rowe to coroner Vander Ploeg.

Tom McGuigen, owner of the Chevrolet, says he has no insurance. The witnesses called to give evidence were C. Eshuis of Hospers, Lester Calenius, Jake Mulder, Paul Reeves, John Hartog, Richard Koldenhoven all of Seney.

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The accident was covered in all of the other area newspapers as well, including a long article in the Alton Democrat (May 7). (The Hospers newspaper is missing for this time period.) Rowe was charged with manslaughter and bound over to the grand jury which was to meet in September. At that time, he pled guilty to manslaughter, was fined $100 and costs, and was sentenced to the men’s reformatory at Anamosa. Upon payment of the fine, the prison sentence was suspended and he was paroled to a Lake Park resident. Coverage of his sentencing calls him James J. Ruwe. (Alton Democrat, Sept. 3; Hawarden Independent, Sept. 9)

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Herman's death certificate gives his birth date as January 24, 1910 in Sioux County; parents Ed van Zandbergen, born in the Netherlands, and Kate Vander Berg, born in Sioux County; occupation, truck driver, for two weeks; died at 1:30 a.m. May 4, 1937, at Alton; cause, automobile collision, crushed chest.

FindaGrave.com shows him buried in the Hospers Cemetery. Parents Edward Van Zandbergen (1886-1956) and Kate Vande Berg Van Zandbergen, Siblings Tracy M. Van Zandbergen Jacobsma (1913-1961), Sophia Van Zandbergen Holtrop (1915-1992), and Ted G. Van Zandbergen (1917-2011).