Hattie (Eekhoff) CHRISTIANS

CHRISTIANS, EEKHOFF, DE POORTER, ZWART, PRINS, KROSSCHELL, BEUKEMA, BAKER, VANDEN BOSCH

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/14/2008 at 20:26:05

October 4, 1951
Edgerton Enterprise, Edgerton, Minnesota

Heart Attack Causes Sudden Death of Mrs. Chris Christians, 67

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at the home and at the First Christian Reformed Church for Mrs. Chris Christians. Services were conducted by the Rev. S. Kramer, pastor of that church. Interment was at Hillside Cemetery, with the following acting as pallbearers: Wm. Huiskens, Wm. Berghuis, Peter Ten Cate, Tunis Nettinga, John Westenburg and Gerrit Blysma.

Mrs. Chris Christians, nee Hattie Eekhoff, was born near Ridott, Illinois, on November 23, 1883. She died unexpectedly at her home in Edgerton on the morning of September 30, 1951. Thus she had attained unto the age of 67 years, 10 months and 7 days. While still a baby, her parents moved to New Holland, South Dakota, where the Eekhoff family remained until 1892 when they moved to Wright County, Iowa. On January 27, 1903, she was united in marriage to Mr. Chris Christians. The youthful couple moved to the farm and continued farming for 40 years. In 1916 Mr. and Mrs. Christians moved to the Edgerton community so that their children could grow up in a generally Christian environment. Always a member of the Christian Reformed Church, Mrs. Christians made profession of faith in the Wright Church under the guidance of Rev. H. Van Wesep. In Edgerton, she was a member off the First Christian Reformed church, from which her funeral service was conducted. Her interest in the training of her children was the primary concern for her. The children can witness that nothing was too much for her if she could help them in any way. For the last couple of years she has been constantly at the side of her husband. She has nursed Mr. Christians tenderly since he had a serious heart condition and just now he is invalided by a stroke. The Lord's way seems hard, but not too hard because he knows what is best for all.

Mrs. Christians was the mother of twelve children, four of whom preceded her in death. The twins, Wesley and Winifred, died at the age of 17 months in the terrible flu epidemic of 1918. Wesley John was a couple months old when he died in the spring of 1920. John Wesley died while in the service of our country, on January 14, 1943. At that time he was 21 ½ years old. The surviving children are as follows: Arnold, Mrs. Peter De Poorter (Ella), George, Henry, Mrs. Lawrence Zwart (Tena), Mrs. Peter Prins (Winifred), and Mrs. Leslie Krosschell (Norma). These all reside in this community. There are 25 grandchildren. These all mourn mother Christians' sudden demise, but the hallowed memory of her having been with us shall linger until we see each other in glory, prepared for God's children. Besides her husband and 8 children, she leaves four sisters to mourn her departure. The are Mrs. Anna Rozeboom, Mrs. Pearl Beukema, Mrs. Ben Baker (Helen) and Mrs. Peter J. Vanden Bosch (Jennie). A host of friends too are sorrowing because of her sudden death.

Those attending the funeral from a distance were: Mr. and Mrs. Fred Meyer, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Christians, Mr. Andy Christians, Mrs. Boyd Ruter, Mrs. Art Rietema, Tillie Eekhoff, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Christians, Mr. Ed Christians, Mr. Al Christians, Mr. and Mrs. H. Verbrugge, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Christians, Mr. John Riekens, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Baker, Mr. George Abbas, Mr. and Mrs. John Ruter, Mr. and Mrs. John Rietema, Mr. and Mrs. John Peters, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Abbas, Mr. Fred Abbas, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Trenary, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Abbas, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Swyter, Marguerite Christians, all of Kanawha, Iowa: Mr. and Mrs. Anton Smidt, Britt, Iowa; Mr. Herman Eekhoff, Mr. George Eekhoff, Mrs. Grace Bakker all of Wellsburg, Grundy County, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Ben Reusink, Castlewood, S.D.; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rindels, Pease, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. George Rindels, Bemis, S.D.; Mr. and Mrs. Martin Vander Meer, Sioux Center, Ia.; Mrs. Dan Abbas, Kanawha, Ia.; Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit Van Norden, Sully, Ia.; Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Rozendal, Sully, Ia.; Mr. and Mrs. A. Abbas, Woden, Ia.; Mrs. Henry Wiersma, Bemis, S.D.; and Mr. and Mrs. Tony Rozenboom, Sioux Center, Ia.