William BAKKER

BAKKER, SIEMENS, EITEN, BETTS, MILLER, DAVIDS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/21/2016 at 16:27:33

December 12, 1882 ---- August 10, 1968

Funeral Services For Wm. Bakker Here On Tuesday

Funeral services for William Bakker, 85, longtime resident of Wellsburg, were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Doyen Funeral Home and at 1:30 p.m. at the First Christian Reformed Church, with Rev. Harold Hollander officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. Mr. Bakker passed away at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Presbyterian Home in Ackley due to complications of advanced age. He had been a resident of the home for about three years. Special music for the service was provided by soloist Richard Schafer, and organist Miss Elizabeth Eekhoff. Casket bearers were Harvey Eiten, Alfred Eiten, Floyd Eiten, Arnold Eiten, Russell Betts and Kenneth Ware.

He was born at Hastings, Neb., on Dec. 12, 1892 [1882], the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hilbert Bakker (nee Anna Siemens). At the age of 12 he moved to Wright County, Iowa, with his family. He attended rural schools in Nebraska and Wright County. In March of 1909 he came to Wellsburg. On Oct. 20, 1915 he was united in marriage to Gertie Eiten. Following their marriage they lived on a farm west of Wellsburg for several years, later moving to a farm southwest of Wellsburg. In the spring of 1945 they retired and moved to Wellsburg. Mrs. Bakker passed away on Jan. 12, 1961. He was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church having made Profession of his faith in Jesus Christ on March 26, 1916. He was one of the oldest living members of the church.

Those who preceded him in death were his parents, his wife, and 1 son, Ben Eiten (who passed away in October of 1963). Those who survive him are 2 daughters and 1 son: Mrs. Marine Betts of Marshalltown; Fred Eiten of Wellsburg; (Lena) Mrs. Cloyd Miller of Peoria, Ill.; 1 sister, Mrs. Kate Davids of Kanawha; 9 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

The Grundy Register --- Grundy Center, Iowa
August 19, 1968

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Coordinator's note: This obituary has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the Grundy Register newspaper on August 9, 1968.

The following additions/corrections were submitted by a relative of Mr. Bakker:

Lori Holland

To whom it may concern:

William Bakker was my great grandfather and I knew him well. Please know there are several mistakes written in his obituary that we kindly ask to be corrected.

1. His birth year is written wrong: states he was born December 12, 1892. His correct birth year was: December 12, 1882. Can this be corrected ?

2. William Bakker had only one child - not 4
For genealogy and correct biological history of his direct family this needs corrected to one and state the other 3 as ‘step’.

He and wife (Geertje Luppen Eiten Bakker) together had only one child: Anna Marine Betts.

Ben, Fred & Lena had their own (birth) father who was: Hildert ‘Henry’ Eiten

Ben, Fred & Lena were considered step children and not adopted by William nor considered children of his. They were his wife’s from her previous marriage. And their family will appreciate this corrected too please.

Please respectfully correct.

FYI
William Bakker did not raise Ben, Fred nor Lena Eiten nor were considered his children. They were all grown and never lived in his home when he married their mother. They are both my great grandparents.

My father Russ Betts and my grandmother Anna Marine Betts entrusted me to insure these corrections were made and hope to honor their requests.

3. William Bakker has / had only two (2) grand children. Not 9. Russel Betts and Gaile Betts Ware. He also had 5 great-grandchildren (not 17).