Werkhoven, Jelle "Jay," 1865-1940

WERKHOVEN, TRIGG, PULMULDER

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/11/2022 at 22:07:01

From the Sioux County Capital, February 8, 1940, Page 5, Hull news:

Relatives and friends here received word of the death of Mr. Jelle Werkhoven of Rock Rapids last Thursday. He was well known in Hull as he had sold and repaired sewing machines here for many years. He was past 70 years of age.

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From the Alton Democrat, February 9, 1940, Rock Valley news:

J. Werkhoven, a former resident of this city, was laid to rest in the family burial plot at Valley View cemetery Sunday afternoon. For the past few years Mr. Werkhoven had been a resident of Rock Rapids. He leaves his widow and two sons, Ivanhoe and Calvin, to mourn his passing. A daughter, Nina, and a son, Cedric, preceded him in death. Rev. J. A. Kettle of the local Methodist church officiated at the gravesite.

(The same issue of the Democrat, Hull news, says that Mr. and Mrs. Billie Oliver received word that their uncle, Jelle Werkhoven, had died of a stroke at his home in Rock Rapids.)

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RESEARCH NOTES

An obituary in the Sioux Center News, February 8, 1940, Rock Valley News, adds that he used to dig wells in this vicinity and later operated a merry-go-round and a moving picture theatre.

The Rock Valley Bee, as well as Rock Rapids newspapers, are missing online for this time period.

His death certificate (informant G. I. Workhoven) has him as Jay Workhoven, resident of Rock Rapids for 22 years; born in Pella, Iowa April 9, 1865; parents Ira Workhoven and Tena Pulmulder; wife Mary Trigg Workhoven; occupation, sewing machine salesman and repairman; died at 2 a.m. February 1, 1940; cause, cerebral apoplexy, due to hypertensive heart disease.

The Sioux County Cemetery Index has Werkhoven, Jelle, born 1865, died 1941, Valley View Cemetery, Rock Valley. His FindaGrave.com page includes a photo of his headstone, also showing his dates as 1865-1941.

The 1900 and 1910 censuses show the family living in Rock Valley, where Jelle is working as a well driller; the 1900 census gives his birth date as April 1864. In the 1915 state census he is living in Rock Valley, a moving picture operator. The 1920 census shows the family in Rock Rapids; his name is given as Jay and he is a carpenter. In the 1930 census his name is given as Jelle again, age 64, living in Rock Rapids with wife Mary (58), son Calvin (25) and daughter-in-law Grace (21), occupation sewing machine salesman. Their surname is consistently spelled Werkhoven.