Arendsen, Gertie (Mrs. Arend), 1870-1940

ARENDSEN, VIS, SPYKER

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/12/2022 at 11:36:02

From the Sioux Center News, July 25, 1940:

Mrs. A. Arendsen Passes Away

The community was grieved last week by the death of Mrs. A. Arendsen who passed away at her home Friday. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at the Central Reformed Church, Rev. Meengs officiating.

She was born at Drenth, Michigan, July 30th, 1870, and would have been seventy years old next week. Forty-eight years ago in October she was married to Mr. A. Arendsen and to this union four children were born: Peter, who died 10 years ago at the age of 37, Nora, who died 16 years ago at the age of 28, Alberta (Mrs. Fred Dickman) who has cared for her mother for the past several years, and Rozella, who died at the age of two years.

Surviving brothers and sisters are Dr. Wm. R. Vis of Grand Rapids, Herman Vis of Saskatchewan, Canada, John Vis of Hills, Minn., Clara and Jean of Drenth, Michigan, and Mrs. Ralph Bredeweg of Byron Center, Michigan.

For the past thirty-five years, Mrs. Arendsen has been in poor health, with arthritis and other complications at various times. The past sixteen years she has been confined to a wheel chair, and for the nine month just preceding her death she was bedridden. Just recently she was in the local hospital for about five weeks following an operation for ruptured appendix. In spite of all her pain which she suffered almost constantly, she was a calm and charming person to know, being concerned and interested in the happiness and welfare of others to the exclusion of her own troubles.

Among those from a distance who came to attend the last rites were Mr. and Mrs. Abe Arendsen and Mr. and Mrs. Len Arendsen of Byron Center, Michigan; Miss Jean Vis of Paw Paw, Mich. and Mrs. Walter VerHoef, Gerrit Van Dyk and Bill Van Dyk of Holland, Mich. and John Vis and family of Hills, Minn.

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RESEARCH NOTES

The Sioux County Cemetery Index has Arendsen, Gertie Mrs., b. 1870, d. 1940, Memory Gardens, Sioux Center IA. Her FindaGrave.com page gives her husband as Arend Arendsen (1870-1949 (married 1892), and includes a photo of her headstone.

Her death certificate (informant A. Arendsen) has Mrs. Gertie Arendsen, wife of Arend Arendsen; born July 30, 1870 in Drente, Michigan; parents Ryer Vis and Nancy Lyker[?], both born in the Netherlands; resident of Sioux Center 30 years; died at 12:45 p.m. July 19, 1940; cause, embolism in G.I. tract, duration 6 weeks; due to latened[?] result of ruptured appendectomy; was operated on June 5, 1940 for ruptured appendix.

The Ottawa County, Michigan marriage register for 1892 has groom Arend Arendsen, age 22, resident of Jamestown, Mich., born there, occupation husbandry, parents Peter Arends[en?] and Albertje Padding; bride Gertrude Vis, age 22, resident of Jamestown, Mich., born in Zeeland, Mich., parents Reyer Vis and Niesje Van Spyker; married October 10, 1892 in Drenthe, Ottawa County, Michigan.

In the 1940 U.S. census, Gertie and Arend Arendsen are living iin Sioux Center with their daughter and son-in-law, Alberta and Fred Dickman and their family. Arend is part owner of a retail grocery store.