Otto Van Dyk Pgs. 423, 424 - OTTO VAN DYK. Of the youngerelement of our prominent, energetic and influential citizens, none is betterknown than Vriesland in 1831, and during the time he has made his home here hehas shown himself to be endowed with superior ability and much energy andperseverance. As a farmer Mr. Van Dyk has attained an enviable reputation, forin conducting his farming operations he has brought his good sense and hispractical views to bear, and has accumulated a fair share of this world’sgoods. Satisfied that he has contributed his share toward the advancement of thecounty, Mr. Van Dyk has retired from the active duties of life, and can nowenjoy the fruits of his industry. The grandfather of our subject, John Van Dyk, was a man of education and ateacher in the schools of his native country. He reared a family of twelvechildren, but the father of our subject, Gerret Van Dyk, was the only one whocame to the United States. The latter received a good education in early lifeand was a carpenter and mason by trade. When twenty-four years old he marriedMiss Elizabeth Pasma, daughter of Jacob and Trentrayn Pasma, and shortlyafterward joined the Christian Reformed Church, in which he was ever afterwardan active member. In 1845 he emigrated with his wife and family to the UnitedStates and first located in Ashland County, Md. For two years he worked in theiron mines there, and then removed to Milwaukee, Wis., which was then but avillage, with no railroad or telegraph communication. Mr. Van Dyk made the trip from Albany to Buffalo by canal and the remainderof the way by steamboat. Ten months later he came with his family to thesettlement of Holland, Ottawa County, Mich., where A.C. Van Raalte had started anew town, and there he followed his trade until 1850, when he came to the farmnow owned by our subject and bought two hundred acres of Government land at $1per acre. He was the first white man to chop a tree in North Holland. On thisfarm, which he cleared and improved, he lived to see all of his children and onegrandchild married, and by his honorable conduct were named as follows: John,Jacob, Otto, Albert, Broer, Tryntje (who married John Ten Have) and Catherina,wife of Aaron Brawer. The scholastic training of our subject was received principally in the OldCountry, and he remained with his father, assisting on the farm, until 1855 whenhe married Miss Hendricka Weener, daughter of Kerst and Martha Weener. She wasborn in the Netherlands and came with her parents to the United States wheneleven years of age. To Mr. and Mrs. Van Dyk were born nine children, asfollows: Gerrit, Kerst, Albert, Walter, Otto, Jr., Martha, Elizabeth, Anna andKate, who all married and have children. In his political views Mr. Van Dyk is aRepublican. He received forty acres from his father, and also forty acres fromhis wife’s father. He has given his land to his children and for the past yearhas lived a retired life. When he first came to this county the woods were fullof game and he killed forty deer and one bear in his neighborhood.

Portrait & Biographical Record of Muskegon & OttawaCounties, Michigan 1893, Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company

Transcriber: Susan Gates Davis
Created: 3 April 2003
URL: Biographies