Capt. John A.S. Verdier, cashier of the Kent County Savings bank and ex-treasurer of Kent county, Mich., was born at Oestburg, province of Zeeland, kingdom of the Netherlands, December 17, 1838. His parents were Abram J. and Marie S. (Brill) Verdier, descendants of the Huguennts, the former of whom died when the subject of this sketch was six years old. A year later the widow, accompanied by her seven children--four daughters and three sons--came to the United States. They located at Buffalo, N.Y. where they remained during the winter of 1847-48, removing the following spring to Sheboygan, Wis., where Mr. Verdier grew to manhood, receiving a common school education. His mother died in 1895.

When ten years of age, he entered the office of the Sheboygan Nieuwsbode, the first paper printed in the Holland language in the United States. He remained in the office three years, learning the trade. When fifteen years old, he entered the hardware store of F. Lawrence, remaining with him eight years. In 1862 he enlisted for the Union, and was commissioned first lieutenant of company E., Twenty-seventh regiment, Wisconsin volunteer infantry, was promoted in 1864, to the captaincy of company H., same regiment and served in that position until the close of the war. He is a member of the Loyal legion, department of Michigan, and port commander of Custer post No. 5, G.A.R., of Grand Rapids.

Immediately after the war Capt. Verdier came to Grand Rapids and formed a co-partnership with W.P. Kutsche, in the hardware business, and the man remained as such for five and half years. Mr. Verdier then sold out his interest and purchased the stock owned by John McConnell, in the same trade. In May, 1874, William A. Brown was admitted as a partner, and gas-fitting and plumbing were added to the business. The June following, the store and contents were burned, and that summer Mr. Verdier closed up the business altogether. In the fall of the same year he started a wood yard and hay market, and continued in that business until the fall of 1876. He then changed this business to the purchasing and sorting of rags, and the manufacture of tinware, which line of trade he carried on several years. He has served four years as trustee of the board of education for the Fourth ward, and was re-elected for two years last September (1899), and at the annual elections for officers of the board he was elected as president, in which capacity he is now serving. He is also president of the Grand Rapids Carved Moulding Co., also president of the Knickerbocker society of Grand Rapids, a society composed of Holland-Americans; also vice-president of the Grand Rapids Clearing House association.

Capt. Verdier has been a republican since the organization of the party, in 1854. In the spring of 1871 he was elected alderman of the Fourth Ward for two years, and re-elected in 1873 for a like term; in the spring of 1875 he was elected comptroller of Grand Rapids; in the fall of 1876 he was elected treasurer of Kent county on the republican ticket, re-elected in 1878, and also in 1880 by increased majorities, showing his undoubted popularity. In 1880 he ran against John Walker, who was the candidate of the democratic and greenback party for treasurer, and led by 1,200 majority.

Mr. Verdier is a master Mason, and a member of Valley City lodge, No. 34; is also a member of the First Reformed church (English), in which body, for about thirty yers, he officiated as deacon; was also a superintendent of the Sunday-school sixteen years.

Mr. Verdier was married October 5, 1870, to Maria J. D’Ooge, a sister of Prof. Martin L. D’Ooge, of the university of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and Prof. Benj L. D’Ooge, at Ypsilanti. They have four sons--John Walter, Leonard D’Ooge, Frank Lawrence and Martin D’Ooge. J. Walter is a graduate of the university of Michigan in the literary department, and will graduate from the department of medicine in 1900.Leonard D’Ooge graduated from the literary department of the same university in June, 1899, being president of the class, has taken up the study of law, and will graduate in 1901 from that department; the other sons are students at the high school in Grand Rapids.

When the Kent County Saving bank was organized in January, 1885, Mr. Verdier was elected cashier and has since held that position; he is also a member of the executive committee of the State Bankers’ association, and secretary of group No.2. As a banker, Mr. Verdier has, by careful attention to business, proved himself one of the strong and able financiers of the city and state.