Obituary of Gerrit Frielink

(Grandville Avenue Record, December 24, 1915, Pg. 1)

Gerritt Frielink, 86 years old, died Sunday at his home, 322 Grant street, S. W. He is survived by a widow and two sons: John and Henry Frielink.

Funeral services held at 1:30 o’clock Tuesday afternoon at the residence. Interment was in Oakhill cemetery.

The deceased was a pioneer resident coming here over 40 years ago from the Netherlands. It was all woods in this district when he first settled. For many years he was employed by the Gas Company. He never acquired the English language not because he could not, but rather because he preferred to talk in his native tongue and believed that everybody understood him. He taught Mrs. Henry Frielink to talk Holland, and seemed to enjoy in so doing. He loved her company as much as any one of the family, and he will be missed by her.

He was an adept in figures, and could add up a column almost by glance; he could run over a price list of commodities and tell the footings perfectly.