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John De Haas, "Pioneer Hotel Man "of Fremont, was born at Den Helder, Netherlands, on the 20th of December, 1837. He came to this country with his parents when he was 14 years old. They lived a few years at Grand Haven, then moved to Muskegon. Here John married Aaltje Zuidema.
In 1871 the John and Aaltja De Haas came to Fremont. He engaged in the mercantile and lumber until his store and yard were destroyed by fire two years later. He than purchased a frame building and began its operation as a hotel. In 1888 this structure was burned and though this was the second time his business had been wiped out by fire, he set himself immediately to the task of rebuilding and soon had under construction the three-story brick hotel which served as a hotel for many years.
Mr. and Mrs. De Haas had two children a son Nicholas and a daughter Anna. After, Jackie De Haas as he was familiarly known among his friends retired from the hotel in 1908, he made his home with his daughter. When he past away he was buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Fremont, Mich.
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