Holland Evening Sentinel, January 31, 1939

John R. Douma, 92, Holland’s last Civil War veteran, died at 5 A. M. today at the home of his daughter, Mrs. A. E. Lampen, 86 East 14^th Street. Mr. Douma had been in ill health for the past year and his death was due to a general weakness. He had been in a semi-coma for a week or ten days.

Although Mr. Douma was the last Civil War veteran of the city, Swan A. Miller remains as the lone veteran in the greater Holland area. Mr. Miller, who marked his 96^th birthday anniversary last December 6, entered the Civil War in 1862, leaving from Galesburg, Illinois. He still operates the Macatawa Hotel in the summer and travels or stays in an apartment at in the Warm Friend Tavern in the winter. This winter he remained in Holland.

Mr. Douma was born January 20, 1847, in the Netherlands. In 1857, when he was 10 years old, his parents and their other six children, and his mother’s brother, a Mr. Mokma, and his four children, left the old country for America. Mr. Mokma died at sea and Mr. Douma’s mother undertook the task of raising the four children. Consequently, Mr. Douma grew up in company with 10 children. The family settles in Fillmore, a short distance from Graafschap.

During the last of the Civil War, Mr. Douma, who was 18 years old at the time, entered the war with five other young men of Graafschap. A picture of the group, taken in April, 1864, is on display in the Netherlands Museum. These six soldiers were G. W. Mokma, G. J, Nyland, C. Lokker, J. H. Epping, M. Notier and Mr. Douma. The six young men had volunteered to take the place of married men who had been drafted.

Entering the war at that date, Mr. Douma did not see actual fighting. However, he did serve as guard at the tomb of Abraham Lincoln, the martyred president, when he was buried. Mr. Douma was member of the 24^th Michigan Infantry.

When the war ended he returned to the farm in Allegan County and in 1872 he married, later moving to Holland. For many years he served as caretaker of the former First State Bank. His wife died 22 years ago, about the same time he retired from active work.

Mr. Douma, who came to the vicinity just ten years after the advent of the Van Raalte Company, was the last survivor of his generation in his family.

For years he faithfully attended all patriotic services in connections with the national holidays. Three years ago he was involved in an auto accident and although he was not

seriously injured, it proved to be a severe shock to his system. Since that time he remained quietly at home.

Surviving are three sons, Henry Douma of Muskegon, Robert Douma of Whitehall and Isaac Douma of Battle Creek; four daughters, Mrs. Lampen and Mrs. G. J. Deur of Holland and Mrs. Peter De Kraker of Holland, and Mrs. A. De Waard of Jenison; 11 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 1:30 P. M. from the Lampen home and at 2:00 P. M. from the Nibbelink-Notier Funeral Chapel with the Rev. D. H. Walters officiating. Burial will be in Fairlawn (Pilgrim Home) Cemetery.

Friends may the body Thursday afternoon and night at the Lampen home.

Spanish War veterans will serve as pall bearers. Taps will be sounded at the grave.

Holland Evening Sentinel, Wednesday, January 20, 1932

John R. Douma, lone survivor of the Twenty-fourth Infantry of the Civil War, today celebrated his eighty –fifth birthday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. A. E. Lampen

86 East Fourteenth Street. He is one of three remaining veterans in Holland.

Born in the Netherlands in 1847, Mr. Douma came to this country when he was ten years of age. The voyage was made in a sailing vessel. Seven weeks after the boat left the old country, it docked at New York.

The Doumas proceeded directly to Holland to join the Van Raalte colony. Here they spent three weeks in what was then known as the "Indian House," located at the present site of the Heinz plant on West Sixteenth Street.

Their next move was into the country on the B-line Road, five miles from Holland. The familiar road to Allegan was a mere lane cut through the dense timber that extended for miles in all directions. In the woods a log cabin was erected.

Sunday was a memorable event in the lives of the Dutch pioneers. They attended church at Graafschap, leaving home early in the morning with a lunch for subsistance until nightfall, the family spent the entire Sabbath in worship. During the winter, they left home before the daylight and did not return until after dark, Mr. Douma said.

In 1864, Mr. Douma, then 18 years of age, volunteered for service in the Civil War with four other boys of this community. They took the place of married men who were drafted. With Mr. Douma were Matthew Notier, Gerrit Nieland, C. Dokker and W. Mokma, deceased.

The boys went to Kalamazoo where they were sworn in and sent to Camp Butler, Springfield, Illinois. Mr. Douma has in his possession a picture of the five taken to celebrate the occasion of their entrance into the war.

While stationed in Springfield, word was received of the shooting of President Lincoln. When the body of the President was returned to Illinois for burial, Mr. Douma and Mr. Notier were included in the company delegated to guard the body to the tomb. He recalls the long hours spent in the sun during the rites.

The veteran ended his service June 29, 1865. He returned to his home and helped his father on the farm. Time passed uneventfully until October, 1871, when the flames which destroyed the city of Holland reached into the country and burned to the ground the homestead and barn of the Doumas. Everything was destroyed with the exception of the clothing they were wearing.

Mr. Douma built a frame dwelling near the site of the old homestead and married in 1872. Mrs. Douma died about 15 years ago. After farming for a time, he took up work in Holland and for 18 years was caretaker of the First State Bank. He retired several years ago.

Ten children were born to Mr. And Mrs. Douma, seven of whom survive. In addition to Mrs. Lampen, he has three daughters, Mrs. G. J. Deur, and Mrs. Peter De Kraker of Holland, and Mrs. A. De Waard of Grand Rapids, and three sons, Henry and Bob Douma of Muskegon and Isaac Douma of Fresno, California.

The veteran, active and in good health, declares he feels better than when he was 46.

The other two surviving Civil war veterans of this city are John H. Wise and Gerrit S. Doesburg. Of the 70 members who enlisted in Company I, Twenty Fifth Michigan Infantry, from this section, Joost Ver Planke is the only survivor.