Holland City News, March 26, 1923

Mr. Hendrikus Van Lente, one of the early pioneers, passed away Sunday morning at the home of his daughter, Mrs. A. Meppelink, 21 East 16^th Street, aged 82 years and eleven months. He was born April 19, 1840, in Zwolle, Overijsel, Netherlands. He came to America with the Van Raalte expedition in 1847, and has been a resident of Holland and vicinity for 75 years.

He was married to Jane Steketee, of Holland, March 30, 1863, and nine children were born of this union. Two years later, Mr. Van Lente rallied to the call of Lincoln for volunteers, and on February 21, 1865, enlisted in Company I, 25^th Michigan Infantry. He also saw service in the old 29^th Michigan, and remained with that organization until the end of the conflict.

He was also a charter member of the First Reformed Church of Holland, and helped build the structure which the Ninth Street Christian Reformed Church now occupies. Incidentally, Mr. Van Lente was the sole survivor in the city of those who built this church. He also worshiped in the old log church.

Mrs. Van Lente died 2 years prior to her husband, and he is survived by eight children, twenty-three grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. The children surviving him are: Mrs. Wm. Lugars, North Holland, Mrs. A. Meppelink, Holland, John K. and J. Henry of Holland, Dick of Lincoln, Nebr., Bert of Green Bay, Wisc., Mrs. R. De Zeeuw of East Lansing, and Gerrit of Crawfordsville, Ind.

Private funeral services were held at the home of Mrs. Meppelink, 21 East 18^th Street, at 1 o’clock Wednesday afternoon, and at 2 o’clock at the Trinity Reformed Church, the Rev. C. P. Dame officiating. Interment was held in Pilgrim Home Cemetery.