Holland City News, January 15, 1920
Old Soldier Was Buried On Wednesday
John Zwemer
Military honors were paid to the late John Zwemer, whose death took place Monday afternoon, when he was laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon in Pilgrim Home Cemetery.
Mr. Zwemer was buried in the soldiers’ plot, and members of the A. C. Van Raalte, G. A. R. Post, the Women’s Relief Corps and other patriotic organizations attended. The funeral was held at two o’clock from the home Wednesday afternoon, Rev. James Wayer officiating.
Mr. Zwemer was born in the Netherlands 87 years ago, lacking but five days. With his father and mother and one brother, he came to America in 1847 with the Van Raalte colonists. The family lived in Grand Rapids a while and later at Singapore where Mr. Zwemer was employed in the saw mills. After a time, he bought a fruit farm near Saugatuck which he operated successfully for about thirty years. He became one of the best known fruit men in that section.
He came to Holland 28 years ago. He was the promoter and main moving spirit in the establishment of the H. J. Heinz Pickle Plant in Holland. He went to Pittsburg to interest Mr. Heinz in this locality, and in the course of time became a personal friend of the pickle king. He was connected with this establishment for about twelve years.
He was also active in the lake transportation movement when the old Holland-Chicago Line was operating the lake boats. He built the fruit pier five hundred feet into the lake at the place that is now called Mattison’s and had much to do with fruit transportation.
Mr. Zwemer went all through the Civil War, taking part in 17 standing battles and many skirmishes. He enlisted in 1862 in the 19th Michigan Infantry, Company B. He became a volunteer recruiting agent in Allegan, and induced twelve others to join him and go to the front as volunteers. He was in some of the most important engagements of the war and made the march with Sherman to the sea. On that famous march, he was at the head of a foraging party of 12 men, one of whom was the boy who later became famous as General Schafter of Spanish War fame. Dressed in a Rebel uniform and his hair worn long, as was the custom in the Southern army, he at one time passed completely through the enemy line, passing within a few feet of an officers’ conference.
Together with some 300 others, he joined an army church in the ranks under the leadership of Chaplin Mabbs, father of Dr. Mabbs of this city, and on being mustered out, these men took their letters from the army to the various local churches. For some years, Mr. Zwemer was a deacon in a Saugatuck church. He was not mustered out of the army until after the war ended.
Mr. Zwemer was married about 65 years ago to Miss Clara Minderhout. Mrs. Zwemer died after the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage. The following children survive; C. P. Zwemer of Holland, William of Grand Rapids, John of Rainier, Washington, Mrs. Jacob Van Weeiden of Macatawa and H. P. Zwemer of Holland.
John Zwemer was born in the Netherlands on January 18, 1933, and died January 12, 1920, according to his death certificate.