Wikipedia

Grundy College

Grundy College[1] was a secondary and post-secondary school that existed in Grundy Center, Iowa, United States, from 1916 to 1934. It was associated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America,[2] and was founded on October 4, 1916[3] by German speakers within that denomination.[4] Supporters of the college were called on when Dordt College was being formed in northwest Iowa. As of 1930, Grundy College was divided into (at least) Grundy Academy (a high school),[5][6] Grundy Junior College,[7] and the Commercial Department.[8][9]

Grundy College, Grundy Center Iowa USA ca 1920s

As noted by William Katerberg, professor of history and curator of Heritage Hall at Calvin University, some within the Christian Reformed Church viewed Grundy College as competition to Calvin College in Grand Rapids:

Professor Rooks viewed normal schools and Grundy College as competition not just for Calvin Junior College and its teacher training program, but for the larger dream of a four-year, bachelors degree granting college.[10]

Grundy College Dormitory in Grundy Center Iowa, USA ca. 1920s

In 1926, the college had a faculty of 10 and an enrollment of 94 students. At that time it had an endowment of $24,000 and property valued at $100,000.[11] Buildings included a main building and a dormitory. The college ceased operation in 1934 after enduring financial downturns caused in part by the conditions of the Great Depression, but also by rivalries with other institutions.[12][13]

Timeline edit

1916 - College founded[3]

1919 - supporting territory proposed to be expanded to include Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota and South Dakota.[14]

1929 - Grundy College's thirteenth annual commencement was held June 2, 3, and 4, 1929.[15]

1930 - commencement 28 May 1930[8][9]

Grundy College's men's dormitory was in use as an apartment building in January, 1960.[16]

The southern portion of Grundy County Memorial Hospital was built over the site.[17]

Faculty edit

President - Bode, W.; professors. - J. Timmerman and D. H. Kromminga[14]

Graduating Classes edit

1929 graduates edit

Ammerman, Andriesen, Balk, Bode, Boonstra, Bos, Cheney, Den Ouden, Dooyema, Fricken, Fritzel, Heerma, Heiberger, Hoefker, Janssen, Joling, Keuning, Ludemann, Main, Memmelaar, Petersen, Roskamp, Scholten, Ulferts, Van Brug, Van Der Wilt, Van Geest, Van Zomeren, Voetberg, Wood[15]

1930 Graduates edit

Graduates Grundy Jr. College: Clarence William Bode, Grundy Center; R. Cornelius Bode, Austinville, Ia.; Christian L. Den Ouden, Ripon, Cali.; Jacob Heereman, Grundy Center, Ia.; Lee B. Primus, Wellsburg, Ia.; Willard Riekena, Wellsburg, Ia.; Eldon S. Smoldt, Reinbeck, Ia.; Dewey Tolsma, Pipestone, Minn.; Gerrit VanderWolde, Steen, Minn.

Academy: John Bakker, Pipestone, Minn.; Cornelius J. DeBruyn, Sioux Falls, S. D.; Edward Fikse, Steen, Minn.; Merle Kalemyn, Grundy Center; Jake Karp, Manhattan, Mont.; Charles Kruse, Woden, Ia.; Minnie Rosekamp, Grundy Center; Deane Charlotte Swyters, Steamboat Rock, Ia.; Jacob VanDyken, Jr., Manhattan, Mont.; Ada Vanhuizen, and Frank Ympa, Manhattan, Mont.

Commercial Department: Blanche Anderson (Certificate); Minnie Roskamp, Grundy Center; Dorothy L. Slifer, Grundy Center; Deane Charlotte Swyter, Steamboat Rock; Edward Tiesman, Fulton, Ill.[8][9]

Alumni edit

Bouma, Louis, Rev.,[6] former Christian school teacher and pastor in the Christian Reformed Church in North America.

Bouma, Hermina (Van Roekel),[6] wife of Rev. Louis Bouma.

Bruxvoort, Brandt/Brand, b. 28 March 1900.[18]

De Bruyn, Cornelius, b. 5 May 1912, d. 17 October 2003. Attended Grundy Academy and Grundy Junior College in Gundy Center.[7]

Heerema, Edward.[19]

Hoogland, Anna (Schuurmans Verwolf), b. ??, d. 1946.[20]

Masselink, John.[21]

Masselink, William[21]

Walhof, Anna (Bakker), b. 6 February 1909, near Edgerton MN.[22]

Wybenga, Edward[23] was a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church who attended Grundy College, then graduated from Calvin College in 1930. He later attended Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. He pastored Orthodox Presbyterian Churches in Iowa, South Dakota, and Oregon, retiring in 1962. He died in 1965.

See also edit

East Frisians in Grundy County Iowa edit

East Friesland Presbyterian Church, Ackley, Iowa USA.[24][25][26]

West Friesland Presbyterian Church, Ackley, Iowa USA, organized in 1873 as The Second German Presbyterian Church of Grundy County. It was a Swiss-German congregation. It eventually became part of the United Presbyterian Church in the USA, then later transferred membership into the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America).[26]

Colfax Center Presbyterian Church, Holland Iowa/Colfax Township, Grundy County, Iowa USA[27]

Germans, Grundy County sign partnership agreement[28][29]

East Frisians in Iowa

The largest Eastfriesian settlement at the present time is located in Grundy, Butler, and Hardin counties, Iowa.[30]

North Central Iowa Classis of the Christian Reformed Church edit

The North Central Iowa Classis of the Christian Reformed Church was known until 1958 as Classis Ostfriesland or Classis East Friesland.[31]

References edit

  1. ^ Iowa, GrundyCo (2007-07-19), ChristianReformedCollege, retrieved 2021-04-13
  2. ^ Yearbook of American Churches: 1st -40th Issue; 1915-1972. Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada. 1922. p. 208.
  3. ^ a b "Christian Reformed - 1857 - 1957". migenweb.org. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  4. ^ "The Rest of Our Story". The Banner. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  5. ^ "Lake County Teachers and Other Miscellaneous Records--CRA 478.pdf" (PDF). 13 April 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Genealogie Familie van Roekel 17-620". roekelg.home.xs4all.nl. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  7. ^ a b "Lyon County Reporter October 22 Page 3". lyc.stparchive.com. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  8. ^ a b c "Grundy College Graduates 1930". iagenweb.org. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  9. ^ a b c "Clipped From The Courier". The Courier. 1930-05-17. p. 15. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  10. ^ "Training Teachers". Origins Online. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  11. ^ United States Bureau of the Census (1929). Religious Bodies, 1926: Separate denominations : statistics, history, doctrine, organization, and work. Norman Ross Pub. p. 1243. ISBN 978-0-88354-685-7.
  12. ^ Waddilove, Alan (2001). "Grundy College; Undying Legacy or Broken Promises, in Origins XIX No. 1". Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  13. ^ Zwaart, David (April 2012). "Faithful Remembering: Constructing Dutch America in the Twentieth Century". ScholarWorks@WMU.
  14. ^ a b "IAGenWeb Grundy Co.: Schools: Grundy College". iagenweb.org. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  15. ^ a b "Grundy College 1929 Commencement". Genealogy Today. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  16. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  17. ^ "Image 4 of Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Grundy Center, Grundy County, Iowa". The Library of Congress. 1916. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  18. ^ "Joanna-J-Meyer - User Trees - Genealogy.com". www.genealogy.com. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  19. ^ "Edward Heerema Obituary (2000) - Fort Myers, FL - The News-Press". www.legacy.com. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  20. ^ "Anna Schuurmans Hoogland (1900-1946) - Find A..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  21. ^ a b "Gerrit Hendrick (GH) Kleine Masselink". THE MASSELINK & KLEINE MASSELINK FAMILY GENEALOGY FROM 804 to 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  22. ^ "Obituary for Anna Walhof, 1909-2000 (Aged 91)". Argus-Leader. 2000-11-30. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  23. ^ "Today in OPC History: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church". opc.org. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  24. ^ "Directory". Church Angel. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  25. ^ "Ackley, IA, East Friesland Presbyterian, Hinners, p". www.pipeorganlist.com. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  26. ^ a b "A Story of Unification in the Age of Division - byFaith". byfaithonline.com. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  27. ^ admin. "Our History". Colfax Center Presbyterian Church. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  28. ^ "Germans, Grundy County to sign partnership agreement". Iowa-Ostfriesen (in German). 2011-01-06. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  29. ^ karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com, KAREN HEINSELMAN (19 October 2010). "Germans celebrate ties to NE Iowa". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  30. ^ Saathoff, John (13 April 2021). "THE OSTFRIESIANS IN AMERICA" (PDF). Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 November 2020.
  31. ^ "Northcentral Iowa, 1896-2017 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library". archives.calvin.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-13.

42°21′33″N 92°45′46″W / 42.3592°N 92.7629°W / 42.3592; -92.7629

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