Hendrik Abraham van Hees

1914 - 2001  (86 years)

• Name	Hendrik Abraham van Hees  [1]
  Born	3 Apr 1914	Apeldoorn, Gelderland, Netherlands   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	Tool and Die maker
  Residence	1930	Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA   [1]
  Residence	1931	Grand Haven, Michigan, USA
  Residence	1983	Fort Myers, Lee, Florida, USA   [3]
  	Rt. #4, 30 Dogwood Way
  Died	18 Feb 2001	Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA   [2]
  	Cause: Acute leukemia, myocardial infection
  Buried	Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA   [2]
  Notes	Conversation with Henry Van Hees 30 Aug 97 Born in Apeldoorn Netherlands, his father took the family to America in 1915 along with Areka's brother Nicholas. They left Rotterdam on a tourist ship headed for New York City. The trip normally takes 14 days, but a German u-boat held the ship for 7 days then allowed them to leave. They lived in Indiana. Father drove trucks. He was a baker in the Netherlands. He bought a bakery in Minnesota and took all the equipment to Platte South Dakota and opened a bakery there. One winter Nicholas died. He operated the bakery for five years very successfully. The ovens were fueled by gas and there was no ventilation installed. So everytime the oven was opened, father was exposed to the gas fumes. It took its toll. Luckily after five years, they sold the bakery and moved to Grand Haven, MI. There they had a celery farm and Henry picked celery. Henry also remembers buying cauliflower from the Ver Berkemoes farm located on Wallace street (now Beacon Blvd) where the Chevy dealership is. They would drive it to a market in Chicago for sale. College was out of the question due to money. So Henry had to work. He worked at Challenge Porcelain for 30 cents hr, then the Government had a mandatory raise to 40 cents. He worked there five years, and every year he received a penny an hour raise. Finally he had enough and asked his boss for a bigger raise, no luck. He quit and went to work for Story & Clark Piano factory downtown Grand Haven making $1.00 an hour. He supervised the gluing of veneer on the pianos. After awhile he realized he could make alot more money with a skilled trade and got involved in tool and die. He went to work for Economy Tool and Die in Muskegon, where he learned the trade. In 1934 he left to work for Oldbergs, now A&P Parts in Grand Haven located near the bridge making $3-4 per hour. Father meanwhile grew celery, cauliflower, and pansies. There are pictures of this. The farm really saved his life due to the fresh air. Henry married Florence Dirkse. They eloped to South Bend, IN. She was a nurse, graduated from nursing school in Muskegon in 1931. Father bought a house in Bradenton FL for retirement. Sadly he died 6 weeks later.
  Person ID	I9	vanhees
  Last Modified	20 Nov 2019

  
  

  Father	Hendrik Abraham van Hees,   b. 15 Jun 1889, Bruchem, Gelderland, Netherlands ,   d. 8 Feb 1960, Bradenton, Manatee, Florida, USA  (Age 70 years)
  Relationship	Natural
  Mother	Areka Wilhelmina Hilgers,   b. 7 Apr 1886, Kamerik, Woerden, Utrecht, Netherlands ,   d. 5 Oct 1983, Fort Myers, Lee, Florida, USA  (Age 97 years)
  Relationship	Natural
  Married	14 Aug 1913	Apeldoorn, Gelderland, Netherlands
  Family ID	F15	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 1	Florence Joan Dirkse,   b. 2 Jul 1910, Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA ,   d. 19 Nov 1971, Grand Rapids, Kent County, MI  (Age 61 years)
  Married	16 Aug 1934	South Bend, St Joseph, Indiana, USA
  Children	+ 1. Henry Arthur Van Hees,   d. 6 Jan 2012, Miami, Dade, Florida, USA + 2. Living Van Hees + 3. John Edward Van Hees,   b. 27 Sep 1936, Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA ,   d. 4 May 1975, Norton Shores, MI  (Age 38 years) + 4. Betty Ruth Van Hees,   b. 21 Jul 1944, Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA ,   d. 26 Jul 2002, Truth or Consequences, NM  (Age 58 years)
  Last Modified	20 Nov 2019
  Family ID	F6	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 2	Bonnie Stygstra
  Married	12 Jan 1973
  Last Modified	20 Nov 2019
  Family ID	F7	Group Sheet

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 3 Apr 1914 - Apeldoorn, Gelderland, Netherlands Residence - 1930 - Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA Married - 16 Aug 1934 - South Bend, St Joseph, Indiana, USA Residence - Rt. #4, 30 Dogwood Way - 1983 - Fort Myers, Lee, Florida, USA Died - Cause: Acute leukemia, myocardial infection - 18 Feb 2001 - Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA Buried - - Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA  = Link to Google Maps   = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Areka Hilgers 90th birthday Areka (Hilgers) van Hees at 90th birthday with sons Henry and Frank in 1976.
  		Hendrik A. van Hees family (L-R) Frank, Areka, Hendrik (born 1889), and Henry (born 1914)
  		Hendrik A. van Hees family 1929 (L-R) Hendrik van Hees (born 1889), Henry (born 1914), Areka (Hilgers), Frank (born 1925).
  		Henry A. Van Hees Henry A. Van Hees (born 1914)
  		Henry and Florence (Dirkse) Van Hees Henry Van Hees (born 1914) and Florence Dirkse on their wedding day 16 August 1934
  		John and Henry Van Hees John and Henry (born 1914) Van Hees in Florida 1975

  
  

  Headstones

  Henry & Florence Van Hees Headstone of Hendrik A. (Henry) and Florence (Dirkse) Van Hees Plot: block 48A lot 19 graves 3 & 4

  
  

• Sources

  [S418] 1930 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2002;), Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan; Roll: 1023; Page: 20B; Enumeration District: 0013; Image: 892.0; FHL microfilm: 2340758. residence date: 1930 residence place: Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, USA birth date: 03 Apr 1914 birth place: Apeldoorn, Gelderland, Netherlands Name: Hendrik Abraham van Hees arrival date: 1915 [S379] Michigan, Ottawa, Certificate of Death, State File Number 1658898. [S381] Death Certficate of Arika (Hilgers) Van Hees, Florida State File no. 83-090656, Oct 7, 1983..