Volume XXVII • Number 2 • 2009 Historical Magazine of The Archives Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 pagepage 6 page 16 (616) 526-6313 Origins is designed to publicize 2 From the Editor 13 Michigan’s Polar Bears and advance the objectives of Robert J. Yonker The Archives. These goals 4 Diary of POW Jacob Fridsma include the gathering, in Germany 18 Jacob Van Hinte organization, and study of 23 September 1944 to Pioneer and Preeminent Scholar historical materials produced by 22 April 1945 of Dutch American Studies the day-to-day activities of the Peter Ester Christian Reformed Church, its institutions, communities, and people. Richard H. Harms Editor Hendrina Van Spronsen Circulation Manager Conrad J. Bult Book Reviewer Tracey L. Gebbia Designer H.J. Brinks Harry Boonstra Janet Sheeres Associate Editors James C. Schaap Robert P. Swierenga ppageage 30 page 42 Contributing Editors HeuleGordon Inc. 24 To America: The Diary of 35 Building the Reformed Church Printer Jacob Van Hinte: Pioneer of in Early Wisconsin Dutch-American Studies Robert P. Swierenga Peter Ester 45 Book Notes 46 For the Future Cover photo: upcoming Origins articles POW telegram 47 Contributors from the editor . the entire diary via our website. Mov- Richard H. Harms. In 1847 the fi rst ing a bit back in time, the second is Dutch immigrants arrived in West the 1921 diary Jacob Van Hinte kept Michigan and one of their earliest during his tour of the United States in efforts was the formation of a church, preparation of his pioneering studies which in 1850 joined the Reformed on the Dutch-American experience. Church in America as First Church. Next, Peter Ester, who edited the A division within the congregation Time to Renew Your Subscription diary, provides background on Van in 1882 saw the majority of mem- As is our practice, to save the cost Hinte and the place of his work in bers, who retained ownership of the of a separate notifi cation of renewal Dutch-American scholarship. Mov- building, leave the Reformed Church mailing, we use this column to notify ing still further back in time, Robert in America and several years later you that this is the time to renew your Yonker provides his discoveries about join the Christian Reformed Church subscription. A renewal envelope for a relative who was part of a little- in North America. At this point the this is included with this issue. Sub- known WW I Allied military expedi- congregation changed its name to scriptions remain $10 (US) per year. tion on Russian soil. And, Dr. Robert Ninth Street Church, refl ecting its Gifts above $10 are acknowledged as Swierenga presents the results of his location in Holland. The information charitable gifts to Origins and we are research on the unique experience of available via http://www.calvin.edu/hh/ grateful for your generosity. D Dutch immigrants in Wisconsin com- family_history_resources/Pillar_church. pared to their kin in West Michigan htm was extracted from the church’s This Issue or Iowa. D original handwritten records. D We present two diaries in this issue. One was kept by Pfc. Jacob Fridsma Available On-Line News from the Archives while he was a prisoner of war dur- Early membership information from A large collection, the research and ing the last months of 1944 and early Pillar Church, Holland, Michigan, is reference papers of Dr. Quentin months of 1945.Because of the original now available on-line thanks to the Schultze on Christianity and the mass diary’s length, this is an edited version; work of volunteer Willene De Groot, media, and Christians and informa- in the near future we plan to provide student assistant Cyndi Feenstra, and tion technology, was organized and 2 Volume XXVII • Number 2 • 2009 opened for research. We also received because the campus Fine Arts Center changes to the translated and exten- and organized the papers of William was being vacated for remodeling. sively annotated minutes of the CRC Van Regenmorter, a prominent West Most of these recordings are of musi- synodical meetings (then called clas- Michigan politician, who specialized cal and visual arts performances by sical or general assembly meetings), in the rights of crime victims. This college faculty and students. 1857–1880. spring and summer also saw an infl ux Our volunteers continue the trans- of denominational records and as a lation from Dutch into English of Staff result of this we organized those that the additional minutes from Pillar Richard Harms is the curator of the came from the former Paw Paw, Mich- CRC, Holland, Michigan, and Hol- Archives; Hendrina Van Spronsen igan, Christian Reformed Church; the land, Michigan’s Central Avenue CRC is the offi ce coordinator; Wendy denominational campus ministry pro- minutes. Indexing of The Banner Blankespoor is librarian and catalog- gram; the Campus Ministry program vital records continues. Paul Bremer ing archivist; Melanie Vander Wal is at the University of Western Ontario continues his work in organizing the departmental assistant; Dr. Robert (London); and the former University papers of H. Evan Runner, as does Bolt is fi eld agent and assistant archi- Church in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. the indexing and organization of our vist. Our student assistant is Dana We processed two smaller collections, genealogical material. D Verhulst. Our volunteers include the records of the Fremont, Michigan Willene De Groot, Ed Gerritsen, Fred (Calvin College) Alumni Guild and Publications Greidanus, Ralph Haan, Dr. Henry the papers of Leo Peters, an active The history of the CRC mission effort Ippel, Helen Meulink, Rev. Gerrit critic of the college and its faculty in China, 1920-1950, by Dr. Kurt Sell- W. Sheeres, and Janet S. Sheeres. D during the 1980s and 1990s. The Pe- es, is being prepared for publication. ters material came from his estate and At this point we do not have a more includes correspondence as well as exact publication date than spring copies of advertisements he purchased 2010. It will be produced through the in the Grand Rapids Press. We also offi ces of the Historical Series of the Richard H. Harms completed processing a large amount RCA. Based on comments from edito- of audio material sent to the archives rial readers, Janet Sheeres is making 3 Diary of POW Jacob Fridsma in Germany 23 September 1944 to 22 April 1945 Information provided by the family (editor): Jacob Fridsma was the fi rst son and with the Russians advancing into East the third child born to Meindert (died Germany, he and his fellow prisoners 1 March 1933 from pneumonia) and were marched across northern Ger- Anna (nee Van Dyke) on 4 November many. They walked approximately 434 1921 in Passaic, New Jersey. He re- miles in 49 days. ceived his basic training north of Biloxi, Mississippi. On 23 September 1944, a Upon Jacob’s release, he returned to C47, with two gliders in tow, was shot the United States. His mother hav- down over Holland, one of these gliders, ing moved in the summer of 1944, the one in which Fridsma was fl ying, Fridsma joined his family in their new landed in a fi eld between Arnhem and home in Bellfl ower. One week after his Nijmegen, during the ill-fated Allied discharge he became a letter carrier, attack on Arnhem, and was taken and on 4 November 1946 he married prisoner. Ruth Ligtenberg. They had three daugh- The prisoners were sent to Stalag II B; ters, Anne Marie, Joyce, and Laura JaJacobcob Fridsma prpriorior to leavileavingng CamCampp Shelby for Fridsma later went by boxcar to Dun- Sue. While on a family vacation in Europe as a member of the glider infantry. He was part of Operation Market Garden which rose Farm in Stolp, Poland. He worked Dubuque, Iowa, he drowned in a motel included plans to land 14,589 troops by glider there until February of 1945 when, swimming pool on 10 July 1963. and 20,011 by parachute as part of an effort to secure a series of bridges for an invasion of Germany. Image courtesy of the family. aptured in Holland on 23 Sept. of about 600 GI and British were Cat approx. 4:45 p.m. Slept in loaded into box cars. Stayed here 2 civilian home. On 24th slept in a days and nights. Then 5 days and barn. Early in the morning rode nights traveled slowly through Al- by truck for about an hour to a lied pocket in Holland to Limburg, school house. Stayed about 2 hours. Germany [north and east of Frank- Marched about 10 kilometers to fort]. Very weak and dizzy from Culemborg—a Netherlands Red lack of food and exercise. Deloused After his youth in New Jersey and mili- Cross Hospital. Searched there, here, searched, and no chow. On tary service during World War II, Jacob Fridsma (1921-1963) worked as a let- fed and slept. Joined up with more 5 Oct. left for Frankfurt for inter- ter carrier in the Bellfl ower, California, GIs and British boys. Marched 7 rogation. Locked up in solitary area. He was married to Ruth Ligten- hours through Doorn and several confi nement for 5 days 8-12 Oct. berg; they had three daughters. other towns to Amersfoort. Fed Left for Luftwaffe camp—shower there and about 9 at night a group and good chow. On the 13th was 4 Volume XXVII • Number 2 • 2009 shipped back to Limburg with fi rst 27 November, Monday thing all the time. More than ever issue of Red Cross clothing and Traveled 110 kilometers from Stalag I am looking for the time of libera- toilet articles.