How the Van Koevering brothers thrived with disabilities
The Van Koeverings have a legacy.
In 1847, after Albertus Van Raalte, Jan Rabbers, and Jannes Van de Luyster led their followers from the Netherlands, Izaak and Adriana Sonke Van Koevering and spouse and children arrived with Jacob Wabeke, who financed the trip.
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Izaak and Adriana’s son, Anthoni (a builder) married Cornelia De Jonge, daughter of Jan De Jonge and Jannetje Den Herder De Jonge. Two of their youngsters have been Adrian and William, who at a pretty youthful age contracted polio.
The illness weakened Adrian’s left arm and right leg and weakened both of those of William’s legs. On the advice of Zeeland’s first doctor, Dr. Daniel Baert, Adrian was taken to see a professional in Cincinnati who attached 6 leaches to his arm in an try to clear away the “poisonous blood.” The treatment did not work.
As they got more mature, it turned very clear for the reason that of their disability the boys could not be a part of their father in the building organization. So, in 1893, the boys’ mom, Cornelia, approached her uncle, Jacob Den Herder, for a financial loan to assist Adrian open up a printing enterprise.
After Jacob obliged, Adrian expended $50 for a bench printer from the Kelsey Printing Push Company of Meriden, Connecticut. He then opened his shop in his parents’ developing at 149 E. Most important Ave. One particular of his customers was Dr. Baert, who requested 100 business playing cards.
The identical yr, at the behest of nearby politician and temperance supporter, Cornelius Van Bathroom, Hiram Potts of Grand Haven leased a storefront at 207 E. Primary Ave. to print a newspaper named The Zeeland Expositor. The guy hired to run the shop and do the printing was Lewis Hartwick of Hart, Michigan. By 1894, Hartwick owned the organization and took on a new associate, Evert Prium.
They moved their procedure to Prium’s vacant storefront at 50 E. Major Ave. and renamed their paper The Zeeland Document. Then Alfred Ringe and his spouse opened a printing shop at 122 E. Primary Ave. and commenced a newspaper termed The Zeeland Organization.
Soon after only a few months, The Zeeland Enterprise failed. Ringe tried to provide his printing gear to Adrian for $300 — then approved $150. A couple weeks later on, Adrian started publishing a newspaper entitled The Weekly Information.
Also in 1893, Adrian’s brother, William, bought a images business from E.J. McDermand, who moved back to Tennessee. The organization was then located at 211 E Key Ave. — where Don’s Flowers is now.
The Van Koevering boys have been a group. William would assistance Adrian all through the very first half of the 7 days and Adrian would assist William the 2nd 50 % of the week.
In 1897, Adrian’s mother and father offered the setting up at 149 E. Principal Ave. and procured the property and lean-to at 211 E. Most important Ave. Both Adrian’s newspaper and William’s pictures company ended up moved to that place.
In 1898, the Van Koeverings razed the lean-to and designed a two-story developing and moved the brothers’ companies upstairs. Specified the brothers’ physical problems, this need to have been a challenge. From time to time, Adrian would have William, who would hold the digital camera and, immediately after an exhausting day at perform, Adrian would have William house.
In 1899, Adrian bought The Zeeland File.
In 1902, the VanKoeverings constructed a new residence and image gallery at 52 E. Primary Ave. — next door to VanBree’s Drug Retailer.
In 1908, Adrian employed Abe Van Hoven, who inevitably launched his possess store. Also, in 1908, McDermand moved again to Zeeland and repurchased his photography business enterprise, renaming it “Mac’s Art Studio.”
In 1909, VanBree of VanBree’s Drug Store built a new developing at the corner of Principal Avenue and Elm Street. The Van Koeverings then bought and moved Van Bree’s aged two-story brick-veneered making to the newly designed S. Elm Avenue.
By 1925, the VanKoeverings were being printing numerous Sunday College publications and The Modern Poultry Breeder. Needing additional space, they constructed a 1-tale addition.
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In 1955, Adrian marketed The Zeeland History to his sons, George and Cornelius (“Corey”) Van Koevering. In 1958, George still left the enterprise to turn out to be a railroad lobbyist in Lansing. Corey’s sons, Keith and Paul, joined The Zeeland History. A single era afterwards, Paul’s sons, Kurt and Kraig, also joined the business.
In 1941, Nicholas deVries purchased McDermand’s images company it stayed in the deVries loved ones until eventually 2016. It’s now owned by Carmel Brown.
Information and facts from this report arrives from the DeVries Studio and Zeeland History internet sites, the Zeeland Report Archives, Randall Dekker’s “Primary Street Memoir” and an interview with Kurt Van Koevering.
— Group Columnist Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland. Contact him through commence-upacademeinc.com.