Wiersma, Bernice (Mrs. Eugene), 1912-1938

WIERSMA, SCHOLTEN, STRONKS

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:34

From the Alton Democrat, May 20, 1938:

Former Alton Girl Dies at Holland

Mrs. Eugene Wiersma of Holland, Mich., the former Bernice Scholten of Alton, passed on at her home Sunday at the age of twenty-six years, after an illness of several years duration. She is survived by her husband; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Burt Scholten of Holland; and two brothers, Rev. Howard Scholten of Chicago and Paul at home. Mrs. Wiersma attended school in Alton and is remembered kindly by many schoolmates and friends.

Alton relatives were notified of Mrs. Wiersma’s untimely passing and two of the young women’s aunts, Mrs. H. J. Aalders and Mrs. Henry Jansen, left by train Monday night for Iowa City where the latter’s brother, James Stronks, was to meet them and take them by car to attend the funeral services at Holland.

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RESEARCH NOTES

Her death certificate gives her residence as Holland Township RR 4, Ottawa County, Michigan; born March 21, 1912 in Alton, Iowa; parents Burt Scholten, born in Alton, and Grace Stronks, born in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin; died at 5 p.m. May 15, 1938; cause, Hodgkin’s disease, duration 3 years; her right arm was amputated on February 28, 1938 due to “circulatory disturbance”; buried in Fairlawn Cemetery, Holland, Michigan.

There is also a Michigan marriage certificate for groom Eugene Wiersma, age 22, born in and a resident of Holland, Michigan, parents Martin Wiersma and Buka[?] Martinus, a salesman; bride Bernice Scholten, age 21, born in Alton, Iowa, parents Bert Scholten and Grace Stronks, resident of Holland, Michigan, a bookkeeper; married at Holland September 18, 1933.

Her FindaGrave.com page shows her buried in Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan. Although her marriage certificate says she was married no times previously, FindaGrave shows two spouses: Russell Wiersma (1912-1930) and Eugene Wiersma (1911-1998). It includes a photo of her. Eugene Wiersma’s page shows him having remarried, to Lola Bell Wiersma (1915-2008).

A brief obituary (in Dutch) in De Grondwet, Holland, Michigan, May 24, 1938, gives her survivors as her parents, rural route no. 3, Holland; two brothers, Rev. Howard Scholten of Chicago and Paul Scholten of Iowa; and her grandparents, Mrs. Grace Scholten of Alton, Iowa, and Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Stronks of Sheldon, Iowa.