LYON COUNTY GENEALOGY

 

Larchwood Centennial Biographies:

The V's

 

VAN ASH, HENRY, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jaques VanAsh was born January 13, 1895, at Heel, Holland. His wife, Sophia Friessen, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Friessen and was born November 4, 1896, at Larchwood. They were married February 21, 1922 and became the parents of six children-Cletus (deceased); Leonella (Mrs. Bob Griffith;), Canton, S.D.; Betty (Mrs. Joe Allen), Kansas City, Mo., Alfred-married to Marilyn Rockhill, Larchwood; Gordon-married to Lois Healy, Pierre, S.D.; and Beverly (Mrs. Lyle Spargo), Rapid City, S.D. Henry left Holland when he was 19 years old, going to Argentina, South America, where he was a cheese and butter maker for two years. He arrived at Larchwood in April of 1917 and soon after enlisted in the navy, serving aboard a transport which made several ocean trips to France. After his discharge he worked for a time as a baker in Sioux City, Iowa, before returning to Larchwood. After their marriage the couple farmed until 1959. In 1969 they built a new home in Larchwood, where they are now living. They have 29 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Henry and Sophia celebrated their golden weddng on February 20, 1972.


VAN CITTERS, WILLIAM
was born in Worthington, Minn., and his wife, Irene, was born in Camden, N.Y., on December 27, 1889. They were married March 12, 1915, at Sioux City, Ia. Two sons were born to this union-Eugene and Earl. The VanCitters owned and operated the "Larchwood Leader" from 1927-1931. Irene died in 1927 and Bill in 1966.


VAN LENT, JOHN,
the son of Henry and Louise VanLent, was born July 19, 1892, in Arcadia, Ia. Their family moved to a farm in Dakota County, Nebraska. On April 14, 1920, at Waterbury, Nebraska, John married Maude Sorensen, who was born November 2, 1894. Four children were born to the couple-Monica (Mrs. L.J. Flower), Enterprise, Ala.; Mary (Mrs. Leonard Hasselmann), Sioux Falls, S.D.; Sister Clara, Melrose Park, Ill.; and Jack-who married Gertrude Kamp, Beresford, S. D. Maude passed away April 24, 1945. In 1950 John married Amelia Determan Krier of Canton, S.D. She was born January 4, 1910, and was the mother of three children-Donna (Mrs. Dale Hicks), Canton, S.D; Ronald Krier-married to Virginia Simon, Laurens, Ia.; and Dewayne Krier-who married Maragie Lukken, Davenport, Ia. The VanLent's moved onto Ed Tracy's farm west of Larchwood, where they lived until they retired February 20, 1971. Amelia now resides in Auburn, Ia.


VAN RAALTE, ALBERT
was born October 20, 1879, in Kampen, Netherlands; and his wife, Hattie DeWeerd, was born July 4, 1884, at Ede, Netherlands. They were married March 18, 1909, at Sioux Center, Ia. The couple had six children-Martha and Marinus (both deceased); William-who married Alice Veldkamp, Larchwood; Albertha (Mrs. Bill Brown), Grace (Mrs. Sy VanderVeen), and Anna Marie (Mrs. Everett Fikse) all of Ripon, Calif.; and two stepchildren-Edward and Tony (both deceased). The VanRaaltes moved to Larchwood in 1921 and farmed in this community for many years. Albert passed away September 29, 1962 and Hattie on October 6, 1969.


VAN RAALTE, WILLIAM
was born near Larchwood on February 3, 1916; and Alice Veldkamp was born October 6, 1918, at Inwood, Ia. They were married September 12, 1941, at Inwood, Ia. Two children were born to this union-Sharon (Mrs. Pat Garrison) of Brandon, Minn., and Allen-married to Mary DeBoer, of Larchwood. William farmed east of Larchwood until August 4, 1964 when he retired and moved to town. His son, Allen, lives on the home farm.


VIERECK, EDWARD
, son of Fred and Minnie Viereck, was born May 13, 1905, at Rowena, SD. He married Ivy Horn, daughter of Henry Horn, on June 16, 1928. Ivy was born on December 8, 1910. Ed and Ivy are the parents of two children Rolland, who married Evelyn Claussen, and Karen (Mrs. Edward Hildring), both of Larchwood. After living on various farms in the vicinity, the Vierecks moved onto the home farm of Henry Horn, where they continued farming until moving into Larchwood in 1960.


VIERECK, ROY
was born February 16, 1907, at Rowena, S.D. On March 21, 1937 he married Mary Bruggeman, who was born September 6, 1904, at Larchwood. They are the parents of three children-Rosemary (Mrs. Dick Moser, Jr.), Hills, Minn.; Arla (Mrs. Ronald Kramer), Larchwood; and Judy (Mrs. Ralph Oliver), Sioux Falls, S.D. The Vierecks farmed in the Larchwood vicinity and were also in the implement business at Larchwood for a number of years. Roy and Mary have nine grandchildren. They are living in Larchwood.


VOSBURG, CLINTON HOLMES
was born at Doon, Ia., on July 1, 1887. He attended school there, and as a young man he worked with the railroad and farmed. On December 11, 1913, he married Ruth Johnson, who was born May 4, 1893, at Inwood, Ia. They had six children-Shirley (Mrs. Gerald Zuraff), Merle-married to Anitia Songstad, Gordon-who married to Lena Snra, all of Sioux Falls, S.D.; Clair-married to Jeanette VanderWerf, Valley Springs, S.D.; Dallas-married to Myrna Kuhns, Colton, S.D.; and Harold-who married Luella Rohweder, Larchwood. The Vosburgs moved to the Laarchwood area in 1918 where they farmed until their retirement to Larchwood in 1955. Clinton passed away August 25, 1962; and Ruth moved to Sioux Falls, where she still lives.


VOSBURG, HAROLD
was born January 2, 1917, at Doon, Iowa. He moved to Larchwood in 1918 with his parents. In April of 1941 he entered the army, being discharged in 1945. He married Luella Rohweder on April 8, 1945 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Luella was born February 12, 1923 in Rock Rapids, Ia. They began farming in 1946 on a farm north of Larchwood, where they still reside.