Obituary

**Obituary**
This obituary appeared in a newspaper (possibly the Green Bay Press Gazette) on the 5th of Jun 1951. Note that the province of birth was Limburg, not Lunburg (printing typo) Holland. Due to date of birth and other research, it is believed that John was 26 when he came to America, not 26. I have reproduced the article in the same form as it appeared. Duplicating column layout, spelling and grammar errors as best as possible. - Robert Leo Vaessen (18 July 2004)
John Vaessen, De Pere, Dies Rites on Wednesday For Army Veteran, Former Councilman DE PERE — John H. Vaessen, 85; 337 Grant street, a former city councilman, died Monday evening at a Green Bay hospital following a month's illness. Death was due to complications. At one time a soldie, miner and prarie farmer, Mr. Vaessen settled permanently at De Pere in 1920 following his retirement from farming. He served as third ward alderman from 1929 to 1933. Born March 2, 1866, at Masbray, Lunburg, Holland, he served two years in the Netherlands army before coming to America at the age of 20. He promptly enlisted in the U. S. Army and spent the next five years with the 13th regiment as an infantryman in the Oklahoma territory. Following his discharge, he worked briefly in the iron mines of upper michigan and farmed in the town of Rockland before going to Minnesota. He farmed there for six years, then established two homesteads in Canada he returned to Minnesota, resuming farming operations for six more years before returning in 1920 to De Pere Survived by Wife His first wife, the former Clara Bartels of De Pere, died in 1921. In 1925 he married the former Mrs. Otelia Gevers. Survivors are his wife, 13 children, 35 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Sons and daughters are Jacob and Sylvester, Chicago; Carl, Leo, John W., and Hubert, De Pere; Lawrence, Clarence and Mrs. Johanna Tochterman, Green Bay; Mrs. Ella Luerssen, Fox River Grove, Ill., Lt. Cornelius Vaessen, U. S. Army, and Norbert Gevers, De Pere. Another son, Sgt Mathew Vaessen was killed in action June 12, 1944, on Biak island. The body is at the Ryan Funeral home where the rosary will be offered by the Catholic Woman's club at 8:15 this evening and at 8 o'clock Wednesday night by the St. Boniface Holy Name society. Funeral services will be conducted at 9 o'clock Thursday morning in St. Boniface church. The Rev. Jansen..........................................and burial will follow in Mt. Calvary cemetary.	John Vaessen, Rites planned on Thursday DE PERE — The St. Boniface Holy Name society will offer the rosary in the Ryan Funeral home at 8 o'clock tonight for John H. Vaessen, 85, former city alderman who died Monday following a short illness. Funeral services will be conducted at 9 o'clock Thursday morning with the Rev. Jospeh Jansen offering the requiem mass in St. Boniface church. Burial will follow in Mt. Cavalry cemetery. Mr. Vaessen, a retired farmer and former soldier, headed the committee on relief during the trying period of the depression between 1929 and 1933. Rated a "sharpshooter" during his periiod of Army service in Oklahoma territory around 1890, Mr. Vaessen had always been proud of his marksmanship. Last fall he was one of the oldest hunters in the state to bag a deer during the Wisconsin big game season.

John Vaessen,
De Pere, Dies

Rites on Wednesday
For Army Veteran,
Former Councilman

    DE PERE — John H. Vaessen, 85; 337 Grant street, a former city councilman, died Monday evening at a Green Bay hospital following a month's illness. Death was due to complications.
    At one time a soldie, miner and prarie farmer, Mr. Vaessen settled permanently at De Pere in 1920 following his retirement from farming. He served as third ward alderman from 1929 to 1933.
    Born March 2, 1866, at Masbray, Lunburg, Holland, he served two years in the Netherlands army before coming to America at the age of 20. He promptly enlisted in the U. S. Army and spent the next five years with the 13th regiment as an infantryman in the Oklahoma territory.
    Following his discharge, he worked briefly in the iron mines of upper michigan and farmed in the town of Rockland before going to Minnesota. He farmed there for six years, then established two homesteads in Canada he returned to Minnesota, resuming farming operations for six more years before returning in 1920 to De Pere
Survived by Wife
    His first wife, the former Clara Bartels of De Pere, died in 1921. In 1925 he married the former Mrs. Otelia Gevers. Survivors are his wife, 13 children, 35 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Sons and daughters are Jacob and Sylvester, Chicago; Carl, Leo, John W., and Hubert, De Pere; Lawrence, Clarence and Mrs. Johanna Tochterman, Green Bay; Mrs. Ella Luerssen, Fox River Grove, Ill., Lt. Cornelius Vaessen, U. S. Army, and Norbert Gevers, De Pere. Another son, Sgt Mathew Vaessen was killed in action June 12, 1944, on Biak island.
    The body is at the Ryan Funeral home where the rosary will be offered by the Catholic Woman's club at 8:15 this evening and at 8 o'clock Wednesday night by the St. Boniface Holy Name society. Funeral services will be conducted at 9 o'clock Thursday morning in St. Boniface church. The Rev. Jansen..........................................and burial will follow in Mt. Calvary cemetary.