hood of nine hundred as at present. She committed herself fully to the work in hand, and the prosperity of the church since that time has been due in no small measure to her fidelity.

She was actively interested and identified with nearly every department of benevolent as well as church work.

She was one of the original cemetery association organized in 1870 by a few ladies, which did so much in the way of beautifying Evergreen cemetery, supplying it with a fountain and other attractive features. In every kind of social and other needed reforms she was interested and cheerfully active. Her entire life in point of purity was well symbolized by the whiteness of the lilies that lay upon her coffin and in point of completeness of maturity by the ripened heads of golden grain that lay beside them.

FERDINAND WELLER. Ferdinand Weller died at Muskegon on the 9th day of April, 1893. He was one of the most widely known of Muskegon's citizens and has seen it grow from almost a hamlet to its present proportions. He was born in Asch, Austria, December 24, 1838, and spent the earlier years of his life in acquiring a good German education. When he was 18 years old he came to this country on a sailing vessel to attempt his fortunes among a strange people of whose tongue he was entirely ignorant. He made his way directly to Michigan and secured a place for a while on a farm near Detroit, where in the intervals of his chore duties he managed to acquire a smattering of English. He made up his mind that he wanted to be a printer and ultimately engage in the newspaper business, and with this definite purpose in mind went to Howell, this State, where he obtained a position in a printing office. Here he remained a short time when he went to Grand Rapids where he remained two years, working at his trade, and then came to Muskegon, arriving here in the spring of 1865. He acquired and consolidated two papers, issuing them as the News and Reporter. His press was of the original hand form, and putting the paper through the press in those days was not a joke. Gradually he built up one of the largest and best newspaper properties in western Michigan, which he disposed of in 1869. That year he married Miss Anna Ellis of Earlville, Iowa, and the following year he made a trip to his birthplace and brought back his aged mother to this city, where she made her home for fourteen years.

In 1870 he entered the newspaper business again, issuing his paper under the old name of News and Reporter and in 1872 he came out as a Greeley democrat. Ten years later he began the publication of the

News as a daily. In 1889 he disposed of his entire newspaper property to Wanty & Manning, the present owners, and gave his attention to his other interests, real estate and lumber.

His first wife died in November, 1884, and on April 12, 1887, he married, at the home of her parents in Charles City, Iowa, the wife who survives him. She formerly taught the high school in Holland, Mich., and met Mr. Weller while in Chicago.

In the death of Ferdinand Weller, the local press of this city and county has lost a pioneer well known to a great mass of the people, and so thoroughly has he been connected with its history that it is impossible to give a sketch of his life without saying more or less of the history of our press.

The first newspaper of Muskegon which became permanent was the Muskegon Reporter, the first number of which was issued in April, 1859, by Fred B. Lee & Co. This was continued until October, 1864, when Fred B. Lee, who was the editor, having enlisted in the army, the paper was discontinued, although the type and furniture remained intact in the office.

John Bole started a republican paper known as the Muskegon News on the 20th of August, 1864. Mr. Bole published this paper for a few months, when he sold it to Wm. K. Gardner, who continued it to March, 1865, when he sold his interest to Ferdinand Weller. The latter soon after bought the press and type of the Reporter, continuing the publication of the two papers for a short time when they were united as a republican paper known as the News and Reporter. This was continued by Mr. Weller until December, 1869, when he sold the paper to Geo. C. Rice, who continued the publication, changing the name to the Muskegon Chronicle.

In August, 1870, Mr. Weller revived the News and Reporter as a democratic newspaper, and which he continued until his sale to Messrs. Wanty & Manning. He started The News in 1882. Mr. Weller was always known as a good citizen, thoroughly alive to the best interests. of the city.

BERNARDUS GROOTENHUIS.-Bernardus Grootenhuis died unexpectedly March 3, 1893, at the age of 79 years. He was one of the earliest pioneers in this Dutch colony and closely connected with its history. He was born at Ommen, province of Overisel, Netherlands, September 12, 1814, and twenty-seven years later he married Johanna Hoogewind. In 1846 they accompanied Rev. Van Raalte to America, arriving here in the spring of 1847. Mr. Grootenhuis mastered the study of surveying and his help was of great assistance to the settlers in laying out their domains. His real occupation, however, was that of painter and after remaining here five years they left for Detroit, staying there three years when they returned to Holland for one year. His proficiency in the art of painting attracted considerable attention and he went to Grand Rapids where he formed a partnership with L. Dooge. After spending several years there, either in company or alone in his business, Mr. Grootenhuis and his wife returned here in 1872. While in Grand Rapids he took a leading part in the formation of the First English congregation there and of which he was elder. In Holland he was also one of the leaders in organizing the Hope church congregation of which he was also elder for several years. From 1867 to

1879 he was supervisor of the township. Two sons, James and John, entered the union army, the former being killed in the battle of the wilderness. He leaves an aged widow and three married children, John, one of our leading painters, Mrs. J. Kerkhof, and Mrs. Janna Ter Beek.

PIETER FREDERICK PFANSTIEHL.-Pieter F. Pfanstiehl was born June 12, 1806, in the city of Breda, Netherlands. He received a more than ordinary education, and spent a part of his youth and early manhood in other countries of the continent. June 5, 1833, he was married to Helena Meulenbroek, with whom he lived 52 years, having celebrated his golden wedding two years before the latter's death. Of seventeen children born to them five survive, two sons, Peter, of Holland, and Rev. Albert A., of Denver, Col.; and three daughters, Mrs. H. Boone and Mrs. Dr. F. J. Schouten, of Holland, and Frederika, who is being cared for in the Michigan asylum at Kalamazoo. Three days before his death Mr. Pfanstiehl was still considered to be in his usual health. The immediate cause of his death was congestion of the lungs. He entered into his final rest on Friday evening, July 8, 1892, at the ripe old age of 86 years.

With the death of Pieter F. Pfanstiehl, Holland loses another of the few remaining links that connects its past with the present.

The deceased was a well-to-do shoemaker, in the city of Arnhem, Netherlands, at the time when the first murmurings of dissatisfaction were heard on the part of his countrymen with reference to their material condition, actual and prospective. His sympathies were with them. In all the movements and deliberations leading up to the "emigration of 1847," he was an active coworker among those that had that exodus in charge. As such we have a right to especially designate him a connecting link between the present and the past.

With his family he left the fatherland for the New World in the summer of 1847; arrived in New York and remained there about eight months following his trade. While there he made the acquaintance of the late Dr. B. Ledeboer, an incident which also in later years led to the doctor's removal to Holland. In the spring of 1848 he left for the west, and was joined at Buffalo by Mr. I. Cappon, then a young man anxious to join the "Zeelanders."

Mr. Pfanstiehl's objective point was the colony of Dr. Van Raalte, in Michigan, with whom he had held intimate relations in the old country. Upon reaching Milwaukee he left his family there for a few weeks, and came on to Holland. Here he again started at his trade,

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at which he was an expert, having followed it in such cities as Brussels and Paris. It did not take him long, however, to realize that his new environments called for a different kind of foot wear than had been his wont to make, and he conceived the idea of starting a tannery. The material of some of the buildings in the "Indian Village," was utilized in constructing a tannery on the shore of Black Lake. The sills can still be traced at a point a little east of where Cappon & Bertsch in 1859 built their first tannery: Here also is where Mr. I. Cappon was initiated into the tanner's trade. Want of sufficient experience soon caused this enterprise to be abandoned. Some leather had been made and was sold in Kalamazoo, where it fell into the hands of the late Simon Schmid. Mr. Pfanstiehl soon thereafter, in 1851, removed to Kalamazoo, remained there a year or so, when he again returned to "the colony," embarking in general merchandise, in which line he was more successful.

It is not for us to follow his subsequent career in detail. Suffice it to state that for a while he also operated the stage line between Kalamazoo, Allegan, Holland, and Grand Haven; was a dealer in staves, bark, etc., became a vessel owner, and manufacturer of cut staves and heading.

Having briefly stated his connection with the early settlement of Holland, as the pioneer tanner, there is one other incident in his career as a business man which is desirable to bring out, it being especially worthy of remembrance. It was during the period known as the panic of 1857, which financial distress was very severe upon the then weak and struggling colony. The leading business man of that day and the commercial stay of the settlement, Mr. A. Plugger, was heavily involved, and at the complete mercy of his creditors. The times were exceedingly hard and trying. Just then also, as a matter of absolute self-preservation, the colonists had undertaken to construct their own. harbor. Through the self-denying efforts of the late Mr. John Roost, they had obtained from the State a grant of swamp lands, lying principally in the township of Olive. Not as a matter of investment, for those lands at that period had little or no value, but with a view of furthering the development of the harbor, Mr. Pfanstiehl at this critical period volunteered to take a certain amount of those lands, to enable the harbor board to secure sufficient dredging in what is at present the main channel of the harbor, but which was then only a recently cut out channel. (It should be remembered that this was in the days when government appropriations for the improvement of harbors were still held as