Ionia-Eaton County MI Archives Biographies.....HUIZENGA, Pearl (Mrs. Cornelius) ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: LaVonne Bennett lib@dogsbark.com February 7, 2007, 9:31 pm Author: THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR, April 1972, Volume 7, Number 5; submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins ESTABLISHING THE PORTLAND CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH IN SEBEWA By Pearl (Mrs. Cornelius) Huizenga: [Note: Additional information on Henry Nathan Kenyon is at the bottom of the page.] Although the Henry Kenyons had been lured to Sebewa from Holland, Michigan in the early 1900s, their family was originally from Pennsylvania and therefore would be known as Pennsylvania Dutch. But as Mr. Kenyon had lived so long among real Hollanders, he was quite fluent in speaking the Holland language. Among others, Luurt Huizenga learned about the great future in farming that was promised for residents of Ionia County. A visit to the Henry Kenyon farm convinced Mr. and Mrs. Huizenga that this was the place to move with a family of five healthy sons and a daughter. Both families agreed that little more than a “disturbance” could be raised in all that sandy soil of Ottawa. The move was accomplished after Mr. Huizenga purchased the Merritt Allen farm through the Sunfield realtor, Charles Lundquist. It was on the east side of Sebewa Township and near the Kenyon farm. The house, though vacant at the time had lately been used as a “logger’s inn” and was to stand the family in good stead for many years. Its ample size made it a natural choice for the Church meetings that would be held there. The Huizengas, like many another family moving to a new area, sought a place of worship that would satisfy their spiritual needs. They attended churches in the area for a few years. However, since more families of Holland descent were now living within visiting range of one another and being accustomed to having worship services in their “mother tongue”, the possibility of becoming a Mission Station was explored. It was during the summer of 1912 that Mrs. Huizenga sent a letter to the Board of Missions of the Christian Reformed Church to inquire about the possibility of a church being organized in the area. Her home was offered as the initial meeting place. The offer was accepted and the meetings began with one service each Sunday in the Holland language. I clearly recall Mother Huizenga telling on several occasions of how the old sewing machine with its removable cover was used as the first pulpit. The families of Jacob Bakker, T. Plaggemeyer and Albert Van Kampen were among the first to attend the meetings which were held regularly until winter set in. With the coming of spring, more folks had learned about the efforts being put forth by this small group of Hollanders fostering a Christian cause. Their interest made necessary a larger building for the meeting place. In April of 1913 the use of the Pierce schoolhouse was granted rent free to the group. The deserted old schoolhouse is still visible, a mile distant, to travelers on the Clarksville Road. Mr. Jacob Bakker was appointed as leader of the congregation and agreement was reached to have two services each Sunday in the Holland language. That first winter had many discouragements and there were times of deep depression---even to the point of giving up the whole project. But with the coming of another spring, still more families of Holland descent had located in Ionia County and the prospects for a Church seemed much brighter. It was soon evident that still larger quarters would be needed to accommodate the increasing attendance. The legal organization took place at the Pierce schoolhouse on June 22, 1915. Although the preceding activities had begun in Sebewa, the new Church was to be called the Christian Reformed Church of Portland, Michigan. A roll call showed nine member-families present plus several others who were interested who were not yet communicant members. At this writing there are only two Charter Members living in the general area; they are Miss Grace Huizenga and John Huizenga. The North Sebewa Wesleyan Methodist congregation with their church located at Clarksville and Shilton Roads offered to share their building with our people. We met there for some time and then heard of a church building that was for sale for the sum of $300 but if bought, it would have to be moved. The building was located five miles north, near the Riker School. This quotation from the PORTLAND OBSERVER gives the origin of the church at the original site on the west side of Sunfield Highway in section 10 of Orange Township. “December 8, 1874---The First United Brethren Church of Orange was dedicated last Sabbath with appropriate services, Bishop Edwards of Baltimore officiating. There was an outstanding debt of $800 against the house but after the sermon in the space of about 30 minutes the sum of $1,085 was raised in money and subscriptions. There were several who gave $100 each and two ladies, at least, who gave $50 each. In addition to this a very liberal collection was taken. Immediately after the means were raised to pay the indebtedness on the house, it was, in a solemn and impressive manner given to the great I AM for whose worship it was built. “B. M.” Schenck’s History of Ionia and Montcalm Counties states that the building cost $2,100 and that United Brethren meetings were held in the King schoolhouse prior to the building of the church. We had chosen a site for our church at the corner of Clarksville and Sunfield Highways. The purchase of the building was made from an old fellow named Jim Crow who formerly lived in the Travis District. The next question was, “Who would move it for us?” When the need was made known a young man who owned and operated a threshing rig said he would do the job. The young man was Roll Aussicker, brother-in-law of Isaac Bazan. Early in January of 1922 the moving was ready to begin with Owen Striker of Sunfield engineering the job. The move was made in 64 hours on narrow country roads at a cost of $128. Mr. Striker was in the moving business and had the equipment and the experience to move such a large building. A large steel cable was attached to the building and strung out ahead to a pulley anchored to a steel stake in the frozen ground. Gerrit Smith says he can vouch for that because it was his job to drive the stake each time. The cable was then returned to the building where it passed through another pulley before being attached to the pull of Aussicker’s Baker steam engine. Thus when Roll applied the power he traveled three times the distance the church was moved. When the cable was fully extended and the pulleys closed their distance, the hitch was released and Van Kampen’s horse was hitched to the forward pulley to string out the cable for another go after the steamer had backtracked for the new hitch. So it went---hitch and haul, hitch and haul for mile after mile until the Clarksville Road intersection was reached. Rev. J. R. Brink, who had been at the helm of the project since the beginning, stuck right with the men during the whole process, walking the entire distance and many times laying his hand on the slowly moving building as if to steady it. To bring the building into location, a swing was made around to the east side of the Travis schoolhouse. Elmer Creighton recalls the steam and smoke from the puffing engine clouded the windows of the schoolhouse and caused so much excitement that the teacher dismissed school for the day. Elmer was one of the fortunate ones who got to watch the proceedings as his father had come to see the operation. The final movement of the building was accomplished with a horse and winch. Next a need arose for a home for the future pastor, who would be serving the congregation. A house was purchased from Ben Probasco from its site two miles south on Sunfield Highway. It was moved onto its new location near the Church in January of 1924, again with Owen Striker doing the job. This time Sam Creighton with his Greyhound steamer and Frank Cassel with an Advance steamer supplied the motive power. Parishoners worked to make the house a comfortable home for its future occupants. Gradually the services changed to the English language---at first on a share and share alike basis and later the Holland language was dropped. The hardy folks who had the insight and courage to establish a new church would see a vast difference today with modern heat and lighting replacing the old wood burner and the kerosene lamps and now an electronic organ for the music. The Christian Reformed Church of Portland, Michigan, is now standing at the corner of Sunfield Highway and the Clarksville Road seems a fitting monument to the faith and persistence of its founders. Ministers who served this church were: Rev. Wm. Alkema 1925-28 Rev. Lambert Van Haitsma 1929-1943 Rev. Dick Oostenink 1943-1945 Rev. Bernard T. Haan 1946-1949 Rev. Andrew DeVries 1950-1955 Rev. Richard Vande Kleft 1955-1959 Rev. Harmon Kuizema 1962- [Additional Information on Nathan Henry: Added by Dolores Kenyon (eldolken@potc.net), Sept. 5, 2009 - In my research I find that Henry Nathan Kenyon came to MI, to the Holland area in Ottawa County with his parents, Nathan Henry and wife, Elizabeth and family, (son Henry, daughters Iris, Iola and Susan) in about 1866. Way back the Kenyons came from England in the 1600s to Rhode Island and before that from the Saxons of Germany (1400s). From Holland, MI they moved on to Ionia, MI. Nathan was a business man and banker in Holland, MI. and owned a hardware store in Ionia, MI. His first wife Elizabeth is buried at Holland, MI. Later, he married Lottie (Charlotte) Adams in Wayne Co. MI. He died in CA in 1908 and is buried there and she died in MI in 1914 and is buried in the Portland City Cemetery. Henry and wife Mary Allena (Fuller) Kenyon lived on the farm on Emery Road in the Sebewa area and later so did their son Frank, and also his son Elliott. Several of the children of Henry and Mary lived in the Sebewa area and now several of their families.] File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/bios/huizenga481gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 9.5 Kb