Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Vandenbroeck, Florentus R. 1904
************************************************
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:
Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net August 4, 2018, 4:59 pm

Belding Banner, 11 Aug 1904, pages 5 & 8

page 8
A Large Funeral
Many People Attended Last Sad Rites Over Remains of Rentz Vandenbroeck.

One of the largest funeral services ever held in Grattan was that held last
Friday over the late F.R. Vandenbroeck who committed suicide, friends and
neighbors from far and near were present to pay their last respects to the
deceased.  Rev. J.E. Butler of Lowell officiated and preached a most excellent
sermon.  The funeral was in charge of funeral director Ben Friedly of this city
and the interment took place in Riverridge cemetery.

The unfortunate man was undoubtedly temporarily insane and had been preparing
for and brooding over the awful deed for some time.

A few months ago while in Belding he purchased the revolver and a box of
cartridges and kept them in his room, although apparently having no use for
them.  On the morning of the suicide he wrote the following in an account book
which was afterward found in a room up stairs:  “I owe John Vandenbroeck 82
crates of corn I want that paid.  I owe Mat Bitlinger for six plow points and a
grindstone, I want you to get them and pay for them.  May be a good girl always
do what is right.  And the little boy God bless him and may the Lord be with him
wherever he may roam, farewell all.”

Deceased Florentus R. Vandenbroeck was born in Bowne Kent Co., March 31, 1854. 
He moved to Vergennes with his parents when a small boy where he resided until
his marriage to Ida M. Sherman, Dec. 31, 1882 when he removed to their present
home.  This union has been blessed with three children all of whom with his wife
survive him.  There is also three brothers and four sisters still living and one
brother who passed to the beyond about 1 ½ years ago.

Deceased was a loving and kind father, a devoted husband and much respected and
beloved neighbor, one who was always ready and willing to bear the burdens of
others and preform any good and kind deed he could and will be greatly missed by
his family and all who knew him.

------------

page 5
Rev. J.E. Butler of Lowell was in the city a few hours on Friday, he officiated
at the funeral service held over the remains of R. Vandenbrook, the unfortunate
man who committed suicide at his farm south of Smyrna.  The funeral was a very
large one.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/v/vandenbr7996gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/

File size: 2.8 Kb