Within a week they would be headed to Grand Rapids, Michigan to settle. While there two more sons were born, Henry and Albert. Johanna and Wilhem van Heest were in Grand Rapids as well where Wilhem van Heest passed away during the 1918 influenza epidemic.
Oldest son Jake Jr had severe health problems with asthma and doctors advised they move west. During the depression that followed WW I Jake Sr sold their home in Grand Rapids for much less than it was worth and in 1921 they settled in Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound of Washington state where many friends had already settled. Johanna Van Heest joined them later to help care for the four young boys.
Jake Sr bought a small farm, only 5 acres, and attempted to carve out a living for them but times continued to be tough. He had worked on the "Amgemeen Handelsblad" which was at the time the largest newspaper in the Netherlands and on the Grand Rapids Press as a sterotyper. He started working in the back shops of several newspapers in the area and spent summers working for the Seattle Post Intelligencer, the Seattle Times, the Aberdeen World, The Wenatchee World, and papers in Spokane, Wa., Moscow, Id., and Victoria, British Columbia. The two oldest Wardenaar boys took care of the farm while dad went off to work. They got by but had very lean times - one Christmas the boys gave their dad a box of matches wrapped up with a piece of kindling wood for a Christmas present.
All four of the boys started school in a one room school house which grew to a larger school as they progressed. They all graduated high school which was unusual for farm children of that time. Three of the boys would go on to college.
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Obituary
Whidbey News Times
Thursday, December 18, 1980 Oak Harbor, Washington
Jake Wardenaar Dies
Funeral services in remembrance of Jake Wardenaar Jr will be held today from the First Reformed Church, with Reverand Arvin Wester officiating with burial following at Maple Leaf Cemetery under the direction of Bartleson Funeral Chapel.
Jake Wardenaar was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 8, 1909 to the late Jacob and Elisabeth Dohé Wardenaar. He died suddenly in Oak Harbor on December 15th.
As a young child with his parents he came to this country to Grand Rapids, Michigan where they remained until 1921 when the family came to settle in Oak Harbor. He attended public schools in Oak Harbor and graduated with the high school class of 1931 of which he was class president.
He worked for several years in the early 1930's depression in the CC Camps spending much of his time building Deception Pass Park and working in the Mt Baker Forest area. On September 13, 1935 he was united in marriage with Jean Crosby in Port Orchard, Washington. In 1942 they purchased a home and land in the Crescent Harbor area and began farming in what is now the North Taylor Road area.
Mr Wardenaar served on Island County's Planning Commission for over 20 years, serving as its chairman for a number of those years. He was a member of the First Reformed Church of Oak Harbor, he was a board member of the Snohomish-Island County Library Association and a Charter member of the Oak Harbor Historical Society. Mr Wardenaar was to retire from his position on the Planning Commission of Island County on December 29th.
He is survived by his wife Jean at the family home, one son of Othello, one daughter of Spokane, and two brothers John Wardenaar of Oak Harbor and Albert Wardenaar of Mt Vernon. One brother, Henry, preceded him in death in 1958. Four grandsons also survive as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Bill VanDyk, Jimmie Flowers, Louis Mataczynski, Henry Hilberdink, Delmon Anderson and Lee Holt. Remembrances may be made to the First Reforned Church Memorial Fund.
Within a week they would be headed to Grand Rapids, Michigan to settle. While there two more sons were born, Henry and Albert. Johanna and Wilhem van Heest were in Grand Rapids as well where Wilhem van Heest passed away during the 1918 influenza epidemic.
Oldest son Jake Jr had severe health problems with asthma and doctors advised they move west. During the depression that followed WW I Jake Sr sold their home in Grand Rapids for much less than it was worth and in 1921 they settled in Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound of Washington state where many friends had already settled. Johanna Van Heest joined them later to help care for the four young boys.
Jake Sr bought a small farm, only 5 acres, and attempted to carve out a living for them but times continued to be tough. He had worked on the "Amgemeen Handelsblad" which was at the time the largest newspaper in the Netherlands and on the Grand Rapids Press as a sterotyper. He started working in the back shops of several newspapers in the area and spent summers working for the Seattle Post Intelligencer, the Seattle Times, the Aberdeen World, The Wenatchee World, and papers in Spokane, Wa., Moscow, Id., and Victoria, British Columbia. The two oldest Wardenaar boys took care of the farm while dad went off to work. They got by but had very lean times - one Christmas the boys gave their dad a box of matches wrapped up with a piece of kindling wood for a Christmas present.
All four of the boys started school in a one room school house which grew to a larger school as they progressed. They all graduated high school which was unusual for farm children of that time. Three of the boys would go on to college.
***********
Obituary
Whidbey News Times
Thursday, December 18, 1980 Oak Harbor, Washington
Jake Wardenaar Dies
Funeral services in remembrance of Jake Wardenaar Jr will be held today from the First Reformed Church, with Reverand Arvin Wester officiating with burial following at Maple Leaf Cemetery under the direction of Bartleson Funeral Chapel.
Jake Wardenaar was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 8, 1909 to the late Jacob and Elisabeth Dohé Wardenaar. He died suddenly in Oak Harbor on December 15th.
As a young child with his parents he came to this country to Grand Rapids, Michigan where they remained until 1921 when the family came to settle in Oak Harbor. He attended public schools in Oak Harbor and graduated with the high school class of 1931 of which he was class president.
He worked for several years in the early 1930's depression in the CC Camps spending much of his time building Deception Pass Park and working in the Mt Baker Forest area. On September 13, 1935 he was united in marriage with Jean Crosby in Port Orchard, Washington. In 1942 they purchased a home and land in the Crescent Harbor area and began farming in what is now the North Taylor Road area.
Mr Wardenaar served on Island County's Planning Commission for over 20 years, serving as its chairman for a number of those years. He was a member of the First Reformed Church of Oak Harbor, he was a board member of the Snohomish-Island County Library Association and a Charter member of the Oak Harbor Historical Society. Mr Wardenaar was to retire from his position on the Planning Commission of Island County on December 29th.
He is survived by his wife Jean at the family home, one son of Othello, one daughter of Spokane, and two brothers John Wardenaar of Oak Harbor and Albert Wardenaar of Mt Vernon. One brother, Henry, preceded him in death in 1958. Four grandsons also survive as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Bill VanDyk, Jimmie Flowers, Louis Mataczynski, Henry Hilberdink, Delmon Anderson and Lee Holt. Remembrances may be made to the First Reforned Church Memorial Fund.
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