Cornelis Steketee died suddenly at his home, 141 Peck street, Friday afternoon a few minutes after four o'clock. He had just returned from a short drive with his son John when he was taken with an attack of spasmodic asthma, a disease from which he had suffered for several months. Dr. John VanderLaan, the family physician, was summoned by telephone, and, responding promptly, administered the usual treatment which had afforded relief in a number of previous attacks of a similar nature. This time, however, it failed to produce the hoped for result. Mr. Steketee failed rapidly and passed into a condition of unconsciousness which quickly terminated in death. Supported in the arms of his son, William J. Steketee, who had been summoned from his place of business, and in the presence of Mrs. Steketee, his oldest son, John, the two oldest daughters, and his granddaughter, Miss Nina VanZanten, he peacefully passed away.


"The funeral, which will be private, will be held from the residence at one o'clock Monday afternoon, the services being conducted by Rev. R. Bloemendal, pastor of the Second Reformed church. The remains will lie in state at the residence from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Monday.

Cornelis Steketee was born at Borssele, province of Zeeland, kingdom of the Netherlands, on June 27, 1831. He was the oldest in a family of ten children, all of whom were born in the "old country" except the youngest one. In April, 1847, the parents, with their nine children, came to America and with others settled at Zeeland, in Ottawa county. The family was the first one to locate in that township. In 1848 he was one of the first three to leave the Holland colony and go to work among the Americans at Grand Rapids. He started in driving wagons, and drawing stones out the Grand River. For the following sixteen years Mr. Steketee made his home at Grand Rapids. There, on April 27, 1851, he was married to Miss Kryntje Wolters, who was also born in the Netherlands where she had lived until she came to America and to Michigan in 1849. The ceremony was performed by Rev. C. VanderMeulen, pastor of the Second Reformed church of Grand Rapids, the church which has this week celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its organization. On September 27, 1861, Mr. And Mrs. Steketee came with their children to Muskegon where they have since lived. Here for a number of years Mr. Steketee was employed by Marsh & Foss, lumbermen, and later for many years by the well known lumber firm of Ryerson, Hills & Co. His occupation was chiefly that of a scaler. His fine penmanship, his accuracy as an accountant, his energy, fidelity and integrity made him a man of exceptional value in such work. In the spring of 1880 Mr. Steketee was appointed one of the directors of the poor. He was reappointed seven times in succession to the same office, thus holding it for a period of eight years, the longest anyone has held it in the history of the city. Under the system followed, the bulk of the work in this dual office fell to him. How carefully, conscientiously and successfully he discharged the difficult duties of this position is still so generally within the knowledge of the people of this city as to call for little comment here. While previous to and since his terms the office had been regarded as a political one, to be disposed of as such, it is a significant tribute to Mr. Steketee's official record that he was repeatedly appointed by officials of a different party from his.

To Mr. and Mrs. Steketee were born seven children all of whom survive. They are William J. Steketee, one of the proprietors and publishers of The Chronicle, John, Peter P. and Henry J., and Misses Mary C. and Cornelia Steketee, all of this city; and Mrs. Alexander VanZanten of Muskegon Heights. Miss Cornelia Steketee was visiting relatives at Jennison, near Grand Rapids, at the time of her father's death, and arrived home this morning. Henry is a sophomore at Hope College and came home on the late train last night after receiving the sad message sent to him. Of the large family of the brothers and sisters, Mr. Steketee is the third to die. The first was the oldest sister, Mrs. Michael Dupuit, who died at Jennison, March 9, 1898. The second was Paul Steketee, the well known dry goods merchant of Grand Rapids, whose death occurred at his home in that city March 13, 1899. The brothers and sisters who survive are John Steketee, George G. Steketee and Peter Steketee, of Grand Rapids; Mrs. David DeVree, of Jennison; Andrew Steketee, Mrs. Jacob Hoffman and Bastian Steketee, of Holland.

Mr. Steketee's decline in health began over seven years ago, following an attack of the grip. For nearly a year he had had serious trouble with asthma. During the last two or three months this had grown worse, taking the form of spasmodic asthma, a peculiarly distressing disease. Mr. Steketee was a man of a singularly deep and tender nature. Beneath a plain and rugged exterior there was a heart whose warm affection and tender sympathy needed only to be known to be admired. He was one of the most sincere and conscientious of men. He possessed a nature deeply religious, and his home has been a model for piety, pure and unpretentious, after the highest standards of a people who left their native land and came to America for greater religious liberty. For a great many years he has been a faithful member of the First Reformed church of this city. Few if any families have been more closely bound together than his by the ties of tenderest affection; and his death, the first to break the happy circle, is felt as only such a loss can be in such a household. Most touching and pathetic, as we now view it, though so characteristic that ordinarily it would have caused no special notice, was the last act of his life. It was Mrs. Steketee's birthday, and the occasion was to be observed in the evening by a family gathering to be attended by all the children at home and by the four grandchildren. It was a very happy day for all, and Mr. Steketee had remarked several times how well he was feeling. He had taken a short drive with his oldest son and on the way home had visited the green house where he got a handsome bouquet of asters and other flowers. Returning home he entered the house and, greeting his wife, presented her with the flowers in honor of the day, with an affection as true and tender as that with which over forty-eight years ago he had claimed her as his bride. Then he stepped out into the yard to gather the seed of some flowers that he had been tending with special enjoyment during the autumn. His love for flowers was remarkable and he was planning for next season. In a very short time he returned to the house in much distress and asked that the doctor be called. A few moments more and the end had come; and the flowers he had presented as a memento of his love are doubly precious now.