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Note: Family history says that Pieter was from Zeeland, but evidence indicates Zuid-Holland.
Description: with his mother and siblings on the ship "Victoria", arriving in New York Jan. 6, 1862
Description: last name was "Wood" ("Hout" is the Dutch word for "Wood")
Lists Peter Wood, 26, his wife Rolfien, 21, both born in the Netherlands, two children,
William, 1 year, Lena, age not mentioned, both born in Michigan, also Peter's brother William Wood, age 16, born in the Netherlands, was living at their home.
Description: disease of heart
HISTORY
of the family of
PETER and ROSE (OOSTERHOUSE) VAN HOUTEN
By Arthur Van Houten
To the descendants of the late Peter Van Houten and Rose Oosterhouse:
It is with hesitation that I undertake to give a writeup of this history. As for the early dates, I must rely on my memory of what my folks told me in the days of my youth.
These two parties, Peter Van Houten and Rose Oosterhouse, got acquainted pretty soon, and as neither of them had a home of their own, they decided to get married. On August 24, 1868 they became man and wife, and lived at 88 Spring St., which is now Commerce Ave. Their home was about two blocks south of the church, which later became a garage. They later moved to a farm in Kelloggsville, and then to a farm in Lucas, Michigan. These two people are the founders of the family which in 1947 numbered 246 members.
On May 24, 1869 a baby boy (William) was born to the couple. Just one year later came a little sister (Lena) to keep him company. Grandpa Van Houten soon secured employment at the brickyard, located near where the Dennis Ave. Church now stands. I do not know how long he worked there. Later he worked for the Widdicomb Brothers on the West Side six ten hour days at $1.25 a day, or $7.50 per week. He could not stand the inside work, so he soon bargained for a farm in Kellogsville.
During his stay in Grand Rapids he served as a deacon of the Spring Street Church for a number of years. In 1883 they moved to Kellogsville with their seven children. They united with the Kellogsville Church which he served for a time as elder. In 1893 they united with the group which formed the Cutlerville Church, where he was also elected elder and served for some time. In the meantime four more children were born. We were then a family of six boys and five girls, of which eight are still living at the present date.
Times were hard. So in the winter of 1903-1904 they sold the farm and moved north. They united with the Lucas Church, where he also served as elder for two terms. At first they lived in the house where John Doll now lives. In the spring they moved to the farm now occupied by the youngest son, John Van Houten. Their house burned to the ground on February 11, 1913, and they escaped in their night clothes. This experience proved too much for father Van Houten, and he gradually failed, so that he went home to his Lord whom he had served so faithfully during his life. He departed the 27th day of May in 1913. Our mother lived on until September, 1929, when she died at the home of her youngest daughter and husband, Ed and Nelly Apol. Their remains lie side by side in the Lucas Cemetery.
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