| The Heritage Center at Graafschap CRC |
| 5973 Church Street Holland, MI 49423 |
| THE "KOLONIE" Pioneer farmers settled neighboring villages, the church family grew, with a vision for education, and sons defended our freedom. |
| Farmer Jannes Rutgers tells of the Early Kolonie |
We could buy land here for $1.25 an acre.
But we needed some money to get started, and so that first summer many of the younger men went to work for
American farmers as far away as Allegan and Kalamazoo. That was a quick way to learn some English too.
But it was mighty hard at first, clearing a forest, and then trying to raise a crop in it. We tried to plant a few potatoes
and some corn around the stumps, but the first crop was almost a total failure. The stuff wouldn’t grow well. And what
did grow, the wild animals destroyed.
That first winter was really tough. We lost a lot of livestock. There wasn’t enough to eat for man or beast, and there
was a lot of sickness, and many died.
It got better later. God was faithful. We learned to peel hemlock bark, make tub or barrel staves, and make sugar and
syrup from maple trees. With the money we could buy some chickens, cows, and pigs that could feed on the
beechnuts in the woods.
But we needed some money to get started, and so that first summer many of the younger men went to work for
American farmers as far away as Allegan and Kalamazoo. That was a quick way to learn some English too.
But it was mighty hard at first, clearing a forest, and then trying to raise a crop in it. We tried to plant a few potatoes
and some corn around the stumps, but the first crop was almost a total failure. The stuff wouldn’t grow well. And what
did grow, the wild animals destroyed.
That first winter was really tough. We lost a lot of livestock. There wasn’t enough to eat for man or beast, and there
was a lot of sickness, and many died.
It got better later. God was faithful. We learned to peel hemlock bark, make tub or barrel staves, and make sugar and
syrup from maple trees. With the money we could buy some chickens, cows, and pigs that could feed on the
beechnuts in the woods.
We used oxen first to draw logs, pull stumps, and plow the field; later we used horses.
After a while the countryside around Graafschap filled up with farms, just like the “old country.” That was good to see.
We had planned to live in the village, with each farmer going out from there to work his land. But it was more
convenient to live close to where the work was, and so the village never grew very big. We helped each other, though,
with such things as barn-raising and harvesting. The combine and threshing machine that we owned in common
moved from farm to farm, and the whole crew with it.
But good farming land was limited. And so farmers were always on the move, searching for good land, like the Lucas
families who moved farther north. There were no roads really, so the farmers that moved out would establish a new
community, and then they would build a church close to where a group of them lived. That’s how the colony grew, by
the grace of God.
After a while the countryside around Graafschap filled up with farms, just like the “old country.” That was good to see.
We had planned to live in the village, with each farmer going out from there to work his land. But it was more
convenient to live close to where the work was, and so the village never grew very big. We helped each other, though,
with such things as barn-raising and harvesting. The combine and threshing machine that we owned in common
moved from farm to farm, and the whole crew with it.
But good farming land was limited. And so farmers were always on the move, searching for good land, like the Lucas
families who moved farther north. There were no roads really, so the farmers that moved out would establish a new
community, and then they would build a church close to where a group of them lived. That’s how the colony grew, by
the grace of God.
| WWII Soldier - Bill Klaassen tells of Our Commitment to Our Counry |
The pioneers who settled Graafschap had strong convictions about religious freedom, human liberty and justice, and
economic opportunity. When any of these were threatened, they were willing to fight for it, in their new country too.
And fight they did.
Graafschap Christian Reformed Church has had members serve in each war during its existence of more than 150
years.
Ten of our young men fought in the Civil War; 23 in WWI; 76 in WWII, all very high numbers for such a small church;
we had 25 in the Korean War; 17 in the Vietnam War; and two in the Gulf War. One of our soldiers became the first
member to graduate from West Point.
Of the 161 who served, three died in combat, and one became a prisoner of war.
Many distinguished themselves through extraordinary courage. A number of them earned medals, including the
Bronze Star and the Purple Heart medals. One earned the nation’s highest tribute of thanks, the Congressional Medal
of Honor.
Kimberly Busscher was Graafschap’s first female enlistee.
Military service is always an educational experience. When these young Graafschap members were sent out into the
world to serve their country, they came back with a lot of new knowledge. Especially in the early years, that new
experience and knowledge of the world introduced the Graafschap people to a wider world too.
economic opportunity. When any of these were threatened, they were willing to fight for it, in their new country too.
And fight they did.
Graafschap Christian Reformed Church has had members serve in each war during its existence of more than 150
years.
Ten of our young men fought in the Civil War; 23 in WWI; 76 in WWII, all very high numbers for such a small church;
we had 25 in the Korean War; 17 in the Vietnam War; and two in the Gulf War. One of our soldiers became the first
member to graduate from West Point.
Of the 161 who served, three died in combat, and one became a prisoner of war.
Many distinguished themselves through extraordinary courage. A number of them earned medals, including the
Bronze Star and the Purple Heart medals. One earned the nation’s highest tribute of thanks, the Congressional Medal
of Honor.
Kimberly Busscher was Graafschap’s first female enlistee.
Military service is always an educational experience. When these young Graafschap members were sent out into the
world to serve their country, they came back with a lot of new knowledge. Especially in the early years, that new
experience and knowledge of the world introduced the Graafschap people to a wider world too.
The only education in those early years was in the catechism and Bible. Children were trained at home. By 1857,
they could attend a one-room country school, which for a long time was pretty much church-controlled. In the
summertime for many years, the people of Graafschap had their own Dutch School to transmit the cultural heritage. It
wasn’t until 1945 that a Society for Christian Education was established.
But the children of Graafschap were always trained in the way they should go. And when they left to serve their
country, that was of great support to them, that, and the fact that the church sent them Bibles and weekly letters, and
faithfully kept them in their prayers.
they could attend a one-room country school, which for a long time was pretty much church-controlled. In the
summertime for many years, the people of Graafschap had their own Dutch School to transmit the cultural heritage. It
wasn’t until 1945 that a Society for Christian Education was established.
But the children of Graafschap were always trained in the way they should go. And when they left to serve their
country, that was of great support to them, that, and the fact that the church sent them Bibles and weekly letters, and
faithfully kept them in their prayers.
