Photograph
Catalog Number
2019.1.1051Description
Black and white photograph showing a building that signs that appear to say, "Chandler Cars" and "Cleveland Cars". There is also a sign that says "Bicycles" across the street. Handwritten on the back it appears to say, "Wolverine Garage, 9th & River".History
History of the building on the southeast corner of River and 9th (Wolverine Garage/Decker Chevrolet/De Nooyer Chevrolet)Francis E. Dulyea (1868-1938) and Martin Vander Bie (1879-1949) were partners in the Union Bottling Works (180 River Ave, Holland, MI) from about 1910 to 1915 (city directories). By 1921 they had built the Wolverine Garage (221-227 River Ave, southeast corner of 9th and River, Holland, MI). They would continue operating the Wolverine Garage until about 1934.
Dulyea lived at 204 west 9th with his wife Dollie. Vander Bie lived at 217 River Ave with his wife Nellie.
It was about 1938 that the garage was renamed Decker Chevrolet, for new owner Louis "Jack" Decker. In 1954 Robert J. De Nooyer (1924-2021) took over the garage, changing the name to De Nooyer Chevrolet. Robert would operate the garage out of the building at the southeast corner of River and 9th (221-227 River) until ca. 1962. By 1965 De Nooyer Chevrolet had moved to East 8th and US 31 (Holland Sentinel).
Randall P. "Randy" Vande Water was born in Zeeland, MI on 3-5-1930 to Bill and Kathryn (Kitty Van Ry) Vande Water. The Vande Waters moved to Holland in 1937. He graduated from Holland High School in 1948 and Hope College in 1952.
He edited the Fort Bliss, TX News from 1952-1954 during the Korean conflict and announced the Fourth Army Boxing Tournament on the Armed Forces Radio Network. In 1948 he started announcing The Holland Evening Sentinel local news on WHTC, continuing through his college years.
He spent 4 decades at the Holland Sentinel working as sports editor, city editor, editorial page editor, and managing editor. Randy also authored or co-authored several books on Holland area history.
During those years Vande Water gave numerous illustrated lectures to civic, church and college groups on various subjects relating to the area’s history. He authored a four-volume series of Holland Happenings, Heroes and Hot Shots, Millennium Memories, Holland the Tulip Town, Zeeland, A Walk Through Time, 100 Years of Hope College Basketball, A Century of Heinz Holland, Holland Furnace Co. and the Holland American Band.
Randall (Randy) P. Vande Water, age 88, of Holland, passed away Friday, June 22, 2018.