book
Catalog Number
T89-1015.5Title
Trees To Tulips: Authentic Tales of the Pioneers of Holland, MichiganDescription
Booklet, Trees To Tulips: Authentic Tales of the Pioneers of Holland, Michigan, by Ruth Keppel. This 37 page booklet has a dark blue cover with gold lettering on the front. The copyright is from 1947, by Ruth.Ruth dedicated this book to her father, Albert C. Keppel.
History
Teunis Keppel was born on 6-9-1823 in the Netherlands. He passed away on 6-27-1896 in Holland, MI. His first wife was Janna Geertruida Bloemers Keppel. She was born on 7-30-1830 in the Netherlands and passed away on 9-23-1873 in Holland, MI. Both Teunis and Janna are buried in Holland's Pilgrim Home Cemetery.Teunis and Janna had the following children: Jane (1849-1904); Bastian (1862-1932); Albert Christian (1869-1939); Teunis G. (1872-1872); and, Gertrui (1873-1873).
Albert Christian Keppel was born on 8-4-1869 in Holland, MI. He passed away on 7-26-1939 in Holland, MI. Albert married Kate De Vries. She was born on 7-7-1870 in Ottawa Co., MI and died on 11-26-1956 in Holland, MI. Both are buried in Pilgrim Home.
Albert and Kate had three daughters: Evelyn G.; Ruth M.; and, Vera Jane. Evelyn was born in August of 1894 and died in 1928. She married Arthur Cloetingh. They had one child, Arthur Jr. born in 1928. Ruth was born on 3-22-1896 in Holland, MI and died 2-8-1993 in Fillmore, MI. Vera Jane was born on 2-13-1900 in Holland, Mi and died on 1-5-1990 in Cook Co., IL. She married Thomas Kennedy and had one child, Jane.
In 1876, Teunis married Johannna Maria Wilhelmina Oggel, A.C. Van Raalte's widowed daughter.
Teunis was an important member of early Holland. In 1885 he built a hardware store on the northeast corner of 8th St and College Ave. Keppel sold large amounts of coal, fuel oil, kerosene, bricks and wood for the growing city of Holland.
Keppel was also important in the church and civic activities for early Holland. Teunis was a school board member, board member for Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, a highway commissioner and the first city marshal in 1867. Keppel was also an alderman and Sunday school teacher.
Keppel also built the homes that became known as Keppel’s Village when in 1893 he hired Peter Oosting to build homes for working families near Centennial Park. The next year he built his home at 36 East 12th Street.
Bastian and Albert Keppel took over the family business, T. Keppel’s Sons, after their father’s death on 6-27-1896. Teunis, Janna and Johanna are buried in Pilgrim Home Cemetery.