A Wonderful Day!

Today I had the chance to go see my cousin Emily be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She was absolutely glowing!  It was so neat to see her and feel of her joy.  The experience reminded of me of  how my Van Duren ancestors came to join the Church.  I ran across the account again a couple of days ago.  I am going to post it below.  It just makes me so grateful for the blessings that I enjoy as a member of the church.  I am grateful for the sacrifices of all of my ancestors who made it possible for me to enjoy the blessings of the restored church in my own life.  I love learning from them and recognize the difficulties that they endured for me.


Brief history of Jacob A. Van Duren- Dictated on the 13th day of January 1952, to Raymond Van Duren, his son...

I, Jacob A. Van Duren was born of Martin Johannes Frans Van Duuren and Jacoba Van Dam, on the 29th of October 1887 in Utrecht, Holland. My parents had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prior to my birth thru the efforts and labors of the missionaries and my mother's brothers. There was no branch of the church established in Utrecht at the time, and we were only contacted occasionally by a missionary passing thru. We also had contact thru a monthly subscription of a church publication. This was the only way we could keep in contact with the church for many years. During this time we attended a protestant church and Sunday school in order to acquaint ourselves with the Bible and the Christian faith.

My father was a police officer in Utrecht, a city of 200,000 people for quite a few years. He had a few years to go in order to receive a small pension. He suffered much from chronic asthma that sent him into fits of temper at times. (It is because of the Tulips in Utrecht that Martin had so much asthma.)

Thru much consideration, sacrifice and assistance of my mother's brother, the family decided to migrate to Zion. Due to meager finances it was decided that the family should come a few at a time to this land of America. First to come was my sister Susanna Francisca (age 21) and myself (age 14).

It was very difficult to leave our parents, brothers and sisters and all our friends, to go to a strange land where we would learn a new language and of new ways.

We sailed on the English steamship "Megantic" of the white star line, second class to Boston, Mass. in a period of 10 days. We then proceeded to Ogden, Utah by way of a chair car on the train, where were met by my Uncle Van Dam, mother's brother, on the 2nd of June 1902. It was a long and weary trip but our accommodations were fairly comfortable and we arrived safely and happy to see someone that we knew.

During the time we lived in Ogden with my Uncle and Aunt, I worked in a box factory and my sister acquired a job as a hired girl. It was not too long before my sister meet a fellow and was married. They moved to Salt Lake and I boarded with them.

My brother Frans Cornelius arrived in Salt Lake in 1903, and he too boarded with my sister. It was in April 1905 that my brother Frans Cornelius became very ill and died in the L.D.S. hospital just three months before my parents arrived with my younger sister, Magdalena Miria Jacoba. This added much sorrow and sacrifice to my parents, not being able to see him again, and they could not get over it for quite a long time.

My father being past 60 could not readily obtain a job- therefore I was the only provider for awhile for a family of four at the large salary of $5.00 a week. My father received a small pension of $45.00 every 3 months from Holland. We rented a two room apartment for $5.00 a month, paid our tithing and all other incidentals, but the Lord blessed us, and we did not soften. Sometimes groceries and other commodities were given us by someone in the Ward. Not knowing where or by whom they came. Father finally obtained a job as a janitor at the University of Utah. I departed for the Netherlands mission in 1909. At this time father took a job as a custodian at the 5th ward in Ogden, Utah. Upon my return from a very successful mission in 1911, my folks returned to Salt Lake were my father obtained a job as a janitor in the Lion House and the L.D.S. University which he held until he reached his 80th birthday.

My father died on the 6th of March at the age of 82. My mother died eleven weeks later on the 21st of May at the age of 73 of a broken heart.