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Contents
Foreword & Acknowledgement
Before the White Man/Coming of the
First Settlers
DeMotte Grows into a Town
Early Transportation & Farming
The First Schools
Dredging of the Grand Kankakee Marsh
Leonard Swart (Interview)
Casper Belstra (Interview)
Northern Indiana Land Company
The Halleck Telephone Company
DeMotte Mercantile Company
DeMotte Library Grows
Cheever's Garage
Eighty Years of Community Banking
Fairchild & Tanner History
Earl Schwanke Article
Keener Township Fire Department
(Art) Lageveen Looks Back
Fire Almost Destroys DeMotte in 1936
Kankakee Valley Post-News
Asparagus & Truck Farming
Businessmen's Association
Lageveen Remembers Incorporation
Belstra Remembers When...
Kankakee Valley Schools
DeMotte Elementary School
(DeMotte) Christian School
Mark L. DeMotte
Charlie Halleck
Walter Roorda, State Representative
C-SELM
Van Keppel Construction Company
Fire Destroys Main Building at Kaper's
The Hamstra Group
DeMotte Historical Society
Tysen's Family Food Center
Belstra Milling
The Fire of 1992
United Methodist Church
DeMotte Christian Church
Community Bible Church
Calvary Assembly of God
Bethel Christian Reformed Church
First Christian Reformed Church
Faith
Lutheran Church
St. Cecilia Catholic Church
United Pentecostal
First Reformed Church
American Reformed Church
DeMotte Town Court
Incorporation of DeMotte
August 10 Incorporation Hearing
September 1965 Incorporation
First Town Board Election
The First Town Board
DeMotte Town Council 1969-1997
DeMotte Town Hall
DeMotte Park Board
Wastewater Treatment Begins
DeMotte Chamber of Commerce
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DeMotte Christian School
Building a Christian school became the
dream of members of the congregation of the Christian Reformed Church of
DeMotte during the early 1930's. During that period in history many Dutch
Reformed Calvinists had moved into the area. These were mostly farmers
with the know-how to reclaim the land in the Kankakee River Basin.
In church consistory minutes from 1937 to 1940 several references are made
concerning building a Christian school in DeMotte. Requests were made from
the National Union of Christian Schools (NUCS) for free literature
concerning the what, where, why and how to begin the school. In the
pre-war days of 1940, the National Union advised the parents to organize
the school on their own and they would lend their support in any way
possible.
The first recorded minutes of the School Society were from a meeting on a
hot summer day, July 17, 1940 which was held in the Christian Reformed
Church. At this meeting Mark Fakkema, a representative from NUCS, gave a
lecture on Christian education. Membership lists were distributed through
the audience which showed 37 names of those who subscribed as members of
the society. Today the society involves 600 parents and extended school
families.
The School Society held an election to form a school board and the
following people were chosen to serve on the first board: C. VanderMolen;
William Recker, Ed DeBruin, Sam VValstra, Carl Berghorst, Gerrit Boer and
Martin VanderMolen.
The first meeting of the board was held July 22, 1940 with C. VanderMolen
elected president. A yearly membership fee of $5.00 was set and it was
moved that the consistory of the Christian Reformed Church would be
approached to hold monthly collections for the School Society.
In the ensuing years, the Young Men's Society and
Ladies Aid and other organizations gave money to the school fund. Eise
Kingma promised to donate two acres of land for the school. In 1944 a
committee was appointed to look into what kind of building must be built
according to Indiana law and other information concerning the operation of
a school.
The committee reported it would cost about $5500 to build a 35'x55'
facility but because of World War II and the shortage of materials caused
by the war, all thoughts of building were put on hold.
Incorporating the school went ahead and when the papers were received and
approved, a board of directors was chosen. The board consisted of the
following: John Terborg, Frank DeHaan, Peter J. Walstra, Gerben A. Hamstra,
John E. DeVries, Bastian Boer and Gerben Kingma.
A fund drive was held in 1945 which brought the building fund to $3,084
and two more acres of ground were purchased from Kingma with an option to
buy on a little over two more acres. In 1947 it was definitely decided to
start the DeMotte Christian School. A two room building would be built
with no basement hopefully to be completed for the next school term.
Permission would be asked for temporary use of the basement in the
Christian Reformed Church in case the building was not completed in time
for the start of school. Since that time support for the school has grown
to include several churches in the DeMotte community and surrounding area.
The Bert Struble house and property was also purchased for $8500 to use as
a home for the principal of the school. Jacob Ahrens was the first
principal.
In 1948 the Christian School Circle was organized with seven dedicated
women concerned for Christian education. The purpose of the group at that
time was to bring about a closer relationship between home and school,
parents and teachers, and to promote the welfare of the child. The lunch
program was also sponsored by the Circle.
In 1951 the schooi board voted to apply to the Keener Telephone
Corporation for telephone service at the school and also the principal's
residence.
The continued growth of the school called for two additional classrooms to
be added to the building in 1954 and an extensive junior high building
program took place in 1965. The Harvest Sale was begun that year and is
one of the school's largest fund raisers to this day.
Ivan Van Essen had been teaching seventh grade students for several years
at the Christian School. In 1968 he was selected to serve as principal and
continues in that capacity today.
A long-range planning committee was appointed in 1970 to assess future
expansion needs of the school. As the school was preparing to celebrate
its 25th year in existence in 1972, the School Society granted approval to
build an all purpose addition at a cost of $123,750. Approval was also
granted to sell the house owned by the school which had been used as a
residence for the principal.
As they looked ahead in 1972, many wondered what the next 25 years would
hold for the school.
At present, the DeMotte Christian School sits on close to 15 acres at 1220
Begonia Street with an additional 30 acres of land which was purchased
about 15 years ago for future expansion. There are three auxiliary
organizations that compliment and support Christian education. They are:
(1) DMC Mother's Circle - Each year this active ladies organization
operates the daily hot lunch program plus raises approximately $60,000
annually for educational endeavors/enrichment. (2) DMC Band Boosters -
This group conducts two fund raising dinners yearly to help purchase new
band equipment. The organization also encourages the band program in the
school. (3) DMC PTA - This organization provides educational opportunities
for parents/teachers. They have an annual magazine sale as a fund raising
event.
In 1987 the DMC Foundation was established. A special board of directors
was appointed to over-see this endeavor to raise money that could be
invested. All interest made on the principle amount is used to defray some
of the tuition fees at DeMotte Christian. The main growth in this
Foundation comes from the yearly golf outing held each July. At this time
in 1997, approximately $580,000 is invested in the DMC Foundation.
A year long celebration is planned for the 50th anniversary of the school
during 1997 with the motto. "Praising God Always, Yesterday, Today, and
Tomorrow." DeMotte Christian will enter the 1997-98 school year with a new
school logo as well as a new mascot, the DeMotte Christian School Eagles.
Van Essen said, "One of our goals this year is to upgrade our computer lab
and program. We hope to have this accomplished by the summer of 1997."
He went on to say, "Someday Christian secondary education will come to our
community. As parents/board/and teacher, we march forward. May the Lord
continue to bless our efforts in this special training of the youth of our
community. May our community be blessed through our efforts, (and) "To Him
be the Glory."
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