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Event Date : Saturday, August 22, 1953
Event Type : Death

Description : A pioneer settler and highly esteemed resident of the Holland Marsh, Mr. Abraham Havinga, passed away at Newmarket Hospital on Saturday, August 22, following a long period of failing heart. Born at Kielwindeweer, Holland, in 1879, Mr. Havinga, with his wife and family, came to Canada in 1930. Four years later in 1934, they settled on the Holland Marsh as members of the first little community of Dutch Canadians who pioneered the development of the gardening project which today is known across the continent. He was one of the little group who built the first small church on the Marsh and the members of his family were among the pupils of the marsh's first school and assisted in the care of the books which comprised their little church's first library. One of the early deaths on the Marsh was Mrs. Havinga, leaving her husband and a family of ten sons and daughters. Ten years after the death of the mother of his family, Mr. Havinga visited his native Holland where he remarried on January 27, 1949, in Groningen He is survived by his second wife and his family of five daughters and five sons, namely Miss Elsa Havinga, R.N., of New York; Mrs. Peter Turkstra (Tena)of Hamilton; Mrs. A.C. Klemn (Joan) of Toronto; Mrs. T. Miedema (Cora), R.R. 2, Newmarket; Mrs. C.M. Sneep (Elsey), Chatham; John Havinga, Granum, Alberta; Jack Havinga, Granum, Alberta; Fred of Toronto; Ralph of Windsor, and Michael of Toronto. A most devout member of the Christian Reformed Church, Mr. Havinga's funeral was from his Holland Marsh Christian Reformed Church with the newly appointed minister of the Springdale Church, Rev. R. Wildschut, conducting the services. Internment was in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Bradford. The pallbearers were members of the early families of the Marsh, namely Messers. John Van Dyke, E. De Young, A Biemold, Walter Horlings, L. Boonstra and H. Prins.