Jacoba N. Robbert was born on October 3, 1863 to parents, Dr. Henricus and Aaltje Beuker in Zwolle, the Netherlands. Dr. Beuker served several churches in the Netherlands before accepting a call to minister in the United States and serving as a professor at Calvin Theological Seminary. Jacoba and her husband, Rev. Jan Robbert immigrated the United States in 1893.
Together, Jacoba and Jan had 9 children: Aleida “Lyda,” Hendrik “Henry,” Hendereca “Reca,” Everhardus “Edward,” Hendericus “Rich,” Gesinus “George” (or “Geo”), Bernard “Ben,” Jan “John,” and Jennechien “Janet.”
Jacoba spent much of her life around clergy and theologians. In addition to her father and husband, she was related to Geerhardus Vos, Marinus Van Vessem. She also kept contact with Rev. A. Brummelkamp, Dr. Herman Bavink, and Dr. Abraham Kyuper. Her contact with the State Mental Hospital in Kalamazoo prompted her to call together leaders of the church and businesses to establish a Christian Mental Hospital. Mrs. Robbert became one of the founders of Pine Rest Christian Hospital in Cutlerville, Michigan.
After Jan Robbert passed away in 1922, Jacoba lived with her daughter, Lyda and grandson, Robert. She was an avid letter writer and corresponded with her son, George every week while he lived in Louisville, KY.
Jacoba Robbert passed away on Friday, July 12, 1957. Dr. Jacob Hoogstra, her pastor during the last seventeen years of her life, described her “a Mother in Israel,” who knew “she was saved by grace” (The Banner, August 23, 1957, page 32).
| Heritage Hall, Hekman Library
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