COLL/306 Guide to the Johanna Veenstra Collection Veenstra, Johanna Collection

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Guide to the Johanna Veenstra Collection 1917/2007 Heritage Hall, Hekman Library Overview of the Collection Johanna Veenstra Collection 1917-2007 COLL/306 Veenstra, Johanna, 1894-1933 2.65 5 Boxes Heritage Hall, Hekman Library
Hekman Library 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, MI, URL: http://archives.calvin.edu Email: crcarchives@calvin.edu Phone: 616-526-6913 Fax: 616-526-7689
Missionary with the Sudan United Missions, Africa. The collection includes photographs, family history, artifacts, and letters written to friends and to Christian Reformed Church societies detailing Nigerian missionary life.
Biographical Information:

Johanna Veenstra was born on April 19, 1894 in Paterson, New Jersey. Veenstra attended school as well as received training from a business college. At the age of 14, she commuted to New York City for work as a secretary. Even though she was earning good money and received a promotion, she still felt a longing for something more. One Sunday at the Second CRC in Paterson, she made her public confession of faith. She became determined that her purpose in life was to become a missionary. She promptly became involved with mission projects, and enrolled in the Union Missionary Training Institute. She graduated from the Institute as valedictorian.

At the age of 20, Veenstra wanted to travel to Africa to begin her missionary work, however there was an age requirement of 25. In the meantime, she studied Reformed Doctrine at Calvin College, took practical medicine classes at Bellevue Hospital, and worked with the Paterson Hebrew Mission. In October of 1919, Veenstra finally got to set sail for Africa. With a stop in England, Veenstra boarded another boat for Nigeria. It wasn't until January 20, 1920 that she was able to set foot on Africa's soil. Veenstra still had a long trip ahead of her, 300 miles inland. Veenstra travelled once again by boat then by bicycle to her new home of Takum.

Once she settled in her village, Veenstra found that life wasn't any easier. Veenstra had to boil the water before drinking it, and wore boots so she wouldn't get bitten by poisonous snakes and scorpions. She also had to learn a completely new language to communicate with the native people. Even with all the dangers, Veenstra was determined to spread the gospel.

In 1921 Veenstra was assigned the new task of opening a new post at Lupwe. New grass huts needed to be built as well as a new school. When the only male missionary became sick, it was up to Veenstra and her helper, Miss Haigh, to carry on the mission. The two women continued to preach to the villages of the surrounding villages on their own. After two years, Veenstra's left Nigeria for home on furlough. Once back in the United States, Veenstra spoke to churches about her mission work. Veenstra was anxious to return to Nigeria. Once she returned, she opened a boarding school and a dispensary. Over next few years she expanded the school, the clinic, and organized a church for the converted. In April of 1933, Veenstra was struck with appendicitis. Although she had a successful operation, she still passed away on April 9, 1933. She was buried in Nigeria.

Arrangement of Materials:

Folder level description

Detailed List of Contents id25661 [General Materials] id25662 1 id25663 1 1-5 Correspondence 1917-1933 id25664 1 6 Correspondence undated id25665 1 7 Letters, photocopies, Banner and Missionary Monthly 1919-1933 id25666 1 8 Index to letters written in Banner and Missionary Monthly 1919-1933 id25667 1 9 Condolences to Johanna's mother 1933-1934 id25668 1 10 Correspondence, Johanna's mother 1935-1936 id25669 1 11 Correspondence re: Collection 1962-1983 id25670 1 12 Family history, Johanna's mother, ca. 1933 id25671 1 13 Family history, Y. C. Spyksma and H. Brouwer 1962-1967 id25672 1 14 Paper, 1915; Reformed Doctrine exams 1916, 1917 id25673 1 15 Pocket notes undated id25674 1 16 Notes undated id25675 1 17 Memorial Service program 1933 id25676 1 18 Design for gravestone 1933 id25677 1 19 Diary excerpts (October 1, 1919 - February 23, 1920) given to P. Stam April 16, 1935 id25678 1 20 id25679 1 20 Correspondence: Faye Latome (Schaddelee), 1928-1933 and 2007; and photographs 1931, 1932, and undated id25680 1 20 Photographs 1931-1932, and undated id25681 2 id25682 2 1 Scrapbook, mission related clippings 1919 id25683 2 2 Booklet, A Memorial Tribute to Miss Johanna Veenstra: Missionary to the Dzompere Tribes of the Sudan United Mission, (cover title: In Loving Memory) [HERH BV3625.S8 V43] 1933 id25684 2 3 The First Annual Report of the Female, Bible, Missionary and Tract Society of New- Utrecht 1826 id25685 2 4 Devotional book (annotated) 1919 id25686 2 5 Hausa Grammar Notes by J. L. Maxwell undated id25687 3 id25688 3 1 Bible belonging to Johanna Veenstra id25689 3 2 Medical book used by Johanna id25690 3 3 Johanna Veenstra by Winifred M. Pearce [HERH BV3625.S812 V44] 1958 id25691 4 id25692 4 1 Indexed Testament in memory of Johanna 1933 id25693 4 2 Index - Missionary Monthly, subject: Christian Reformed Church and Nigeria 1922-1969 id25694 4 3 Missionary reports, articles, brochure id25695 4 4 Brochure 1970 id25696 4 5 Johanna Veenstra, Banner articles [4] by S. Haan 1975 id25697 4 6 The Story of Johanna Veenstra - Banner articles [25] by M. M. Schoolland 1979 id25698 4 7 Photographs, Johanna id25699 4 8 Photographs, Union Missionary Training School, Brooklyn, New York id25700 4 9 Photograph, Paterson Hebrew Mission id25701 4 10 Photograph, SUM Conference, Ibi id25702 4 11 Photographs, Johanna and missionaries id25703 4 12 Photographs 1932 id25704 4 13 Photographs, Africans at Acha and Takum id25705 4 14 Photographs, African personnel id25706 4 15 Photographs, Mai -Yaki, Johanna's mailman id25707 4 16 Photographs, Africans undated id25708 4 17 Photographs, dwellings id25709 4 18 Clippings id25710 4 19 Stamps and envelopes [vault] id25711 4 20 Speech of appeal for missions id25712 4 21 Memorial address id25713 4 22 Speaking appointment record id25714 4 23 Correspondence re: remembering Johanna Veenstra in the mission field id25715 5 Artifacts id25716 5 shoes id25717 5 two purses id25718 5 coin purse id25719 5 three belts id25720 5 eye makeup/ medicine holder id25721 5 napkin ring id25722 5 loin girdle ("given by Johanna Veenstra, the first year she came home on furlough" - Delia) id25723 Photographs id25724 1 id25725 1 20 Photographs, Johanna and Nelle Breen,1931; group with Johanna and Anne Latome, 1931; Johanna aboard Adriatic, 1932; Johanna in Ireland, 1932; Johanna, undated; and Johanna, portrait undated id25726 4 id25727 4 7 Photographs, Johanna id25728 4 8 Photographs, Union Missionary Training School, Brooklyn, New York id25729 4 9 Photograph, Paterson Hebrew Mission id25730 4 10 Photograph, SUM Conference, Ibi id25731 4 11 Photographs, Johanna and missionaries id25732 4 12 Photographs 1932 id25733 4 13 Photographs, Africans at Acha and Takum id25734 4 14 Photographs, African personnel id25735 4 15 Photographs, Mai -Yaki, Johanna's mailman id25736 4 16 Photographs, Africans undated id25737 4 17 Photographs, dwellings Scope and Contents

See also: RG C4.9.1 (Box 186, folder 6), correspondence and press clippings, 1925-1934