COLL/185 Guide to the George Oppenhuizen Collection Oppenhuizen, George Collection

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Hekman Library 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, MI, 49546 URL: http://archives.calvin.edu Email: crcarchives@calvin.edu Phone: 616-526-6913 Fax: 616-526-7689
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Guide to the George Oppenhuizen Collection Heritage Hall, Hekman Library Overview of the Collection George Oppenhuizen Collection 1926-1961 COLL/185 George Oppenhuizen, 1892-1965 2.00 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 to the Navajo Indians and lay minister in the South West Grand Rapids area. The papers include reports, correspondence, chapel messages, speeches, bulletins, brochures, Sunday School lessons, and notebooks.
Biographical Information:

George Oppenhuizen was born February 1, 1882 in Franeker, Friesland, the Netherlands. Rev. F. TenHoor, who was the pastor of Gereformeerde Kerk in Franeker, baptized him. When his parents, Engele and Agnes moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, the family became members at Oakdale Park Christian Reformed Church. Rev. F. TenHoor also moved to the United States and was the pastor of Oakdale Park CRC (1896-1900). George was four years old when he moved with his parents…At the age of sixteen he made public profession of faith.

At the age of twenty-two George married Gertrude Bouma, who was also a member of Oakdale Park. The following year his family joined other families to become the charter members of the Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church. While a member of Oakdale Park, he volunteered to do mission work in the neighborhood. This work continued when he joined Neland Avenue. To equip himself more fully for the work of evangelization he attended evening classes at the Kent County Sunday School Association, where Professor L. Berkhof of the Calvin Theological Seminary was one of the instructors. He also took correspondence courses with the Moody Bible Institute.

In 1923, George taught at the Riverside Indian Boarding School in Redlands, California. The following year he accepted the position as full-time evangelist working among the Navajo Indians. He worked at Tohatchi (two years), Naschitti (twelve years), and San Antonio (six years). At times his work covered over two thousand miles. The results of his labors for the Lord are seen in the conversions of Indians who became leaders among their own people.

Family circumstances made it necessary to leave the Indian field. From 1943 until his retirement in 1948, George worked as a Grand Rapids Churches missions worker supported by the churches. This involved working at three chapels: Hanley, Ivanrest, and Allen Road. In 1953, he initiated a new project: the Forty-fourth Street Chapel, where he worked there until his retirement. All of the chapels grew through neighborhood evangelism and transfer members from inner-city churches. Allen Road was organized as a Christian Reformed Church in 1953, Hanley in 1962, Ivanrest in 1964, and Forty-fourth in 1976.

At the age of seventy-two, George Oppenhuizen finished his work as an evangelist. He passed away on January 21, 1965.

Arrangement of Materials:

Folder level description

Detailed List of Contents id40201 Papers (Material Topically Arranged) 1926-1961 id40202 1 id40203 1 1 Bulletins, reports, and correspondence of 44th St Chapel 1954-1955 id40204 1 2 Bulletins, reports, and correspondence of 44th St Chapel 1956-1957 id40205 1 3 Bulletins, reports, and correspondence of 44th St Chapel 1957-1958 id40206 1 4 Communications including Camp Workers Contract from JC Schaap, Sec Of Tohatchi Mission Committee 1926-1927 id40207 1 5 Correspondence 1943 and 1946 id40208 1 6 Hanley Chapel becomes Hanley Christian Reformed Church 1943-1961 id40209 1 7 Messages on Missions 1955 id40210 1 8 Messages on Sunshine Chapel 1954 id40211 1 9 Messages at 44th St Chapel (typed) 1955-1957 id40212 1 10 Mission Talks 1958, 1959 id40213 1 11 Navajo Land Brochures: History, parks, ceremonies, tribal government id40214 1 12 Personal calls made Report to Lee Street Council id40215 2 id40216 2 1 Personal Workers Meetings, Forty-one messages September 1958-October 1959 id40217 2 2 Reports to the Board of Missions of Wyoming and Grandville Progress reports on Ivanrest and Allen Road Chapels 1943 id40218 2 3 Reports to the Board of Missions of Jenision, Grandville Ave and Wyoming on the work at Hanely, Ivanrest and Allen Road 1944 id40219 2 4 Reports to the Board of Missions of Wyoming Park 1946 id40220 2 5 Reports on Chapel activities 1947 id40221 2 6 Reports on Chapel activities 1949 id40222 2 7 Reports on Chapel activities to Lee St Correspondence 1959-1960 id40223 2 8 Student Notebook id40224 2 9 Sunday School, lessons Typed material id40225 2 10 Sunday School, lessons Mission messages