De Jong, Peter Yemen (1915-2005) | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

Son of Rev. Yemen Peter De Jong, Peter Yemen De Jong was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1915.  De Jong graduated from Calvin College and Seminary in 1939. Joanne H. Heyns took De Jong’s hand in marriage in 1940. Together they had six children. De Jong was ordained into the CRC ministry in 1940 and served the Preakness Christian Reformed Church. At the same time, he was attending Hartford Theological Seminary. De Jong received his Ph.D. from Hartford in 1942.

From 1942-1948, The Rev. Peter Yemen De Jong went on to serve the church communities of Alpine Avenue CRC and Oakdale Park CRC in Grand Rapids, Michigan. During 1952, he took a break from sharing the gospel in United States to spreading the gospel as a missionary in India. By 1953, De Jong returned to North America, and began to serve the First CRC in Pella, Iowa. Eventually De Jong moved on to First Hamilton, Ontario Canada.

In 1963, he returned to his home town of Grand Rapids to serve Alger Park CRC. While in Grand Rapids, he became a professor at Calvin Seminary. However, by 1970, De Jong went back to Iowa to serve the communities of First, Sioux Center and First Sheldon.  He retired from serving the Christian Reformed Churches in 1980 only later to become affiliated with the United Reformed Church in 1982. Rev. De Jong passed away in 2005 from heart failure.