.
Collection Overview
Title: Dewey D. Westra Collection, 1551-1981
Predominant Dates:1919-1978
ID: COLL/327
Primary Creator: Westra Dewey D. (1899-1979)
Extent: 9.0 Boxes. More info below.
Arrangement: Folder level description
Date Acquired: 00/00/1980
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Dewey Westra was a teacher and administrator in Christian Day Schools for forty-five years in Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin. (See his biography elsewhere in this collection). He is probably better known, however, for his avocational pursuits as an amateur poet, translator of Friesian and Dutch poems, and versifier of all 150 of the Psalms. His works appear in both the 1934 and the Centennial Christian Reformed Church Psalter Hymnals. He also did extensive work in a hymnal for the Canadian Reformed Church, and in hymnals of two smaller church groups in the Midwest. Most of his correspondence was carried on with Church hymnal committee members. They include, among others, professors K. Schoolland, Wm. Heyns, J.G. Vanden Bosch, H. Van Andel, and S. Swets as well as The Banner editor, H.J. Kuiper. He communicated freely with a dozen or more Dutch and Friesian poets in Europe. Occasionally he expressed his personal views to prominent political, press, and religious figures. His poems cover a rather wide range of religious and secular subjects from bells to humor, from Christmas to heaven. Besides the boxes of Psalm versifications, his most voluminous work reflects his great love for nature, particularly apart of God’s marvelous creation. Westra’s papers also indicate an interest and amateur ability in music. He wrote many arrangements for his school singing groups, as well as four-part sacred numbers for church choirs. There is proof, too, in his papers that he was not easily satisfied with the quality of his work. He worked constantly to improve it. As was stated in the closing paragraphs of his biography, Westra was not greatly concerned with receiving recognition for his lifetime of poetical endeavor initially inspired by his mother at an early age. He only desired that his first love, the Psalm-versification’s would help in a small way to make Psalm–singing in this country as vital an element in worship as it was to Dutch Psalm-singers.
Biographical Note
Dewey D. Westra was born in Holland, Michigan in the last year of the 20th century, 1899. His mother with her interest in poetry composition inspired him to seek a full liberal arts education as a basis for his work with lyrics. This he did, graduating from Calvin College in 1921, with an A. B. degree. Dewey Westra worked in education for forty-five years in Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa as a teacher and administrator. He founded Christian Schools in Byron Center, Walker, and Grosse Pointe, Michigan. His avocation in the field of poetry seems to have been his overriding interest, however. In his involvement with the Psalms, he transcribed all of the 150 Psalms, fitting each one to its historic Genevan melody, as well as providing versions of the Songs of Mary, Zacharias, and Simon, plus a hymnal version of the Lord’s Prayer. Most of this was done in the late twenties at the request of the Christian Reformed Synodically appointed Psalter Hymnal Committee. Twenty-five of Westra’s songs were selected for the ‘red’ 1934 Psalter Hymnal. When the ‘blue’ 1959 Centennial Psalter Hymnal appeared, an equivalent number from the older version was retained, with revisions and modifications by Mr. Westra. He always felt his work must by an on-going effort in improving what he had already done. In 1971, forty of his Psalms and songs appeared in The Book of Praise, published by the Canadian Reformed Church. Dewey Westra was not too concerned about the lack of recognition he received for his work. His hope was that the Psalms would become as dear to the English speaking audiences as they were to Dutch psalm singers. His other poetry consists of translations of selected works of a half-dozen or more favorite Friesian poets, plus a voluminous number of poems on nature. Special occasions and family events also moved him to pen his poetic thoughts. According to Stanley Wiersma, professor of English at Calvin College, “Westra was in the best sense an amateur… He wrote because of his own love for life and language… It augurs well for the Calvin literary tradition that the first poet we trained was Dewey Westra.” One of his former pastors, the J. Eppinga, said of him, “In this man there was only humility, a humility that caused some to assess him to be less than he was.” Dewey Westra died October 15, 1979 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His wife, Nellie Koetje, preceded him in death. He left three sons, a brother and five sisters.
Administrative Information
Repository:
Heritage Hall, Hekman Library
Alternate Extent Statement:
4.0 cu. ft.
Acquisition Source:
Eugene Westra
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Correspondence, 1922-78],
[
Series 2: Poetry],
[
Series 3: Psalm Versifications],
[
Series 4: Music],
[
Series 5: Christian Education],
[
Series 6: Personal Materials],
[All]
- Series 1: Correspondence --- 1922-78
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Edward H. Baer --- 1929-1936
- Folder 2: Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary Faculty Members --- 1934-1976
- Folder 3: Canadian Reformed Church --- 1958-1961
- Folder 4: Canadian Reformed Church --- 1962-1966
- Folder 5: Canadian Reformed Church --- 1967-1975
- Folder 6: William B. Eerdmans --- 1929-1960
- Folder 7: European correspondents --- 1932-1978
- Folder 8: Adrian Hartog --- 1936-1962
- Folder 9: William Heyns --- 1930-1932
- Folder 10: H.J. Kuiper --- 1930-1944
- Folder 11: Correspondence with nationally known political, press and religious figures --- 1952-1978
- Folder 12: Correspondence re: poetic work --- 1933-1978
- Folder 13: Correspondence re: school matters --- 1922-1968
- Folder 14: A.J. Strohm --- 1937-1960
- Folder 15: H.J. Van Andel --- 1929-1940
- Series 2: Poetry
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Poetry re: bells --- 1930-1971
- Folder 2: Poetry re: children --- 1929-1973, undated
- Folder 3: Poetry re: Christ --- 1929-1977, undated
- Folder 4: Poetry re: Christmas --- 1927-1977, undated
- Folder 5: Dutch poetry --- 1919-1971, undated
- Folder 6: Frisian poetry --- 1919-1971, undated
- Folder 7: Frisian poetry (Martien Beversluis) English translation --- 1971, undated
- Folder 8: Frisian poetry (J. Couperus) English translation --- 1967, undated
- Folder 9: Frisian poetry (Freark Dam) English translation --- undated
- Folder 10: Frisian poetry (P. A. de Génestet) English translation --- undated
- Folder 11: Poetry entitled Geistliche lieder, English translation --- 1937, undated
- Folder 12: Poetry, "Heft" --- 1936, undated
- Folder 13: Poetry, (J. L. Jansen) English translation --- 1963, undated
- Folder 14: Poetry, (Joyce Kilmer) Frisian translation --- undated
- Folder 15: Poetry, ("Rixt," J. N. Visser, Sidney Lanier, Walter Scot) English and Frisian translation --- undated
- Folder 16: Poetry, (Fedde Schurer,) English translation --- 1967, undated
- Folder 17-19: Poetry, (Sjoerd Spanninga) English translation --- 1951-1972, undated
- Folder 20: Poetry re: friendship --- 1935-1955, undated
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Poetry, (D. A. Tamminga) English translation --- undated
- Folder 2: Poetry, (P. J. Troelstra) English translation --- undated
- Folder 3: Frisian poetry, unidentified authors, English translation --- undated
- Folder 4: Poetry, (Jacqueline VanDer Waals) English translation --- undated
- Folder 5: Poetry, (Lidy Van Eijsel-Stejn): English translation and correspondence --- 1977-1978, undated
- Folder 6: Poetry, (J. N. Visser) English translation --- 1967, undated
- Folder 7: Poetry, (Anne Wadman) English translation --- 1967, undated
- Folder 8: Poetry, (A. M. Wiebenga) English translation --- undated
- Folder 9: German poetry, "Zion's Harfe" English translation --- 1929-1937, undated
- Folder 10: German poetry, "Zion's Harfe" English translation --- 1929-1937, undated
- Folder 11: German poetry, "Zion's Harfe" English translation --- 1929-1937, undated
- Folder 12: Poetry and general papers --- 1920-1977, undated
- Folder 13: Poetry re: God --- 1958-1973, undated
- Folder 14: Poetry re: heaven --- 1934-1977, undated
- Folder 15: Poetry re: humor --- 1928-1970, undated
- Folder 16: Poetry re: life --- 1935-1971, undated
- Folder 17: Poetry re: mother --- 1958-1973, undated
- Box 4
- Folder 1: Poetry re: nature --- 1917-1973, undated
- Folder 2: Poetry re: nature --- 1917-1973, undated
- Folder 3: Poetry re: nature --- 1917-1973, undated
- Folder 4: Poetry re: patriotism --- 1929-1975, undated
- Folder 5: Poetry re: poems by other poets and DW --- 1928-1966, undated
- Folder 6: Poetry re: praise --- 1929-1973, undated
- Folder 7: Poetry re: prayer --- 1928-1975, undated
- Folder 8: Poetry re: published poems --- 1919-1971, undated
- Folder 9: Poetry re: thoughts on poetry --- 1967-1975, undated
- Folder 10: Poetry re: tributes to individuals --- 1918-1974, undated
- Folder 11: Poetry re: unfinished poems --- 1930-1936, undated
- Folder 12: Poetry re: young love --- 1935-1966, undated
- Series 3: Psalm Versifications
- Box 5
- Folder 1: Psalm versifications, Psalms 1-15 --- 1931-1974, undated
- Folder 2: Psalm versifications, Psalms 16-30 --- 1959-1964, undated
- Folder 3: Psalm versifications, Psalms 31-45 --- 1959-1965, undated
- Folder 4: Psalm versifications, Psalms 46-60 --- 1959-1964, undated
- Folder 5: Psalm versifications, Psalms 61-75 --- 1959-1967, undated
- Box 6
- Folder 1: Psalm versifications, Psalms 76-90 --- 1959-1966, undated
- Folder 2: Psalm versifications, Psalms 91-105 --- 1959-1969, undated
- Folder 3: Psalm versifications, Psalms 106-118 --- 1933-1971, undated
- Folder 4: Psalm versifications, Psalms 119-120 --- 1959-1963, undated
- Folder 5: Psalm versifications, Psalms 121-140 --- 1959-1968, undated
- Folder 6: Psalm versifications, Psalms 141-150 --- 1959-1964, undated
- Folder 7: Psalm versifications, related material --- 1948-1954, undated
- Series 4: Music
- Box 7
- Folder 1: Music, by European composers, mostly Dutch --- 1551-1972, undated
- Folder 2: Music, 4-part (SATB) music and text --- 1964-1976, undated
- Folder 3: Music, melody only and text --- 1937
- Folder 4: Music, text only --- 1930-1940, undated
- Folder 5: Music, text and musical arrangements --- 1930-1967, undated
- Folder 6: Music, unfinished pieces --- undated
- Folder 7: Music, text, English translation only undated
- Series 5: Christian Education
- Box 8
- Folder 1: Christian Education, Byron Center (MI) Christian Day School materials --- 1929-circa 1967, undated
- Folder 2: Christian Education, Christian Schools, general maintenance materials --- 1927-1969, undated
- Folder 3: Christian Education, teaching records --- 1963-circa 1971, undated
- Folder 4: Christian Education, Grosse Pointe (MI) Christian School materials --- 1929-1979, undated
- Folder 5: Christian Education, Randolph (WI) Christian School materials and class photograph --- circa 1913-1973, undated
- Folder 6: Christian Education, Sioux Center (IA) Christian School materials and unidentified photograph --- 1946-1952, undated
- Folder 7: Christian Education, Walker (MI) Christian School materials --- 1953-1964, undated
- Folder 8: Christian Education, war-time training materials and group photograph --- 1943-1945, undated
- Folder 9: Inventions materials --- 1929-1973, undated
- Series 6: Personal Materials
- Box 9
- Folder 1: Personal materials, four books of Frisian poems --- 1952-1972, undated
- Folder 2: Personal materials, books and pamphlets Dutch, Frisian, and German --- 1876-1972, undated
- Folder 3: Personal materials, Calvin College materials, diplomas, clippings, and awards --- 1921-1973, undated
- Folder 4: Personal materials, correspondence --- 1929-1981, undated
- Folder 5: Personal materials, Dearborn (MI) CRC materials --- 1944-1949, undated
- Folder 6: Personal materials, essays by DW and others --- 1960-1973, undated
- Folder 7: Personal materials, funeral materials, and clippings --- 1971-1979, undated
- Folder 8: Personal materials, Grosse Pointe (MI) CRC material --- 1931-1945, undated
- Folder 9: Personal materials, recording of Psalms by son, Eugene, correspondence and related materials --- 1961-1967, undated
- Folder 10
- Item 1: Autobiographies --- 1920, 1967
- Item 2: Autobiographical poem --- undated
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Correspondence, 1922-78],
[
Series 2: Poetry],
[
Series 3: Psalm Versifications],
[
Series 4: Music],
[
Series 5: Christian Education],
[
Series 6: Personal Materials],
[All]
