.
Collection Overview
Abstract
Editor of Onze Toekomst. The collection includes papers given at youth and other society meetings, meditations, notes, clippings, biographical material, articles, scrapbooks with historical and Dutch geographical topics, and an address given on September 8, 1898, in Chicago to commemorate the inauguration of Wilhelmina as Queen of the Netherlands.
Biographical Note
Luurt was born in Leens, Province of Groningen, the Netherlands, October 18, 1866. As a young man, he was active in the Christian Young Men’s Society. At eighteen he was already writing devotional for the youth group. Articles under the pseudonym “L van L” appeared in the New Provincial Groningen Newspaper. One subject of abiding interest was Christian education.
When Luurt moved to America in 1888, he began working on a farm in the Chicago area. Later he was a salesman and a bookkeeper. He was always improving his ability to write and maintained a keen interest in worthwhile books. Towards the end of his life he spent twelve years in real estate.
When Second Englewood Christian Reformed Church was organized in 1903, Luurt Holstein became a charter member. He was active in the Sunday school and in the youth organization. Later he was leader of the Men’s Bible Class. Many of his meditations were written for the men’s group.
For eleven years Luurt served as editor of Onze Toekomst. Not only did he write editorials on current issues, but he often wrote on Dutch history and literature.
Interest in Dutch history and literature prompted him to serve as president of the Algemeen Nederlandsch Verbond; to promote the establishment of a chair for the teaching of Dutch language, art, and literature at the University of Chicago; function as a member and officer of the “Aangenaam Door Vriendschap en Nuttig Door Oefening” society and support through membership and literary contributions the program of the Knickerbocker Society of Chicago.
Before his death, Luurt was preparing a series of articles on Dutch proverbs for Onze Toekomst.
The editor of Onze Toekomst who succeeded Holstein wrote that “there was always a genuine discernable in our friend for the service of the Lord his God. The Lord Jesus Christ had found a place in his heart and life.”
Psalm 73:24 was considered a fitting text descriptive of the life of Luurt Holstein, who died August 30, 1929. He lived with the conviction that all of his life he was guided according to the counsel of the Lord. After the funeral service in Chicago at the Second Englewood Christian Reformed Church, his body was brought to Muskegon, Michigan, for internment.
After the death of his first wife and their two infant daughters, Luurt had married Jessie Veldman of Muskegon, in 1903. The two daughters of the second marriage, Louise and Marion, presented the Holstein collection to Heritage Hall in 1984.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Heritage Hall, Hekman Library
Alternate Extent Statement:
0.50 cubic ft.
Acquisition Source:
Gift of L. and M. Holstein
Other Note:
Collection in Dutch with typewritten English translation.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1],
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- Series 1
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Biographical material
- Folder 2: Correspondence: E. R. Post and Misses L. and M. Holstein --- 1969-1971
- Folder 3: Papers for youth meetings in the Netherlands --- 1880s
- (translations)
- Item 1: The Heroic Death of Samson --- December 1885
- Item 2: Skating in the Netherlands --- December 1885
- Item 3: The Religion of the Batavians --- July 1886
- Item 4: Character and conduct of the Batavians --- July 1886
- Item 5: De Vliegende Hollander
- Item 6: A Little Trip from Elba --- December 1886
- Item 7: Anxiety vs. Serenity --- 1887
- Folder 4: Papers for special occasions --- 1886-1898
- Item 1: Devotional talk at annual festival of YMCA --- 1886
- Item 2: The need for "society" life in our nineteenth century --- 1897
- Item 3: Commemorative oration --- September 1898
- Item 4: Our calling --- 1898
- Folder 5: Meditations for Men's Bible Class, Second Englewood CRC --- 1906-1919
- Item 1: Whosoever shall confess, Matthew 10:32,33
- Item 2: New Year's first Sunday, Ecclesiastes 3:16
- Item 3: Jesus wept, John 11:35
- Item 4: Value of meditation, Joshua 1:8
- Item 5: Confession, Matthew 10:32,33
- Item 6: Regeneration, John 3:3
- Item 7: Covenant of Grace
- Item 8: Abraham Kuyper
- Item 9: What is Higher Criticism
- Item 10: Freemasonry
- Item 11: Comfort from pre-millennialistic view
- Folder 6: Notes for devotional talks for Christelijke Jongelings Vereeningen or Algemeen Nederlandsch Verbond --- 1906-1919
- (translation)
- Item 1: John 3:3
- Item 2: Luke 12:30
- Item 3: Matthew 6-9:13
- Item 4: Romans 5:12
- Item 5: Psalm 130:4
- Folder 7: Timely Topics for Algemeen Nederlandsch Verbond --- 1900-1910
- Item 1: Unionism
- Item 2: Secret societies
- Item 3: Netherlands and Israel
- Folder 8: Timely topics for Knickerbock Society of Chicago or Men's Bible Class --- 1920s
- Item 1: Kloosterburen
- (translation)
- Item 2: The Hand of God in Modern History
- (Dutch and English)
- Item 3: The Siege and Relief of Leyden and Leyden's University --- 1574
- (translation)
- Item 4: The Influence of Holland in the United States
- Item 5: In the World But Not of it
- Folder 9: Timely topics from Onze Toekomst --- [1910-1920]
- (Dutch and English)
- Item 1: Public Funds for Christian Education
- Item 2: In Commemoration of the Pilgrim Fathers --- 1920
- Item 3: Whither Do We Go? --- 1920
- Folder 10: Uit de oude doos. Series of Dutch articles in Onze Toekomst
- Folder 11: From the Old Scrapbook. Translation of series of articles from Onze Toekomst
- Item 1: Ecclesiastic censure --- 1672
- Item 2: Duties of consistory members
- Item 3: Tower clock and "Jacquenauts"
- Item 4: Mozart's youth
- Item 5: A church in Norman Times
- Item 6: The church of St. Francis of Assisi
- Item 7: Teaching in former days
- Item 8: The University of Leyden
- Item 9: "Grafters" of former ages
- Item 10: Maintenance of lawbreakers in the beginning of the eighteenth century
- Item 11: The Prince who had little to say
- Item 12: The Statue of Erasmus
- Item 13: Prayer for civil authorities
- Item 14: Excerpts from Martial Law
- Item 15: The court-bear
- Item 16: Stavoren's little lady
- Folder 12: Beleg en ontzet van Groningen, 1672, twelve historical incidents. Dutch copy in Onze Toekomst --- 1922
- Folder 13: The Siege and liberation of Groningen, 1672 --- (1922)
- English translation
- Folder 14: Dutch Proverbs. Series of eighteen proverbs in Onze Toekomst. Introduction to series and list of seventeen proverbs (Dutch and English equivalents)
- Folder 15: Its our vote. The traction ordinance. Onze Toekomst --- 1925
- Dutch and English translations
- Folder 16: Dutch-American nomenclature, lecture of Knickerbocker Society of Chicago --- 1926
- Folder 17: Dutch Heritage Center, article in Trinity Christian College quarterly bulletin --- Summer 1981
- Folder 18: News clippings, sundry subjects, including marriage of Princess Beatrix --- 1966
- Item 1: Scrapbook with press clippings of cities and villages of the Netherlands
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