Zwemer, Frederick James (1858-1903). Papers, 1885-1902.

Born in Holland, Michigan, on January 24, 1858, Frederick was the son of Adrian Zwemer. He graduated with an A.B. from Hope College in 1880 and then went to McCormick Seminary. He was licensed by the Classis of Wisconsin in 1885 and ordained by the Classis of Iowa in the same year. He served as a pastor at Charles Mix, South Dakota (1885-1887), Grand View, South Dakota (1887), as a missionary for the Classis of Dakota (1887-1892), as a pastor at Graafschap, Michigan from 1892-1896, as a missionary for the Classis of Illinois (1896-1898), as a pastor at Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin and Hingham, Wisconsin (1898-1903), and as a missionary for the Classis of Wisconsin. He died in Holland, Michigan, on August 19, 1903. His father and his three brothers, James Frederick, Peter John, and Samuel Marinus, were also Reformed Church in America (RCA) ministers. This collection consists of correspondence, mortgages, and commissions of Frederick James Zwemer. The majority of the collection is call letters from churches and accompanying materials sent with them. The calls that are in Dutch have not been translated. They are very similar to those calls that are written in English, as they appear to follow a standard form for calling ministers into service. Of note are postcards from Frederick’s brother speaking about international events including the Russians at the Suez Canal and Bedouins in Syria. There are also materials dealing with the building of a parsonage at Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin.