| Notes |
- Founder of VanZeeland Nursery
Little Chute Historical Society 2010 Cemetery Walk
Hello, my name is Alois VanZeeland.
I was born April 22, 1014 in Kimberly.
I lived in Kimberly with my parents Bill and Anna.
My family consisted of 4 boys and 10 girls.
The land we live on is now VanZeeland Park in Combined Locks. I graduated from Kimberly High School
in 1932. That same year my father and I purchased an old farm on the east end of Little Chute. The Farm
had a large raspberry patch so we started a pick your own berry operation. We also started to sell some
raspberry plants to our customers so they could have their own patch. We were getting requests for
fruit trees so we supplied people with apple, plum and cherry trees. Gradually we began to grow an
inventory of trees, evergreens and shrubs. We were in the nursery business. In 1942 I married Geraldine
Gloudemans and we raised 4 daughters (Karen, Alice, Ellen & Elaine) in the big farm house on the
nursery property. Times were tough in the early years and during the winter I would go to Detroit and
work in the Chrysler Foundry to supplement out income. We should cultivate the nursery with the help
of Tom, our horse. Often when our neighbors, the Heesakkers or Hietpas needed to cultivate their fields
with 2 horses we would loan Tom to them. They would do the same for us as none could afford 2
horses. My wife was a big part of running the nursery and in the late 40s we became involved in the
landscape end of the nursery business. We operated from 1932 until 1988 when I retired. During my
retirement I enjoyed gardening and grew many of my own vegetables in a large garden plot. I passed
away in 1996 after 19 years of retirement. My wife passed away in 2002.
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1914 - 1996 (82 years)
