Joseph Ferdinand VanDyke

Son Of John M. VanDyke and Constance F. (Hermens) VanDyke

 
Born June 3, 1909 in the family home at Forest Grove, Oregon

Died May 9, 2000 at near age of 91 at Tuality Community Hospital in Hillsboro, Oregon

Married: Marjorie Lucille Porter on April 21, 1931 in the Visitation Catholic Church

 
Joe & Marjorie's Children:

-Patricia Anne (VanDyke) White

-Ronald Charles VanDyke
-Donald Charles VanDyke

-Merle John VanDyke

-Carol Joan (VanDyke) Moore

His Sisters and Brothers:

Theodore  married: Nellie VanDehey

Mary Rosolia  died 1 year of age

William E.  married: Cecelia Sanders

Joseph F.  married: Marjorie Porter

Catherine married:  Julius VanDehey

Adelia  died at age 29

Walter  married: Mary Gigoux

Julia Josephine  married: Clem VanDerzanden

Frances  married: George VanHandel

Mary Cecelia  married: Franklin McCoy

Edward  married: Adeline Kruse

Joe was born and raised on his father's farm and being the youngest son, was the last to help his father with the farming as his older brothers left to make their own way.  In the fall of his freshman and sophomore years in high school, as his dad had semi-retired, he was required to do the fall ground preparation and seeding which extended into the school years.  For his freshman year he was able to catch up with his studies.  But in the fall of his sophomore year he got such a late start that he decided that he would not be able to continue, so he never completed high school.  Thinking back on this, I wish that we had looked into getting him a high school equivalent diploma as he most certainly was well self taught.

He married Marjorie on April 22, 1931 and he and his dad built a house for him and his new wife on the farm site.  His father told him that if he stayed on the farm with his family that he would sell the farm to him in the future.  The early years were hard as all farming of the 95 acres was being done with horses.  I remember my dad telling me that he had calculated that one-year he had walked behind the plow the distance equivalent to that of from his farm to southern California.  He also reminded me that this walking was done in the furrow strewn with clods.

As farmers will attest, the apprenticeship of farming is long.  My dad unfortunately did not have this opportunity.  Since he was the youngest boy and his father was already retiring, he was left at the early high school age to be responsible for the farming practices.

Joe was a farmer throughout his lifetime.  Over the years, he had raised grain, clover and alfalfa hay, and during his early years, he raised a few dairy cows, he later admitted, to keep his 3 sons busy.  During the winters, he would build homes and do remodeling for his family and friends to supplement his farm income.  Joe retired from farming in his sixties.

He was a member of the Roman Catholic Church, having attended Visitation Parish his entire life.  He was a very active and loyal member of the church and was on the architectural committee for the design of the present Verboort church.  He and Marjorie took an active role in the annual Verboort Sausage Dinner.

Among his interests, Joe enjoyed fishing, gardening, baseball, baking, and oil painting.  His oil painting of the Verboort Parish Center (Harris Center) is displayed at the Center.   He liked woodworking and furniture building.  He designed and constructed the Verboort grade school.