Person:Pieter Dijkstra (118)

Name	Pieter Dijkstra
Alt Name^[2]	Peter D. Dykstra
Gender	Male
Birth^[1]	13 Feb 1857	Arum, Wonseradeel, Friesland, Netherlands
Marriage	16 Feb 1889	Wonseradeel, Friesland, Netherlandscivil to Grietje Wiersma
Census^[2]	1900	Whatcom, Washington, United StatesBirch Bay, Custer, Excelsior, Delta, Woodland, and Meridian Precincts
Marriage	15 Aug 1922	to Aletta De Jong (add)
Death^[4]	7 Dec 1932	Lynden, Whatcom, Washington, United States
Burial^[3]		Monumenta Cemetery, Whatcom,

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Biography

PETER D. DYKSTRA

Among the farmers of Whatcom county who have achieved success along steady lines of action and have attained influential places in their respective communities, specific mention should be made of the subject of this sketch, who stands high in popular esteem and confidence. P. D. Dykstra was born in Holland in 1857 and is a son of D. P. and Jennie (Visser) Dykstra, the latter of whom died when the subject was but six years old. The father was a native of Holland, where he lived for many years, and in 1894, at the age of eighty-one, he came to Whatcom county, living here until his death, in September, 1914.

P. D. Dykstra received a good education in the schools of his native land and remained in that country until 1884, when he emigrated to the United States, locating in Iowa, where he worked on railroads, and also learned the trade of a plasterer. In 1896 he went to Oak Harbor, Whatcom county, remaining there until March, 1898, when he located near Lynden. In 1900 he bought his present farm, comprising fifteen acres, which at that time was virgin land, covered with timber and brush. He slashed the timber, but during the first few years he worked out in order to secure money for current expenses. Eventually he succeeded in clearing all of his land, and he has created a very comfortable and attractive home. His well cultivated fields produce good crops of feed, and he gives special attention to dairying, keeping six or seven good cows, in the handling of which he has been successful, as he also has been with his chickens, keeping three hundred of the White Leghorn breed. He is an energetic and persevering worker, neglects nothing relating to his farm work, and has gained an excellent reputation as an enterprising and progressive farmer.

Mr. Dykstra has been twice married. In 1889 he returned to Holland and was married to Miss Grietje Wiersma, who died in 1914. To this union were born six children, namely: Jennie and Dora, who are unmarried and live in Seattle; David, of Lynden, who is married and has one child; Augusta, who became the wife of Bert Matter, of Lynden, and has one child; and Oscar and Henry, who are at home. In August, 1922, Mr. Dykstra was married to Miss Aleta Schmidt, their marriage occurring in Iowa. She is a native of Holland and is a woman of splendid character, kindly and tactful, and popular among her associates. Mr. Dykstra is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association, while his religious affiliation is with the First Christian Reformed church. In 1915 he went down into the Willamette valley, in Oregon, to investigate the possibilities of a Holland settlement there, but he did not like the land, which also was priced too high, and he made an adverse report on the project. From the time of his coming to this locality he has cooperated with his fellow citizens in all efforts for the betterment and advancement of the general welfare, among his first efforts being the cooperative building of roads, of which there were very few when he came here. He has attended closely to his business affairs but has never neglected his duties toward the community, and his fine public spirit has been appreciated by his fellowmen, among whom he is held in high esteem.

Source: History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 241-242.

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