Ernest Vanderveer

As printed in 1906

ERNEST VANDERVEER, one of the energetic and successful farmers of Berrien county, owns an excellent property constituting a very fine farm. It is improved with good buildings and in its midst stands an attractive country residence. The principal industry of this county is fruit raising and to this business Mr. Vanderveer gives his attention. He was born on the old family homestead in Benton township. May 24, 1865, his parents being James and

Nancy C. (Young) Vanderveer, who were married in Battle Creek, Michigan, about 1850. He is a representative of one of the old Knickerbocker families of New York, his ancestors having come from Holland to America in colonial days. James Vanderveer, the father, was born in Montgomery county. New York, and about 1848 made his way westward to Battle Creek, Michigan, being then a lad with no capital but possessing strong purpose and an earnest determination to win success. In the course of a few years he found it possible to engage in business on his own account and for five years he was connected with the hardware trade in Battle Creek, carrying a large and carefully selected stock valued at forty thousand dollars. On one occasion he went to New York city to buy goods and while there his store was destroyed by fire and because of a flaw in the policy the insurance company refused to pay him his insurance and the loss therefore was very heavy. Being forced to begin life anew, Mr. Vanderveer than came to Berrien county and purchased a small farm of one hundred and twenty acres, formerly the Sterling Howard property. He at once began to clear and cultivate the fields and in the course of time was gathering good harvests. After raising grain for some time he began raising peaches and later turned his attention to the cultivation of apples, carrying on that business on an extensive scale. Although he was in debt when he came to this county he regained more than he had lost in Battle Creek and not only discharged all indebtedness but became the owner of very valuable property interests. In addition to his home place he owned three or four other farms, which were operated under his immediate supervision. He voted with the Republican party, but the extent and importance of his business interests left him little time for political work, although he served in several minor offices. His death occurred May 5, 1901, and his widow is now living with her son, William N. Of their eight children only four are living: John; William N., who is represented elsewhere in this work; Ernest, of this review; and Elizabeth, the wife of John Downing.

Ernest Vanderveer was reared upon the old family homestead in Benton township and early gained practical experience concerning the work of the fields and of the orchards. His early educational privileges, afforded by the common schools, were supplemented by one year's study in the Northern Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso and he afterward engaged in teaching for four years in Bainbridge and Benton townships, spending two years of that time in the home district.

On the I St of January, 1889, Mr. Vanderveer was united in marriage to Miss Ethel Barrett, of Benton township, a daughter of G. W. Barrett, now of Benton Harbor. For a year after his marriage Mr. Vanderveer continued teaching and then lived upon his father's farm, and later gave supervision to his present farm and one at Grange Hall. He removed to his present place of residence in 1895, this being just across the road from the farm owned and occupied by his brother, W. N. Vanderveer. He has put all of the improvements upon the property and has cleared about one half of the sixty acres. He grows fruit, having twenty acres planted to orchards, twelve acres being in peaches and in 1905 he sold twenty-five hundred bushels from his place.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Vanderveer has been born one son, James G. Mr. Vanderveer belongs to Pearl Grange, in which he has passed all of the chairs and is the present secretary. He is also affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America. His life is actuated by a spirit of enterprise and strong determination and his painstaking and progressive methods are manifest in the excellent appearance of his farm. Each year after the season's crops are upon the market he with several others goes to the northern peninsula on a hunting expedition and thus he finds rest and recreation after the labors of the year.

As printed in A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.