The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-02-27

Death to you means a loss; to me it Is
not only Il profit but a livelihood.
Death and / are friends. On HIM de-
ponds my living. Were there no
death. |, as aanspreker Of the Dutch
families Of Milwaukee. would not be
in demand. As it i. am his messeu-
ger
So spoke Adrian Dimnent to a New
York Sun man in Milwaukee, Wis.
He continued
Yes, the life of an aanspreker is
indeed strange one, and yet in Hol-
land 1t does not attract much atten-
ton. But here in America little of us
is known. In the early Dutch colonial
days in the East there were many of
us. At present L know of no other
person in this country who makes his
living as / 10. am perhaps the only
survivor III the United States Of an
ancient custom which is still in vogue
in the rural districts in Holland: but
the progress Of the time has gradually
crowded US out of the business in this
country. As for myself, | cannot ex-
pcct 10 follow my strange vocation
much longer. / am eighty-two years
OF age and life at that stage is uncer-
tain. ] sometimes wonder whether
with me will die the custom Of the
Dutch aanspreker OF Milwaukee"
Mr.. Dimnent's business i TO 20
from house to house aud announce
the death OF any member of the Hol-
land colony who may die here In the
rural districts of Holland every village
and town has Its aanspreker or an
nourcer. The relatives of the de-
ceased engage the aanspreker and he
calls on list of the friends and ac-
quaintances that the bereaved family
may wish to inform OF the death.
These announcements take the place
of the customary newspaper death
notice. Usually where daily newspa-
pers are printed there IS little need
for the aanspreker.
When years ago the Dutch settled
in Milwaukee the need Of an aau-
spreker became apparent Although
there are several thousand Dutch fam
lies III this city, there Is 10 newspa-
per published in their language. Con-
sequently they have for years relied
on the aanspreker, Mr.. Dimnent, to
keep them informed on the deaths of
members OF the colony.
You see, >" explained Mr.. Dimuent,
there is no way in which our people
would know OF the death OF a HoIlan-
der were it not for the aanspreker.
When an American or d German dies,
the usual death notice in the news
papers is all that is necessary. But
lo k.,T,.
true that many OF the 2 900 families
of Dutch descent in this city do take
some OF our city papers. Many read
German and the younger generation
reads English. But take the old Dutch
settler, he vino came direct from the
rural districts OF Holland to this coun-
try, he cannot read any other than his
native language and not always that
He has spent his days on the farm
and is now ending his last years in
quiet retirement Outside of meeting
his people at the Dutch church on
Sunday he knows little OF what his
fellow countrymen are doing. When
q death occurs late in the week we
can always reach him with an an
nouncement OF the funeral from the
pulpit on Sundays But where a
Dutch resident dies early in the week
and the funeral occurs on or Just be-
fore Sunday, we cannot reach him by
this means. The aanspreker is then
called in.
Il have followed this business for
many years aud l suppose 1 must have
broken the news OF the death Of their
friends to thousands OF people. No.
it is not always an easy task. One
must understand the business like
anything else. tt is easier 10 inform
q chance acquaintance than q dear
friend or relative. The aauspreker
must use tact and Judgment. He
must adapt himself TO circum stances. q"
When it is taken into cousid-
GRAFTON that in his rounds he
calls on two or three hundred
families and that when he makes
the announcement Of the death
he is Piled with q hundred and one
questions, il viii he seen that he has
no time for gossip Neither has he
time 20 stop TO console friends or 20
listen 20 "reminiscences Of the depart
ell Usually before he starts out on
his trips he obtains all the iuforma.
tiOn he can from the relatives as To-
the illness Of the dead person. He
ascertaius the funeral arrangements.
aud then studies Co put his facts into
as few words as possible When he
starts on his trips, he figures as close
Iy as he can GU save time ON the ar
raugemeut of the order I'm which he
takes the families He does not ring
the bells nor rap at the door. That
would be time wasted. tie must work
quickly, aud therefore walks right iu-
20 the house Of the family he is TO no.
tify He announces briefly the cir
cumstauces Of the death aud the de.
tails of the funeral Then he leaves
IL is not necessary for him 90 preface
his remarks with an introduction Of
himself Every Dutch resident I'm
Milwaukee knows him. lie does not
have Co say whether me is ON official
business OF just paying a visit. Every.
body knows that when Adrian Dim
mont, sattirei iu his black suit of
mourning. calls, he brings bad news
and that somebody has passed over
the meridian of life.
Although eighty-two. Mr.. Dimueut
is'a man of remarkable activity. His
trips take him miles about the city.
but he goes over his routes with