Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-03-12
JOHN h. VAN DYKE
DIES At RIPE AGE
GRADUALLY DECLINING HEALTH
FINALLY COMES TO CLOSE
IN DEATH.
FOUNDED INSURANCE co,
In Spite OF Heavy Business Cares He
Aided Charities, Hospitals and
Colleges.
FOUNDED INSURANCE CO,
ANCESTORS EARLY COLONISTS.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. March TO-
John Fl. Van Dyke. one of NIilwau-
KEGS oldest citizens. one of the founders
OF the Northwestern Mutual Life Insur-
ance company, and a philanthropist,
died Tuesday evening, at $50 O'clock,
at his residence, sos Marshall street. at
the age OF 80 years. Mr.. Van Dyke, who
had been i'll but ten DAYS, was conscious
to the end and when he passed away his
physician and sons. George ID. and Will
ham ID. Van Dyke, were with him. A
daughter, Mrs. j. II. Tweedy, Jr.. is on
ner way home from Maryland, where she
his been during the winter for her
health.
Mr.. Van Dyke. although at his office
IN the Wells building almost daily until
two weeks ago, had been for some
months III gradually declining health,
owing chiefly to his advanced age. He
was one OF the oldest attorneys III Mil
waukee, but retired from active prac-
Tee nearly quarter of a century ago,
since which time he had devoted himself
lars and to philanthropic work, in
which he was deeply interested. He also
was close student of art and to this
he gave much of his leisure time.
Born in Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Van Dyke was a native of Mer-
cersburg, Franklin county, Pa. where
he was born October II, 1923. His an
ceStOrS were among the earlier settlers
IN the new world and took a prominent
part in the colonial history of this coun-
try. His mother was Nancy Duncan
van Dyke, of Scotch-Irisb parentage.
After his graduation from Marshall
college at the age of IS, Mr.. Van Dyke
came west, locating first in Detroit,
Mich, where he joined his brother, Jo-
seph A. Van Dyke. then an attorney
there He studied law in his brothers
office, and was admitted TO the bar in
1916. The same year he came to Mil
waukee, accompanied by Norman J.
Emmons, a young lawyer of Detroit.
They opened law Office here under the
firm name of Emmons & Van Dyke,
and later G. A. Hamilton entered the
firm. which became that of Emmons,
Van Dyke & Hamilton, for years one of
the leading law firms of the city.
Organized Risk Company.
Mr.. Van Dyke temporarily retired
from the law in 1870 and devoted him
self to various business affairs. He was
one of the men who took hold and
helped to organize the Northwestern
Mutual Life Insurance company. He
was a member of the board of trustees
for several yeats and served as presi-
dent of the company from 1869 to 1874
He was interested in forming the Young
Mems Literary association. which be-
came the nucleus of the Milwaukee Pub
lie library. He was also one of the
founders of the Milwaukee Young Mems
Christian association and its first preSi-
dent. He also assisted to organize the
Menominee Mining company, the pio-
neer iron mining company on the Me-
nominee range in Upper Michigan and
Wisconsin. He was interested in various
other mining companies in that district
In his work of philanthropy, Mr.. Van
Dyke assisted in the organization of the
Passavant hospital, now Milwaukee hos
pital, of which DR.. Passavant of Pitts
burg, Pa, was the founder and head.
and he was a member of the board of
visitors from 1864 until his death. He
succeeded the late Alexander Mitchell as
president of the board of visitors.
Assisted Other Institutions.
Among other public institutions in
which Mr.. Van Dyke was interested and
which he did much to promote were the
Milwaukee Orphan asylum, the Milwau-
kee Female college, now Milwaukee,
Downer. and the Lawrence university
at Appleton. Wis.
Mr.. Van Dyke was united in marriage
in 1850 to Miss Mary Douglas of New
York city, who died in 1898. They had
four children, George D. and William d.
Van Dyke, attorneys in the city; John
H Van Dyke, who died three years ago,
and Mrs. John II. Tweedy, Jr. There
are twelve grandchildren. In religious
belief and association Mr.. Van Dyke
was a Methodist, and was for years
prominent in the upbuiIding Of Grand
Avenue NJ. E. church. He took deep
interest in the building of the new edi-
fee at Grand avenue and Tenth street
Long Bank Director.
Mr.. Van Dyke for ffty-two years was
a director of the old Bank of Milwaukee
and its successor. the present National
Exchange bank. He was elected a mem
Der of the original bank board a year
or two after the bank was founded, or in
1856 He made it a point to attend ev-
cry meeting of the board, when in the
city and able to be present He was at
the meeting for the last time three weeks
ago.
He became a member of the chamber
of commerce in 1863, five years after
the formation of the chamber.