Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-08-31
YOUNG DUTCHMAN IN KANSAS
CITY AWAITING NEWS OF
! PROXY WEDDING IN
HOLLAND
WAR WAS CAUSE OF THED DELAY
Manufacturer Son Studying Business
So He Can Return and Run His
Fathers

Kansas City, Mo.-Victor de Bont
is ready--even eager-to be bride.
sroom; Caroline Zegers is ready.
probably eager to be a bride. Maybe
they are such, but if so De Bont does.
mt know it, hence the anxiety that he
carries ever with him, smiling pleas
antly, hopefully the while.
De Don't is sojourning in this city;
his bride to be--maybe his bride-is
in Holland.
The indefiniteness in the ratrimon
lal situation of this couple is due to
the unsettlement arising from the
great war, with Holland on war foot
ing and it's army being shifted from
point to point, according to eXigencies.
A lieutenant in that army is to stand
mp with the young woman instead OF
the man she is actually to marry. 1t is
to be a proxy marriage-maybe has
been.
Every detail essential to The cere.
plony by proxy has been attended to
and it came to the sole point of the
army man finding it practicable for
him to represent his friend in the
United States before the authorities
In Holland having to do with making
Miss Zegers Mrs. de Bont. Cable com
munications are slow, those by mail
vastly slower-about three weeks. The
bridegroom to be-or the bridegroom
in actuality-must wait, With such pa
tience as he can command to learn.
De Bont who is % years old, is the
son of former very prCsper'os candy
manufacturer a. Breda, Holland, who
is dead. His fiancee-mayhe his wife
is II, daughter of a former Lieuten
ant in the Dutch artillery, who also is
dead. Her home was until Il year or so
ago at Breda, but the family removed
to The Hague. At one time wealthy,
her family is now in only moderate
circumstances.
The couple met three years ago at
the annual bal masque at Breda, and
young De Bont was sorely smitten
with the charm of the girl who at
tended the affair as the Pied Piper of
Hamlin. He was introduced, paid ar.
dent court to the girl and au engage
ment to marry followed His mother
opposed the match.
After his fathers death young De
Bont attempted to conduct the bust
ness but found it too much for his
knowledge and organized n close cor.
poration, with his uncle as president,
to take control He Wen. to Amsterdam
TO take charge of the export end of 1t.
Then came the war, with ito hrav. car
30 upon shipping, and he came to this
country. Here De Bont conceived the
idea of equipping himself for active
management of the business establish
ej by his father, and for this purpose
ne is working from the ground up in
d factory in this city.
During his solourn here De Bont al,
so resolved to make Miss Zegers his
wife at the earliest practicable mo.
mont, which meant a proxy ceremony.
First he won his mothers approval,
which under the Dutch law is essen
tial II the marriage is to take place he
fore he is so years old. Then he went
10 the Dutch consul here, obtained the
necessary document, which he for
warded to Holland with request Of
Lieut.. Oscar Veltman to obtain the
Queens consent and to impersunate
rim before the town clerk at Breda
and in the state ceremony over there
Lieut.. Veltman cheerfully complied.
explaining however that it must wait
upon opportunity, which in the pres
ent circumstances is something differ
cult and uncertain.
When the ceremony has been per-
formed in Holland De Bont knows that
he will be advised by cable. Then his
bride will leave for the United States
ny the first steamer. The eXpectant
bridegroom-or maybe bridegroom
has already rented flat but has not
furnished it. THAT is for her to do' he
explains. But she will come soon now
and pick the furniture" When she
does there will be religious marriage
ceremony, not by proxy.