Harry Nelson Van Antwerp (1889 - 1958)

Born 4 Jul 1889 in Boston, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Adeline (Zeh) Van Antwerp — married 3 Jan 1914 in Troy, NY

Descendants

Died 6 May 1958 at age 68 in Troy, Rensselaer, New York, United States

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Biography

Harry was born in Boston, MA and adopted as an infant through a private adoption. An aunt in his adoptive family reportedly knew his birth origins but died without telling Harry about his biological parents. Harry and his parents moved to Watervliet, NY when he was 13. He dropped out of school without completing a high school education, got a job as a stock boy with Behr-Manning Corporation, and worked his way up to become Traffic Manager. Harry retired in 1954 when he became 65, after 45 years with Behr-Manning. Harry met his wife to be, Adeline Zeh, while attending the Beacon Light Mission in Troy, NY, where Adeline attended. They lived their entire married life in Watervliet. Harry served as a part-time local pastor in the Methodist Church, filling in various pulpits as needed, and preached Sunday evenings at the Beacon Light Mission in Watervliet, NY. He was a lay delegate to the 1939 Uniting Conference which voted on the merger or the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and the Methodist Protestant Church. Harry (and his wife Adeline) were active in the Eastern Holiness Movement and served as financial secretary for the Seven Oaks Methodist Camp Meeting (closed in 1988) near the present Albany airport.^[1]

Harry's adoptive parents were Henry Van Antwerp and Mabel F (Townsend) Van Antwerp. Harry's birth certificate records Harry's adoptive father as Henry P but this is an error. The 1910 US Census lists Henry N (born 1850) and Mabel F Van Antwerp and their son Harry N as living in Watervliet NY. Henry N Van Antwerp (born 20 Feb1850; died 26 May 1912) is buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, NY. After her husband's death. Mabel F Van Antwerp is known to have lived with her son Harry and his wife, Adeline Zeh Van Antwerp in Watervliet, NY for many years. Mabel F Van Antwerp (birthdate unknown; death 27 Feb 1923) also is buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, NY, separately from her husband.

Sources

• Personal knowledge.
• Certified Copy of Record of Birth issued in 1944 (City of Boston); in private family papers.
• Findagrave.com profiles for Mabel F and Henry N Van Antwerp in Albany Rural Cemetery.
• 1905 New York Census. Family is living in Watervliet, NY.
• 1910 US Census (New York, Watervliet Ward 9, Albany County.
• Newspaper obituary for Harry Van Antwerp (Clipping in family private collection)
• "Official Journal of the Troy Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Souvenir Edition, 1924." Page 398 lists Harry Van Antwerp, Watervliet, as a licensed local preacher. (Private family collection)

Footnotes

1. ↑ Entered by Nancy Van Antwerp.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Nancy Van Antwerp for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Nancy and others.