Mr. Henry Peter Scholte

Henry Peter Scholte, the eldest son of the founder of Pella, was a very important member of the Carnegie-Viersen board of library trustees. Appointed to the board at its foundation in 1905,[1] Scholte served as its first treasure,[2] second secretary,[3] and sat on various committees. He remained a member of the board for 11 years, leaving in 1916.[4]

Henry was born in Pella to Reverend Henry Scholte and his wife Mareah on 30 November 1848.[5] He was the second of their children and the oldest son.[6] Scholte did not follow his father into the ministry, instead choosing to become a banker. His role as cashier at the Pella National Bank made him an ideal treasure for the library board.

Scholte married Leonora R. Keables on 31 October 1878.[7] They had three children; Robert, Henry Paul, and Elizabeth.[8] Scholte and his family remained in Pella for their entire lives. Scholte died on 26 October, 1918 and was buried in the Oak Wood Cemetery.[9]

-Russell Buchanan

 

[1] First Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Free Public Library, Pella, Iowa, 27 July 1905.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Free Public Library, Pella, Iowa, 8 February 1909.

[4] Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Free Public Library, Pella, Iowa, 16 February 1916.

[5] Ancestry.com. U.S. Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ancestry.com. Iowa, Select Marriages Index, 1758-1996 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

[8] Ancestry.com. U.S. Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current.

[9] Ibid.