It gives us pleasure to speak in this connection of the talented and enterprising young gentleman whose name appears above, and who has come to us from the busy land of Holland to make one of the stanch American citizens, being of the pure Anglo-Saxon blood whence comes the leading men of the day. He is now one of the well-to-do farmers of the vicinity of Arcadia, owning a tract of eighty acres two miles south-west from that place. William J. was born in Rotterdam Holland, on September 12, 1878, being the son of William J. and Jelerma van Lindburgh. The father was a very wealthy and prominent citizen of Holland, being president and chief owner of the famous Basalt Mining Company of Rotterdam. The mines are located in Germany and Belgium and produce a fine grade of stone for building and paving. This gentleman made a trip to the United States to visit his son in 1900 and he was very favorably impressed with the country. He also spent one month in Washington, D. C. visiting the ambassador, Baron Gevars. Returning to his native country, Mr. van Lindburgh continued in his business until May 9, 1902 when he was taken very suddenly ill and passed away. He was in his fifty0ninth year. The mother is still living on the old homestead in Holland.
Our subject grew up in Rotterdam, received his primary education in the common schools and then attended the high school and subsequently took his degree from the Agricultural College at Wageningen, Holland. Soon following this event he came to the United States, landing at New York and thence direct to Ontario, arriving here on February 23, 1897. He purchased his present place, and soon went to improving it and in the good labor of handling it successfully he has been engaged since that time. The land is under the Owyhee ditch and is productive of large crops of alfalfa and fruit. Mr. van Limburgh is a man of much information, having profited much by his privileged course in the institutions of his native land, and he manifests an active interest in the affairs of his chosen country. He has taken his papers for citizenship and his fellows have chosen him for delegate to the County convention. In fraternal relations he is allied with the K. of P., Armour Lodge. No. 69 of Ontario.
The happy event of the marriage of Mr. van Limburgh and Miss Sophia Boode, a native of The Hague, Holland, was celebrated on October 21, 1900 and to them has been born one child, William J.