Rev. Idzerd Van Dellen

Rev. & Mrs. Izderd Van Dellen, Maxwell, New Mexico, approx. 1898

Reverend Idzerd Van Dellen (1871-1965) was a minister in the Christian Reformed Church and was one of the founders of Bethesda's tuberculosis hospital in Denver. He served the Bethesda community for 26 years.

From an undated letter written by Rev. Van Dellen titled “The Initial Period of The Bethesda Sanatorium Association”:

At the meeting of Aug. 21, 1912, it was reported that the ten acres on the corner of Iliff and Birch Sts. had been purchased for the sum of 10,000 dollars. This piece of land, on which the Sanatorium was built, was pain in pull, and there was still $12,073.15 left in the treasury. At that same meeting it was decided to build at the cost of $20,000, including furniture, heating, etc. At the next general meeting (Aug. 20, 1913) $18,902.29 had been disbursed on the building, which would be opened for patients on Jan. 1, 1914. And at the next annual meeting of the Association, (Aug. 26, 1914) it could be reported that all bills had been paid and that the treasurer was only about 1000 dollars in arrears. . . .

On Feb. 3, 1910 the Consistory met at the parsonage to discuss the necessity of erecting a Christian Sanatorium at Denver. Mr. E. Hekman Sr. from Grand Rapids, Mich, who at that time visited his two sons in Denver, was present at request and showed great interest in the cause. . . .Mr. E. Hekman Sr. was of great help from the very first as well in Michigan as in Denver. He succeeded Dr. Poppen as president [of the Board], and the Association owes much to this leader with his sound judgment, and also to his son, Henry Hekman, who first acted as Clerk and now is president, and who has been a Board member through all the years of Bethesda’s existence. In His kind providence God brought those men from the very beginning into living contract with Bethesda.

Painting of Rev. Idzerd Van Dellen, Calvin College Painting of Rev. Idzerd Van Dellen, Bethesda Foundation