Row 1 (l. to r.): Anna Groendyk, Helen Poelstra, Kate Fryling. Row 2 (l. to r.): Dena Fryling, Dena Preissens, Jemima Strabbing

Since the 2001 publication of "Love Beyond Knowledge, Grace Beyond Imagination"—the 125-history of Calvin College, we discovered, contrary to what several archival sources indicate, that due to illness before completing the term, Helen Poelstra, who was believed to be the first woman graduate from Calvin, did not, in fact, graduate in 1904. Instead in June 1905, Anna Groendyk became the first Calvin woman graduate.

Anna was the third of five children born to Jacob and Klaaske (Clara) Groendyk, who had immigrated to Grand Rapids from Uithuizermeeden, the Netherlands, in the spring of 1881. As did many immigrants, Jacob worked in local furniture factories as a day laborer. Beginning in 1887 he clerked in a local grocery store. The Groendyks had five children, John, Aggie, Anna, Lucy and Jacob Ysbrandus. In January 1895, Jacob died, Aggie died four months later, and Jacob Y. was born one month after that. Klaaske and 14-year-old John began working outside the home to support the family. As widows did at the time in an effort to be close to their children while working, Klaaske opened a small grocery store at 1049 Grandville Avenue, SW that had rooms for the family above the store. John and Anna worked in the store with their mother.

In 1901, at 14, Anna was one of the first five women to enroll in what would later be called Calvin College. All were from Grand Rapids. Probably because of her lack of schooling beyond the primary level, Anna was required to take an introductory year, prior to being accepted into the three-year teacher preparatory course. Completion of the course allowed students to take the Michigan test for teacher certification. In districts that offered secondary education, students could take this test after completing one year beyond high school graduation. Of the five students accepted for admission, one never took classes, another delayed beginning for a year. Of the three who took classes in 1901, only Groendyk returned after the first year.

After graduating she continued living with her family but her immediate occupation isn't known. The opening of several Christian schools in the city in 1907 created a need for teachers and Groendyk was hired by the Baldwin Street Christian School about 21/2 miles from her home. She probably earned $20 per month, the pay for new teachers at the school during those years, and continued living on Grandville Avenue. In 1910 she resigned to again work in the family grocery with her mother. At some point Anna's sister, Lucy, who in 1905 also attended Calvin, had fallen from an ice wagon, suffered a permanent brain injury and required fairly constant care thereafter. This may have been the reason for the return to the family grocery in 1910 since the other siblings could not help. John had married and was raising his own family and Jacob, the youngest, had died in 1904.

When Klaaske died in 1920 at the age of 63, Anna continued to support herself and Lucy with the store and to serve as Lucy's caregiver. By 1924 it became impossible to both operate the store and provide the required care for Lucy. Lucy became a patient at Pine Rest Christian Hospital, where she died in 1969. Anna continued to operate the grocery until 1930 when she married Peter Houtman. Her brother, John, and his family took over running the store.

Houtman operated a walnut orchard near Chico, Calif. They had no children of their own but raised three orphaned siblings (two sisters and a brother) who were related to Houtman. Houtman died in 1953 at age 67. Late in life Anna moved to Paradise, Calif. She died near Chico, in 1977.