Van De Mark, Martin Van Buren

The following data is extracted from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans.

Martin Van Buren Van De Mark. Under the constitution and civil government of Kansas the office of county attorney is one of the most important. It is in fact too important to be used by patriotic citizens for the purpose of complimenting a friend by election to such honors and responsibilities. The candidate must be worthy of the honor conferred upon him, and with unimportant exceptions it can be affirmed that the people usually choose carefully the incumbent of such an office.

When the people of Cloud County elected Martin Van Buren Van De Mark as their county attorney they made no mistake. Mr. Van De Mark is fearless in his convictions, is exemplary in his habits, is capable and conscientious in the discharge of every duty pertaining to his office, and had wide training and ability as a lawyer, a profession in which he had made his mark.

At the present time Mr. Van De Mark is serving his third term in that office. He had been a member of the Concordia bar for the past eight years. His election as county attorney was from the republican ticket, and the people felt the more confidence in him because of the satisfactory manner in which he had proviously filled the position of city attorney of Concordia.

Born at Clyde, Kansas, January 17, 1882, Mr. Van De Mark is a son of Charles W. and Addie S. Van De Mark. His parents came to Cloud County, Kansas, in 1879. Charles W. Van De Mark, who died April 16, 1917, was also a lawyer and a man of many worthy personal and professional qualities, much of his ability having descended to his son. Of the three sons in the family, the county attorney at Concordia is the only one still living in Kansas.

Mr. Van De Mark spent his boyhood in Cloud County, attended the public schools and in 1905 was graduated in the literary course from Washburn College at Topeka. For his law studies he entered the South Dakota University, where he took his degres LL. B. in 1908. Returning to Kansas, he was admitted to the bar in the same year and had since been in active practice.

In 1905 Mr. Van De Mark married Miss Mary E. Cleveland, who was also born in Kansas. They have two children, Vivia and Charles. Mrs. Van De Mark is a woman of much culture and more than ordinary literary attainments, and is regarded as one of the chief writers of poetry in her section of the state. Several of her poems have had more than a local reading and commendation.

Mr. Van De Mark is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Masons and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He also belongs to the Sigma Nu college fraternity.

Source: A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans

  Go Back