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Dewey Westra

Short Name: Dewey Westra
Full Name: Westra, Dewey, 1899-1979
Birth Year: 1899
Death Year: 1979

Dewey D. Westra (b. Holland, MI, 1899; d. Wyoming, MI, 1979) was a dedicated educator, writer, and musician who faithfully served the Christian Reformed Church. He attended Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Wayne State University in Detroit. In the 1920s and 30s he was a Christian school Principal in Byron Center and Detroit, Michigan. During the 1940s he was involved in various ventures, including becoming a diesel instructor for the Ford Motor Company. After 1947 he became a principal again, serving at Christian schools in Sioux Center, Iowa; Randolph, Wisconsin; and Walker, Michigan. Westra wrote poetry in English, Dutch, and Frisian, and translated poetry into English from Dutch and Frisian. He arranged many songs and composed songs for children's choirs. He also versified all one hundred and fifty psalms and the Lord's Prayer, as well as the songs of Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon, in meters that fit the corresponding Genevan psalm tunes. His manuscripts are housed in the library of Calvin College. Seventeen of his psalm versifications and his paraphrases of the Lucan canticles were included in the 1934 and in the 1959 editions of the Psalter Hymnal. Much of the credit for keeping the Genevan psalms alive in the Christian Reformed Church goes to Westra.

Bert Polman


Texts by Dewey Westra (25)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
As the hart, about to falterDewey Westra (Versifier)English6
Behold, how good, how pleasant is the union, When brothers in the Lord have sweet communion (Westra)Dewey Westra (Versifier)English2
Blest Be the God of Israel, The Lord who visited His ownDewey Westra (Adapter)English3
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord In his house with one accord!Dewey Westra (Author)English2
Hallelujah, Praise ye God!Dewey Westra (Author)English3
How blessed are the perfect in the wayDewey Westra (Author)English4
How vast the benefits divineDewey Westra (Alterer)English3
Jehovah reigns as King, To Him all homage bringsDewey Westra (Author)English3
Let all exalt Jehovah's goodnessDewey Westra (Versifier)English3
Lord, I will sing with rapturous rejoicingDewey Westra (Versifier)English3
My soul doth magnify the Lord; In Him my spirit doth rejoiceDewey Westra (Author)English3
My soul, recall with reverent wonderDewey Westra, 1899-1979 (Versifier)English5
My soul was glad when unto meDewey Westra (Author)English3
My spirit glorifies the Lord, In God the Spirit I rejoiceDewey Westra (Versifier)5
Now may your servant, LordDewey Westra (Paraphraser)English10
O bless the Lord, my soul, with all thy powerDewey Westra (Author)English3
O Lord, how swiftly growsDewey Westra (Author)English3
Our Father, clothed with majestyDewey Westra (Author)English3
Out of the depths of sadnessDewey Westra (Author)English3
Praise the Lord, ye landsDewey Westra (Author)English5
Sing, sing a new song to JehovahDewey Westra (Author)English7
Sing to the Lord, a new song voicingDewey Westra (Author)English2
The spacious heavens laudDewey Westra (Author)English4
Unto the hills I lift mine eyes Whence cometh all my aid (Westra)Dewey Westra (Author)English6
With all my heart will I recordDewey Westra (Author)English3
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