VanPeursem, George 1842-1929 & Wilhelmina Kars Family

VANPEURSEM, KARS, VANVUUREN, BOS

Posted By: Wilma J. VandeBerg -volunteer (email)
Date: 11/5/2024 at 11:47:27

VanPeursem, George 1842-1929 and Mina Minnie Kars Family

This story was taken from pages 536-537 of the Maurice Centennial Book (1891-1991). The story was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg

Peter’s (born 1809) son, George Van Peursem (1842-1929), married Mientje Kars (1844-1930), in Pella in 1865.

She, with three sisters and her father, Hendrik Kars, had come from Rotterdam on the sailing ship MAASTROOM, landing in Baltimore, in June, 1847. Her mother (name unknown) had died during the journey and was buried at sea. George and Mientje (also referred to as Minnie or Wilamina) set up housekeeping in a log cabin on a farm five miles west of Pella, where five children were born. They were: Janette (Mrs. William De Jong (1865-1951); Jane (Mrs. Jacob Mieras), (1867-1900); Peter (1868-1962); Henry (1870-1951); and William (1872-1950). In 1873, George and Minnie with their young family headed west and settled on a farm a few miles southeast of Maurice. The new railroad ran only as far as Le Mars; the rest of the trip was made by horse and wagon. Here were born Minnie (Mrs. John Vanden Brink) (1873-1916); John (1876-1964); Martin (1878-1975); Gerrit (1880-1979); James (1881-1899); and Gertie (1884-1884). The early years were very hard, especially in the years of drought and the grasshopper plagues. A constant vigil was kept to drive off the grasshoppers; one year this paid off by resulting in the only crop of potatoes in the area, providing the possibility of shoes and mittens for the children. It also provided funds to hire a seamstress to make a suit of clothing (Sunday use only) to be shared on alternate Sundays by two of the boys. Education in a one room school (six grades) (after a two mile walk) was considered to be very important. In later years more school was available, John and Gerrit both becoming ministers in the Reformed church; Gerrit spent forty years as a missionary in Arabia.

In 1900, George and Minnie retired from active farm life to the village of Maurice. In 1926 they moved to the Community Hospital in Le Mars, to receive care required by their advanced ages. They moved to the Pioneer Home in Orange City, shortly before his death on June 6, 1929. Minnie moved to the Holland Home in Sheldon, where she passed away on December 21, 1930. They were buried (as were many of their children) in a family plot in the southwest section of the Sherman Township Cemetery, 1½ miles east of Maurice.

IN MEMORY OF George and Mina Van Peursem by Mrs. Don Smith
(end of story in the Maurice book)

RESEARCH Notes: www.wiewaswie.nl source for vitals, and ancestry.com public member tress submitted by others.

George E. Van Peursem born 13 July 1842 Ede, Gelderland, Netherlands died 6 Jun 1929 Orange City, Iowa. He was the son of Peter Van Peursem born 25 Mar 1809 Ede, Gelderland died 20 Jun 1877 Orange City IA; and Jenneke Willemstad Bos 8 May 1815 Ede Gelderland died 8 Oct 1858 Pella, Iowa. George married Wilhelmina Meintje Kars 2 Mar 1865 Marion Co. IA.

Wilhelmina Meintje Kars born 11 Mar 1843 Vianen/ Reusel de Mierden Noord Brabant Neth. died 21 Dec 1930 Sherman Tsp. Sioux Co. IA. She was the daughter of Hendrik Kars born 1 Jan 1807 at Leerdam Zuid Holland died 26 Jul 1881 Pella IA, and Bastiaantje Van Vuuren born Jan 1808 Brandwijk, Neth (according to above narrative she died at sea) . George and Mina ‘Minnie’ were married 1 May 1830. The following were the children of George and Mina Van Peursem.

CHILDREN of George and Mina: found on ancestry.com public member trees and also see our web page www.iagenweb.org/sioux under obits for many of the children’s obituaries.

1. Jeanette ‘Jenneke’ Van Peursem born 5 Oct 1865 Pella Marion IA, died 10 Dec 1951 Hunnington Park, L. A. CA. She married William De Jong born 23 Mar 1859 Pella, Marion, IA died 5 Mar 1921 Orange City IA. Their children were Wilhelmina Katherine De Jong 1886-1919, Adrianna De Jong 1889-1906, Georgiana De Jong 1891-1971, Anna De Jong 1893, Corinne ‘Cora’ De Jong 1893-1979, Ellsworth De Jong 1899-1971, Ernest De Jong 1900.

2. Jannetje ‘Jane’ Adirana Van Peursem born 19 Jan 1867 IA died 27 July 1900 Maurice, Sioux, IA She married Jacob William Mieras 1865-1935. Their children were: William Lawrence Mieras 1888-1969, Wilhemina ‘Minnie’ Mieras 1890-1979, Corinna ‘Cora’ Mieras 1893-1967, Stella Mieras 1895-1987, Jane Mieras 1900-1990.

3. Pieter Van Peursem born 15 Feb 1868 Pella Marion, IA died 27 Nov 1962 Orange City IA. He married Jessie Councilman 1867-1958 Their children were: James Eugene Van Peursem 1900-1972, Edith Van Peursem 1909-2001 and Lois Emma Van Peursem 1916-1996.

4. Hendrikus Van Peursem born 1 may 1870 Pella, Marion Co. IA died 14 Aug 1951 Maurice Sioux IA. He married Gesiena Cynthia Boeyink 1869-1935. Their children were: Johann Wessalina Van Peursem 1891-1955, Wilhelmina Marie ‘Minnie’ Van Peursem 1894-1981, George Andrew Van Peursem 1895-1983, Henrietta Gertrude Van Peursem 1898-1977, John Henry Van Peursem 1903-1982, Ralph Lawrence Van Peursem Dr. 1907-1973, Delbert Luverne Van Peursem 1911-1982.

5. William Van Peursem born 25 Mar 1872 Pella IA died 12 Mar 1950 Maurice IA. He married Lucy Grace Mensink 1876-1982. Their children were: Chester Otis Van Peursem 1899-1980, Lucille Van Peursem 1906-1994 and Philip Van Peursem 1913-1995.

6. Wilhelmina Van Peursem born 1874 IA died 22 Sep 1916 buried Sherman Tsp Cemetery Maurice IA. She married John Vanden Brink 1874-1937. Their children were: George Ernest Vanden Brink 1904-1998, Ada Jeanette Vanden Brink 1906-1974 and one other not named.

7. John Van Peursem born 30 Aug 1876 Sioux Co. IA died Jun 1964 Holland MI. He married Leta Morrison 1883-1961. Their children were: Arloa May Van Peursem 1911-2000, George Mortimer Van Peursem 1912-1998, Eleanor June Van Peursem 1914-1964, Harriet Eloise Van Peursem 1916.

8. Martin Van Peursem born 21 Feb 1878 Maurice IA died 8 Feb 1975 Orange City IA. He married Anna Duven 1881-1954. Their children were: Charlotte Nelvye Van Peursem 1904-2007, Marguerite Elinore Van Peursem 1909-2011, Carlton Gerald Van Peursem 1911-1998, Bernice Genevieve Van Peursem 1913-1999, Lloyd Marvin Van Peursem 1922-1993.

9. Gerrit Dirk Van Peursem born 7 Mar 1880 Maurice IA, died Mar 1979 Spring Valley Rockland New York. He married Josephine Elise Spaeth-Benziger 1883-1976. Their children were: Gertrud Van Peursem 1913-2005, Gerrit Van Peursem 1915-1930, Cecile Wilhelmina Van Peursem 1916-1997, Robert George Van Peursem 1919-2002.

10. James Van Peursem born 14 Jan 1881 Sherman Tsp. Sioux Co. IA died 14 Dec 1899 Maurice IA.

11. Adrianus Van Peursem born 1882 died abt 1st of Dec 1899
Sioux County Herald of Dec 6, 1899
Adrianus Van Peursem son of Mr. and Mrs. Geo Van Peursem of Sherman Township, died Monday at 1 O’clock p.m. after a long illness. Deceased was a young man of high character and 18 years old. About 10 weeks age he was taken to Iowa City in the hope that an operation might save his life, but every effort of the family was fruitless and the end came as a relief from long suffering. The funeral will be held this afternoon from the Maurice Church.
12. Gertrude ‘Gertie’ Van Peursem born 1884- died 1884.

OBITUARY OF GEORGE VAN PEURSEM 1842-1929
Source: Maurice Times (6-13-1929)
Born: July 13, 1842
Died: June 6, 1929
PIONEER SETTLER HERE ANSWERS LAST CALL--FORMER RESIDENTS WHO ASSISTED IN FOUNDING COLONY HERE--SIXTY YEARS OF WEDDED LIFE
George D. Van Peursem, aged 87 years, a pioneer of northwestern Iowa died Thursday night at the Pioneer Memorial Home in Orange City. Death was due to old age.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Peursem had made their home in Le Mars for the past few years having an apartment at the Community Hospital. A few weeks ago when it was abandoned and the building sold, they moved to Orange City.
George D. Van Peursem was born July 13, 1842, in The Netherlands, and when a boy of fourteen came with his parents and seven brothers and sisters to America. They settled at Pella, Marion County, Iowa, where a large Holland colony was already established.
Mr. Van Peursem was married at Pella March 2, 1865, to Wilhelmina Kars, also a native of Holland, who came with her parents to this country when a child of three years.
To their union eleven children were born. Four preceded the father in death.
Besides his wife he leaves six sons and a daughter, Peter, William, Henry and Martin residing in the vicinity of Maurice, Reverend John Van Peursem of Zeeland, Michigan, Gerrit who is engaged in missionary work in Arabia and Mrs. Janettte De Jong of Omaha. There are thirty-seven grandchildren and twenty-nine great-grandchildren.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Peursem came to Sioux County in 1873 and took up land southeast of where the town of Maurice was later built. They retain possession of the land to this day.
They experienced the vicissitudes which befell the early settlers both in Marion and Sioux Counties. Mr. Van Peursem recalled landing from the Mississipi River at Keokuk, with his father, Peter Van Peursem, and trekking across the country when there was nothing but a trail and the emigrants in their oxen drawn wagons forded streams and sloughs.
Mrs. Van Peursem remembers when wolves and other predatory animals harried the stock of the early settlers and were a menace to women and children in their homes.
After their arrival in Sioux County, the Van Peursem's saw their crops devastated in the seventies by the inroads of the grasshopper. Disheartened by these onslaughts at one time they offered their holdings for $300 with the idea of returning to Pella.
Finding no acceptance of this offer they continued on the place and with better conditions, began to prosper and farmed successfully until 1900, when they moved to Maurice to make their home and in later years lived in Le Mars.
The funeral was held Saturday afternoon from the Memorial Home in Orange City at one o`clock, and services were held at the First Reformed Church in Maurice and interment was made in the Sherman Township Cemetery, Sioux Center.
Among those from a distance in attendance at the funeral were James Rovaard and M. Van Wyk of Prairie City, Iowa, Mr. and Mrs. D. De Boer and Mr. and Mrs. Will Nordzee of Monroe, South Dakota, and Mrs. Will De Jong of Greyhawk, Kentucky.

OBITIUARY OF MINA VAN PEURSEM 1843-1930
Source: Alton Democrat (12-26-1930)
Born: March 11, 1843
Died: December 21, 1930
Mrs. George Van Peursem passed away December 21, 1930 at the Holland Home at Sheldon at the age of 87 years, nine months and ten days.
Wilhelmina Kars was born in the Netherlands and came to this country with her parents while a child. They located at Pella, Iowa. She was united in marriage to George Van Peursem March 2nd, 1865 by the late Reverend Scholten.
The family came to Sioux county in 1873, bearing the hardships of the pioneers days. Her husband preceded her in death about a year and a half ago; also four children have gone on before.
She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Janette De Jong; six sons, Reverend G.D. Van Peursem, missionary to Arabia; Reverend John Van Peursem, Zeeland, Michigan; Peter, Henry, William and Martin of Maurice; also 38 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.
She was exceptionally well and strong for her age until about five weeks ago when her health began to fail and her strength gradually gave way and she passed away without pain or suffering at eleven P.M. Sunday night. It was earnest desire to be released and go to her heavenly home to meet her loved ones.
Brief funeral services were held at the Holland Home Monday afternoon by Reverend Jean Vis. The body was then taken to Maurice to the home of her son Peter and services were held Wednesday afternoon in the First Reformed Church, conducted by Reverends Straks and Duiker.

Family Picture on page 536 of the Maurice book, picture here copied from the Story of Sioux County by Charles Dyke book, picture from pictures section page 49.

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