VamderMeer, Dirk 1828-1917 & two wives with families

VANDERMEER, VANDENBOS, VANDENBOSCH, VANDERMAREL, VERSTEEG, SYNHORST

Posted By: Wilma J. VandeBerg -volunteer (email)
Date: 1/25/2025 at 10:40:05

Vander Meer, Dirk 1828-1917 & two wives with families

This biography of the Dirk Vander Meer family was composed by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. The narrative was made from various sources including records from the web site www.iagenweb.org/sioux ; family reports and vitals collected from ancestry.com and public member trees, Find A Grave Index and various local archives books and publications.

Disclaimer: Names, dates and places may very from one source to another, but have been stated in this biography as presented in the source

Check with Sioux County Iowa’s website www.iagenweb.org/sioux then BIOS on the left, for other pioneers who made the journey; and at the center of main page under ‘Onsite Resources’ go to Biographies ‘Wagon Ho’ the 1864-1870 Oregon Trail to read about this family’s experiences on the Oregon Trail as well as their on going migration that led to Sioux County IA. Some very interesting account of the perilous wagon train journey are recorded in the biographies of John and Peter Ellerbroek, Cornelius Jongewaard, Lutje Mars, Peter Noteboom and others. On the web site, the full accounts in the book Story of Sioux County page 402-414 has a vivid account of the Oregon Trail experience, also pages 429-430 reveals accounts of the Vander Meer Clan Those accounts are given in the a fore mentioned topic under Biographies “Wagons Ho” on this web site.

Dirk Van Der Meer was involved in the Raid of Calliope to get the county safe and records taken to Orange City by sleigh. The account is in the Story of Sioux County by Charles Dyke, page 129-136. The Calliope Raid. Morning of January 22, 1872, there was two to three feet of snow and very cold they headed out. Another perilous event for the pioneers.

RESEARCH Notes: From family accounts on ancestry.com public member trees and local obits on this web page.

Dirk Van Der Meer was born 24 Jan 1828 Overschee, Zuid Holland Netherlands and died 13 Jun 1917 Orange City IA. He was the son of Izaak Vander Meer 1801-1886 and Aaltje Alida Van Den Bosch (or Bos) 1801-1851. Dirk married Cornelia Van Den Bos 13 Jan 1852 at Pella IA.

Wife #1. Cornelia Van Den Bos born 12 Mar 1833 Zoetermeer Zuid Holland Netherlands died 7 Dec 1872 Orange City IA. Cornelia’s parents were Cornelis Van Den Bos 1790-1869 and Adrianna Vander Marel 1803-1860. Dirk and Cornelia had the children #1-7 as listed below.

Wife #2: Dirk married Jannetje VerSteeg, Mrs. Hugo Synhorst Nov 1882 Orange City and had three daughters as listed below #8-10.

CHILDREN:
1. Aaltje ‘Ellen’ Van Der Meer Muilenburg born 7 Nov 1852 Pella IA died 24 Sep 1930 Sioux Center IA. Aaltje married Jacob H. Muilenburg in 1871. They had nine children Mrs. S. A. Kalsbeek of Rock Rapids, Mr. J. Boeyink, Mrs. Ralph Boeyink of Sioux Center; Dave Muilenburg of Hawarden; Miss Josie of Sioux Center; Herbert of Orange City; Allan and Harvey of Sioux Center. See Aaltje’s obit on this web page as carried in the Alton Democrat of Oct 3, 1930.

2. Adriana Jaantje ‘Jane’ Van Der Meer Roorda born 29 Dec 1856 Pella IA died 28 Jun 1929 Pella, IA From a family report on ancestry.com (submitted by others) Adriana married Gerrit Epke Roorda 1841-1917. They were the parents of children – Epke Gerrit Roorda 1881-1960, Dirk Gerrit Roorda 1883-1965, Henry Gerrit Roorda 1884-1958, Flora Gerrit Roorda 1885-1952, Aaltje Ella Roorda 1888-1964, Anna Roorda 1890-1984, Isaac Gerrit Roorda 1892-1982, Hattie Gerrit Roorda 1894-1919, and Tena Gerrit Roorda 1897-1998.

3. Cornelia ‘Katie’ Van Der Meer Kuyper born 8 Jan 1858 Pella Marion IA died 2 Jan 1933 Pella IA buried Boyden IA. From a family report on ancestry.com (submitted by others) Cornelia Vander Meer married Arie Kuyper 1887-1945, in 1883 in Sioux County IA. Their adopted children were listed as Agnes Kuyper 1887-1945, Farrell James Kuyper 1893-1960, Jaunita Kuyper 1897, Clarence Kuyper 1897-1903, Raymond Kuyper 1899-1909. See the obit of Cornelia Kuyper Mrs. Arie 1858-1933 on this web page.

4. Isaac Van Der Meer born May 1864 Pella, Marion IA died 5 May 1952 Auburn, King, WA
From a family report on ancestry.com (submitted by others) Isaac married Marie Vander Heiden 1871-1949 at Orange City IA in 1893. Children listed in that report were – Dick Vander Meer 1896, Richard VanderMeer 1897, Arie Vander Meer 1898-1962, Cornelius Vander Meer 1900.

5. Cornelius Van Der Meer born 10 Nov 1866 Portland, Multhomah, OR died 29 Nov 1954 Orange City IA. Cornelius married Anna Vander Mey 1875-1952. They had three children, a son William preceded in death 1945, Floyd Vander Meer of Battle Creek MI and Cornelia Mrs. Marcus C. Muilenburg of Alton. See Cornelius’s obit on this web page.

6. John Van Der Meer born Mar 1869 Oregon, died as infant in 1870 Yamhill, Oregon.

7. Jacob F. Van Der Meer born Nov 1871 Sioux County IA died 1954 He married Jennie E. Van Der Mey 1878-1963. they had children Dirk Van Der Meer 1896-1959, Edna Mae Van Der Meer 1903-1992 and Wilbur R. Van Der Meer 1905-1977.

In 1872 Dirk’ Vander Meer’s faithful wife died. About 8 years later he remarried to the widow, Jannetje Versteeg Synhorst. From ancestry.com family report, from this marriage three daughters were born:

8. Maria Elizabeth Vander Meer born 27 Aug 1883 Sioux County IA died 21 July 1947 Sibley Iowa , Mrs. Cornelius Van Citters 1883-1959 died at Sibley, Iowa. From the report on ancestry.com (by others) Their children were Genevieve Frances Van Citters 1907-1978, Grances C. Van Citters 1910-1978, Mildred D. Van Citters 1910-2002, Casper A. J. Van Citters 1914-1982 and Richard Cornelius Van Citters 1921.

9. Joanna Christian Vander Meer born 2 Mar 1885 Orange City IA died 22 Dec 1953 Downey, Los Angeles CA She married Albert Cornelius Jongewaard, Dr. 1878-1938 lived at Sioux Center and children were Helena Jongewaard 1904-1985, Richard C. Jongewaard 1908-1992, Melba Marion Jongewaard 1910-1983, Albert John Jongewaard 1914-1994, Judith Mae Jongewaard 1918-1994, June Jongewaard 1923-1989 and on other not names.

10. Sarah Vander Meer born 29 Dec 1886 Sioux County IA died 1978 Sioux Center IA. She married Gerrit Van Steenbergen 1883-1937. They had children – Geneva Wilemina Vand Steenbergen 1912-1996, Wilma Van Steenbergen 1914-2006, Walter Wells Van Steenbergen 1918, Gerrit Dale Van Steenbergen 1920-1991 and Helen Van Steenbergen 1923.

OBITUARY of Dirk Vander Meer 1828-1917
Mr. Dirk Vander Meer died Wednesday p.m. at the age of 89 years and 5 months. He was born at Overschee, Netherlands on 24 Jan 1828. As a young man of 21 years, he came with his parents and siblings to America and settled with his family at Pella. In 1851 he was married with Miss Cornelia Vander Bosch. From this marriage the following children survive him: Izak in Washington, Cornelis at Alton, Jacob at Hospers, Mrs. J. Muilenburg at Sioux Center, Mrs. Rooda at Pella and Mrs. Kuyper of here. In 1856 [1856 must be a typo (1864)] the family left in the company of the families C. Nieuwendorp and the late Gt. Noteboom to Portland, Oregon. In 1870 they moved to Sioux County and settled in Orange City where the deceased bought a homestead southwest of the city. In 1872 his faithful wife died. About 8 years later he remarried to the widow Synhorst. From this last marriage three daughters were born: Mrs. C. Van Citters at George; Mrs. Alb. Jongewaard at Sioux Center and Mrs. Gt. van Steenbergen at Hull, Ia. Fifteen years ago the family left the farm and settled in a new residence in the northern part of the city. Soon after the death of his second wife, his daughter, the widow Kuyper of Boyden took up residence with her father and cared for him. He was a healthy man for most of his life except for the last 13 weeks suffering a lot. He was eager to go, being assured that a place had been prepared for him in Heaven. It was his desire to go to God's house and spoke happily about God's Kingdom. His life was Christ--to die is to gain. The funeral took place at the First Reformed Church with Rev. Engelsman officiating. De Volksvriend dated 21 Jun 1917, Stad en Omgeving, col 3. [Translated by J. Smith.]

OBITUARY of Cornelia Vanden Bos Mrs. Dirk Vander Meer. 1833-1872 Vander Meer, Cornelia nee’ Vander Bos (Bosch) born 20 Mar 1833 died Dec 1872 wife of Dirk buried in West Lawn cemetery Orange City IA. There were no newspapers available to search for her death. Netherlands birth record has Cornelia van den Bos born to Cornelis van den Bos and Adriana van der Marel born 12 March 1833 in Zoetemeer Zuid Holland Netherlands. See the obit of Dirk Vander Meer 1828-1917 for more family details. Find A Grave lists Cornelia Vander Meer born 12 Mar 1833 Zoetermeer Zuid Holland Netherlands died 7 Dec 1872 Sioux County IA. Husband Dirk Van Der Meer Children Cornelius Vander Meer, Adriana Roorda and Cornelis Kuyper.

OBITUARY of Jannetje ‘Jane’ Versteeg, Mrs. Hugo Synhorst, Mrs. Dirk Vander Meer 1842-1909 Alton Democrat January 30, 1909 Mrs. D. Vander Meer of Orange City who suffered the years with diabetes died early Friday morning. Deceased was born sixty seven years ago at Vuren Netherlands. She came to this country with her parents and settled near Pella where she was married at the age of seventeen to Hugo Synhorst. Eight children were born to them the three who are living being Jake Synhorst and John Synhorst and Mrs. J. C. Jongewaard. After the death of her husband she came to Sioux county and later was married to D. Vander Meer. The three children born to them are Mrs. A. C. Jongewaard of Sioux Center and Mrs. C. Van Citters junior and Miss Sadie of this place. Besides her husband who is eighty one years of age and her children she leaves many relatives and friends to mourn her departure. The funeral was held Monday afternoon and services were conducted by Rev. Engelsman.
(She was Jannetje VerSteeg born 3 Jan 1842 at Vuren, Gelderland, Netherlands to Jacob VerSteeg and Gysbertje Tromp. Her husband was Dirk Vander Meer 1828-1917. Her first husband Hugo Synhorst died Aug 25, 1881 Orange City. )
This picture of Dirk Vander Meer was taken from the book, Sioux County History, page p12.