VandeBerg, Gerrit and Driesje 'Lizzie' Rozeboom

VANDEBERG, VANDENBERG, ROZEBOOM, KASTEIN, JUFFER

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg (email)
Date: 1/13/2016 at 18:59:30

VANDE BERG, Gerrit and Driesje ‘Lizzie’ ROZEBOOM

According to information that was in Gerrit’s obituary December 14, 1950, Gerrit Jan Vande Berg was born at Alton, Wisconsin on the 27th day of March in the years 1874. As a baby he moved with his parents by ‘Prairie schooner’ to Newkirk, Iowa. There his parents, Jan ‘John’ and Wilhelmina (Kastein) Vande Berg, experienced the rigors of the open spaces as they lived in their sod house. This information differs slightly from other historical accounts that Gerrit’s parents came to Sioux County in 1873. It is very possible 1874 is correct. In those days exact record keeping was not top priority, simply existing was the main concern of the homesteaders.

Gerrit’s grandparents had also come to the Alton IA area in 1872 or 1873, one year before Gerrit’s family. The grandparents of Gerrit were Beert Vanden Berg and Aaltje Juffer, later they moved to the Newkirk area. After his parents had lived by Newkirk five or six years they moved to ‘Ninety-Six’ later renamed Welcome township by the Vande Bergs. There is much more about Gerrit’s family life in the stories of John and Wilhelmina Vande Berg and their nine children in the 1991 Sioux Center Centennial book.

On March 14, 1895 Gerrit married Lizzie Rozeboom in a double wedding ceremony with Lizzie’s sister Annie Rozeboom and John Kempers. Lizzie was born Driesje Rozeboom, on Noveber 9, 1875. Her parents were Jan ‘John’ Rozeboom and Hermina Schipper. She was from a very large family of over twenty children. John Rozeboom had two families some twelve children were born to he and Hermina Schipper in Holland and then he moved here with his children and married Jannetje Hoksbergen and they had another eight children. There are two separate stories in the 1991 Sioux Center Centennial book on the old Jan Rozeboom family with his many descendants.

Gerrit and Lizzie farmed in the Sioux Center and Orange City area. Gerrit died at Orange City in December of 1950. Lizzie died March 31, 1948. Five children were born to them and their families follow.

1. Wilhelmina ‘Minnie’ Vande Berg was born December 6, 1895, she married Richard Smith. She died December 6, 1926, just thirty one years of age. Their children were Henry C. Smith, Gerrit L. Smith, James M. Smith, Lucille Smith married Howard Lokers, Richard W. Smith. The family moved to Holland Michigan.

2. John G. Vande Berg was born Jun 29, 1897 and he married Mabel Margaret Beernink on June 24, 1918. They lived in Sioux Center and later in Cedar Falls, IA. They had three sons: Gerald Clifford, Simon James, and Marvin John. John G. died February 27, 1982, and his wife, Mabel died January 30, 1982.

3. Alice Vande Berg was born April 4, 1899 and she married Raymond Lubbers on July 25, 1918. They were from Gibbsville, Wisconsin, and had six children: Frederick, Lucille Mrs. Harold Ludens, Margaret Mrs. Ellsworth Wensink, Kenneth, Irene Mrs. Fred Nyhof, and Wayne Lubbers. Alice died April 5, 1980 and Raymond Lubbers died May 20, 1970.

4. Gerrit J. Vanden Berg was born July 4, 1904 and he married Ella Beernink on August 3, 1931. They were from Terry IA and Lakeland FL.. They have two children, Evonne who died as a child, and Sylvia Mrs. John Dunn.)

5. Bert Vander Berg was born August 26, 1908 and he married Jeanne A. De Jong. They were from Dubuque IA and had two children, Mary Mrs. Charles Anderson and Robert R. Vander Berg

Note there are three different spellings of the surname Vande Berg, Vander Berg and Vanden Berg.

This story was in the 1991 Sioux Center Centennial book and authored by Wilma J. Vande Berg. A picture of Gerrit and Lizzie Rozeboom was in the book.