VanKley, Floris 1852 and Petertje Huisman 1857 Family

VANKLEY, HUISMAN, RAVESTEIN, ROZENDAAL

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 5/30/2021 at 19:40:27

Van Kley, Floris 1852 and Petertje Huisman 1857 family.

This family story comes from the Sioux Center Centennial book of 1991 page 568 and 569; and was submitted by Lawrence Acterhof. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Wilma J. Vande Berg and some research note were added at the end.

Floris Van Kley was born September 14, 1852 in Chicago IL. On April 25, 1878 he married Petertje Huisman. Petertje was born August 4, 1857 in Lansing IL. They had eight children.

1.Aart Van Kley was born December 26, 1876 at South Holland, IL, and died on April 4, 1968 at Sioux Center. Aart married Carrie Franken in August 1906 at Sioux Center. Carried was born January 1882 at Sioux Center. They had four children: Nelvia, Jeanette, Ellen and Florence.

2.Mary Van Kley was born on October 27, 1878 at South Hlland, IL. She died on August 3, 1963 at Sioux Center, On April 12, 1910 she married Hitje Vander Veen at Sioux Center. They had one child, Gertrude Alice, Hitje died on Dec 18, 1934. On Feb 22, 1937 Mary married Maas Blankespoor. He died March 20, 1953.

3.Herbert Van Kley was born September 5, 1880 in South Holland, Il., and died on December 19, 1957 I Perkins, IA. Herbert married Johanna Poppen at Sioux Center on February 15, 1904. They had five children: Floyd, Harriet, Angelyn, Albert and Clarissa. Johanna died August 19, 1919 at Taber, Alberts Canada. Herbert married Lena Evink on September 6, 1939 at Rock Rapids, IA.

4.Carrie Van Kley was born January 9, 1882 at South Holland IL., and died August 6, 1884.

5.Andrew Van Kley was born June 6, 1884 at South Holland IL., and died on July 22, 1941 at Hawarden, IA. In February 1910 at Sioux Center he married Mary Mulder. Mary was born July 1887 at New Olive, MI and she died in May 1927. They had six children: Pearl, Martha, Fred, Joyce, Gerrit A. and Caroline. In January, 1933, Andrew married Maude Koster Lefler at Canton SD.

6.Carrie Van Kley was born July 11, 1896 at South Holland, IL. On February 6, 1908 she married Gerrit Prins. Carried died July 12, 1948 and Gerrit died July 3, 1961. They had six children: Simon, Nelvia, Floris, Peter G., Anthony and Gary.

7.Maggie Van Kley was born January 15, 1889 at South Holland IL. In December 1913 she married Ralph Acterhof at Sioux Center. They had four children: Lawrence, Florence, Floy and Eugene. Ralph died on Nov 18, 1967.

8.William Van Kley was born on June 10, 1894 at Orange City IA., On June 4, 1917 he married Clara Acterhof at Siuox Center. Wiliam died March 20 1974 at Hudsonville MI. and Clare died November 1 1985 at Hudsonville, MI. They had four childen: Pearl, Jane, Floyd and Leroy.

Floris and Petertje moved to Iowa in 1891 from South Holland IL, to a farm four miles east of Sioux Center. They were among the early pioneers that helped to settle the West.

Trees were scarce and if they wanted to have any wood they would drive their horses to the river to find wood. They built wood rail fences to keep their cattle from wandering. Prairie chickens were plentiful and hundreds of them would sit on the rail fences in the morning sun.

Floris would take his old shotgun and aim along the fences and dozens of prairie chickens would fall. He would pack the chicken and home raised ducks into wooden barrels, properly salted, and ship them to the fancy hotels in Chicago for their clients to enjoy at their dinners.

The children of the early pioneers did not have any toys except what they made themselves. They would make little wooden wagons, little leather harness, then catch some ground squirrels, for horses, and hitch them up to their wagons.

The boys aged 12 and 13 became the errand boys on a regular basis. A boy would take a bushel sack of wheat, load it on his bicycle and take the dirt roads to Le Mars 24 miles on way and have it ground into flour at the mill. He would then load up the sack of flour on the bicycle and return home.

If he did not run into any problems along the way, he would return home before dark. The children walked to school each day 2 ¼ miles round trip. Country school teachers would stay at the home of a school board member. Frequently the teacher was a man. Can you imagine a man school teacher and he stayed at your home?

Life on the prairie was peaceful even if there were accidents, grasshopper invasions, hail storms and other occurrences.

During the years 1910-1920, there was an emigration of Sioux County families to Canada, There was virgin land for sale at very reasonable prices. Three of the Van Kley brothers, Aart, Andrew and Herbert, and the brother-in-law, Gerrit Mulder and Ed Franken and their families moved to Taber , Alberta, Canada. The first few years the crops were very good, but then the dry years came and in 1923 they moved back to Iowa.

Research notes: Added by Transcriber, Wilma J. Vande Berg

From a family report on ancestry.com (done by others)
Florus Van Kley born 14 Sep 1852 was born Chicago IL to Aart Van Kley 1813-1895 and Gerrigje Carrie Rozendall 1814-1894. His father Aart was born 30 Oct 1813 Goudriaan, Zuid Holland Netherlands and died 1895 South Holland, Cook County IL. Carrie Rozendaal Van Kley was born 20 Aug 1814 at Molenaargraaf, South Holland Netherlands. Died 24 Jun 1894 South Holland, Cook County IL. They were the parents of three children, Flora 1844-1847, Adrian 1846-1919 and Florus 1852-1943.

Pietertje ‘Nellie’ Huisman was born 26 August 1857 Lansing County IL died 16 Mar 1923 Culerville, Kent County MI.
Her parents were not listed in the common searches. However, a Herbert Huismann age 27 born about 1829 arrived in New York 3 May 1856 Ship Fairfield, with daughter Elisabeth 4, wife Maria Ravenstein 27, daughter Neeltje 1 and brother in law Wilehlm 31.
In 1885 census of West Branch Sioux County there was a Harber Huisman 58 and wife Maria 57, daughter Mary 24. In 1895 Herber Huisman was 66.
The obit of Herbert Huisman 1927-1898 states - Herbert Huisman b. 18 Aur 1827 at Noordeloos, Zuid Holland Netherlands married to Maria Ravestijn Apr 11, 1851 at Meerkerk, ZH, Netherlands, he died 31 Dec 1898 at West Branch tsp, Sioux County IA. Maria Ravestijn born 25 Mar 1828 Meerkerk, died 20 Feb 1906 Holland tsp, Sioux County IA Children were - Elizabeth 1851, Neeltje 1854, Dirkje 1856, Peterje 1857, Maria 1861, Andries 1864, Mattys 1862, Marigje 1867, William 1869. The family had lived in Cook County IL in the 1880 census and 1885-1895 in West Branch Tsp Sioux County IA. Herber Huisman was the son of Klaas Huisman and Elizabeth Vogel, Maria was the daughter of Mathijs Ravestein and Neeltje Versluis.

OBITUARY OF FLORIS AN KLEY
Source: Sioux Center News (2-23-1943)
Born: September 14, 1852
Died: February 18, 1943
Mr. Florus Van Kley passed away at the home of his daughter Mrs. Ralph Achterhof last Thursday, February 18, 1943 at the age of 90 years. He became ill last Sunday morning when he suffered a stroke.
Survivors include the six children, 3 sons and 3 daughters: Mrs. Maas Blankespoor of Sioux Center; Mrs. Ralph Achterhof of Sioux Center, and Mrs. Gerrit Prins of Edgerton, Minnesota; Mr. Arthur Van Kley of Sioux Center; Herbert Van Kley of Chicago, and William Van Kley of Sioux Center.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday afternoon, February 23, 1943 at the Second Christian Reformed Church with the Reverend Oliver Breen officiating. Interment was made at the local cemetery. The six sons were all pall bearers.
Mr. Van Kley was born in Chicago on September 14, 1852 and came to the Sioux Center territory 52 years ago. He was preceded in death by his wife, Pietertje (Huisman) Van Kley, who passed away in 1923.

OBITUARY OF PETERTJE HUISMAN VAN KLEY
Source: Alton Democrat (3-31-1923)
Born: August 26, 1858
Died: March 16, 1923
Mrs. Florus Van Kley died last week Saturday at Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pietertje (Huisman) Van Kley was in a sanitarium in that city where she had been taken but a short time ago. The immediate cause of her death was arterial sclerosis and senility.
Surviving Mrs. Van KLey are her husband and seven children, of whom four are sons and three daughters. Of the sons, Arthur and Herbert live in Sioux Center, Andrew at Rock Valley and William lives on the old home place east of town. Two daughters, Mrs. Mary Vander Veen and Mrs. Maggie Achterhof live in Sioux Center and Mrs. Carrie Prins lives in Minnesota.
The funeral services were held last Wednesday in the Central Reformed Church with Reverend Ypma officiating.

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