Mouw, William B. 1880 and Wilhelmina Bruins Family

MOUW, BRUINS, DUISTERMARS

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 8/9/2021 at 11:47:11

Mouw, William B. 1880 and Wilhelmina Bruins Family

This story was taken from the Sioux Center Centennial Book of 1991 page 449 and 450, and submitted to the book by Alice Schutt. . The story was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw, and some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg; both of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society of Sioux Center Iowa.

William Mouw was the son of Berend Mouw and Mary Maria Duistermars. Berend was born in Holland in 1850 and Mary was born in Holland in 1852. William Mouw’s grandparents, Kornelius Mouw and Johanna Peters, came to the U.S. in 1869 from Elspeet with five sons and two daughters. They lived in Pennsylvania for a short time where Kornelius was killed in a mining accident. The rest of the family moved to Michigan for a while and then to Orange City, Iowa. William’s father Berend or Ben Mouw worked building the railroad from Alton to LeMars. During this time he also built a shack on Section 6 West Branch Township and broke some of the prairie to homestead on this land.

Mary Maria Duistermars came to America with her 4 brothers and one sister in 1873 and lived near Orange City. Berend and Mary were married in 1876 and moved to their homestead.

Wilhelmina (Bruins) Mouw’s grandparents and 6 children came to America in 1847 from Twello in the Netherlands (province of Gelderland). They left Holland, went to London and on to New York. Went to Buffalo via Hudson River and Erie Canal and by steamship to Milwaukee. They settled near Alto, Wis. arriving Nov. 11, 1847 which was 100 days after leaving Holland. Mrs. Mouw’s parents Jan Willem Bruins and Aaltje Rens moved to Holland, Minn. in 1887. Her grandfather died in 1889 and the family moved back to Wis. for a few years and came to Sioux Center around the turn of the century. This is where she met William Mouw and they were married June 14, 1902.

William B. Mouw was born March 7, 1880 on the homestead 1½ miles west of south Sioux Center, later called The Old Town. He went to school only a few months in the winter until he was 8 or 9 years old. Then he must have taught himself a lot more because his knowledge was far beyond that grade level. When he was 10 he herded cattle on the south half of Section 12 in Center Township as long as the weather permitted. At the age of 11, he and his Uncle Pieter broke that ½ Section of prairie, each with a walking plow, pulled by oxen and it took nearly three months.

William B. Mouw and his bride, Wilhelmina Bruins moved to the farm where he had broken the prairie. They lived there several years and then moved to the northeast corner of Section 12 just north of where they had started farming. They had 8 children, namely, Benjamin William, Alice Mae (Straatsma), Marvin (deceased at age 5), Johanna Wilhelmina (Van Binsbergen), Neal William (deceased at age 75), Marvin, Wilma Mary (Van Gorp), and Harriet Berniece (De Boer).

William and Wilhelmina celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1952 and were married 56 years when Mrs. Mouw died in 1958 and Mr. Mouw died in 1961.

Mr. Mouw was active in community affairs. They were members of the Christian Reformed Church where he was Treasurer for many years. He was a director on the Farmers Co-op Society board, which his father helped organize, for 27 years. He also served in school and township office levels. He loved good horses and had purebred Shorthorn cattle. His wife was active in church work and a busy mother and homemaker. She loved to read, did beautiful handwork, and sewing, and gardening for the family. They lived a rewarding life as pioneers of this area and left a heritage for the generations to come.

by Marvin Mouw

RESEARCH NOTES by Wilma J. Vande Berg

OBITUARY of William Mouw 1880-1961
Source: Sioux County Capital (1-26-1961)
Born: March 7, 1880
Death: January 18, 1961
Rites for William Mouw, Sioux Center pioneer are held Saturday.
Services for William B. Mouw of Sioux Center were held Saturday at the First Christian Reformed church in Sioux Center with the Reverend B. J. Haan officiating. Burial will be made in the Sioux Center Community Cemetery under the direction of Co-op Funeral Service. A brief service will be held at the Little Chapel preceding the service at the church. Mr. Mouw, 80, died Wednesday at a Sioux Center Hospital.
The son of a pioneer Sioux Center family,Ben Mouw and Mary Duistermars Mouw, he was born near that community on March 7, 1880. He had resided in the Sioux Center area all of his life. On June 14, 1902, he married Wilhelmina Bruins at Boyden. They farmed near Sioux Center until 1945 when they retired and moved to Sioux Center. To this union were born 10 children, two of whom died in infancy, and one son, Marvin, who passed away at age 5. Mrs. Mouw died September 13, 1958.
Survivors are three sons, Ben of St. Ansgar; Neal of Sisseston, South Dakota, and Marvin of Sioux Center; four daughters, Mrs. Elmers Straatsma of Holland, Michigan; Mrs. John Bensbergen of Granite Falls, Minnesota; Mrs. Earl Van Gorp of Montevideo, Minnesota; and Mrs. Jacob De Boer of Hull; two brothers, Peter B. and Ben, both of Sioux Center; four sisters, Mrs. John Schoep and Mrs. Chris Van Roekel, both of Sioux Center, Mrs. Al Bruins and Mrs. Will Bruins, both of Bellflower, California; 24 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
Until his retirement a few years ago, Mr. Mouw farmed all his adult life in the Sioux Center area. He was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church.
Besides the three children, he was preceded in death by his parents, and four brothers, Newal, John, Henry and Albert.

OBITUARY of Wilhelmina Bruins Mrs. William Mouw 1880-1958
Source: Sioux Center News (9-18-1958)
Birth: August 17, 1880
Death: September 13, 1958
Funeral Is Held Wednesday for Mrs. William Bruins) Mouw Dies Saturday at Local Hospital. Funeral services were held Wednesday, September 17, at the First Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center for Mrs. William B. Mouw, 78, who passed away at the Sioux Center hospital Saturday, after a short illness. Reverend B. J. Haan officiated and burial was made at Sioux Center under the direction of Co-op Funeral Service. Brief services were held at the Little Chapel preceding the church service. Grandsons and nephews were casket bearers.
Mrs. Mouw, nee Wilhelmina Bruins, was born August 17, 1880, at Alto, Wisconsin, but has resided in and around Sioux Center for the past sixty years. On June 14, 1902, she was united in marriage to William B. Mouw and to this union eight children were born.
Survivors include the widower and seven children: Ben W. Mouw of St. Ansgar, Iowa; Mrs. Elmer Straatsma of Holland, Michigan; Mrs John Van Binsbergen of Granite Falls, Minnesota; Neal Mouw of Sisseton, South Dakota; Marvin Mouw of Sioux Center; Mrs. Earl Van Gorp of Montivedeo, Minnesota, and Mrs. Jake De Boer of Hull. One brother, Aldred Bruins, of Bellflower, California, also survives.
Preceding her in death were a son, Marvin, five years of age, three sisters, Dina (Mrs. Lambert, Vande Berg), Emma (Mrs. Hop) and Bessie (Mrs. Pete Jager) and three brothers, Henry, John, and William.

Sioux Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen