Jager, Hilco 1851 and Dirkje Meyer Family

JAGER, MEIJER, MEYER, LAMMERTS, BOVEN, KRAMER

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 8/21/2021 at 12:52:23

Jager, Hilco 1851 and Dirkje Mulder (Meijer/Meyer) Family

This story was taken from the Sioux Center Centennial Book of 1991 page 379, and was submitted to the book by Mrs. John H. (Daisy Heynen) Den Herder. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw and some notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg, both of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society.

(For clarification, upon researching this couple who died in at Lynden WA, I found the Dirkje’s maiden name was actually Meijer or Meyer; not Mulder as the story in the book’s headlines implied. They were the parents of Wubbigje ‘Fannie’Jager who married William Heynen the parents of the author or this story. Hilco Jager family did live in Sioux County for a period of time but then moved to Washington where their son lived.- WJVB)

Hilco (Hilbert) Jager was born in Winschoten Groenigen, Netherlands May 6, 1851. As a young man he experienced a sudden religious conversion, and became a sincere Christian. He often related this to his family and friends. His influence on his parents was such, that they both professed their faith in Christ in the Christian Reformed Church, of which their son, Hilco, was an elder at age 27. Hilco loved to talk, usually with pipe in hand, and was interesting to listen to.

Hilco married Anna Boven, and to them two children were born, Anna and Cornelius. Five days after Cornelius was born, his mother died of scarlet fever, 1877. Anna, the daughter, married Auko Vander Veen in 1898 and they lived in Sioux Center where Gary Te Stroete now lives. Auko milked and peddled the milk with a horse drawn cart to people in town. Anna died at age 83. Hilco married again in 1880, this time to Dirckje Meyer; they had five children, all born in Holland: Peter, Wubbigje, Kate and Sena (who never married), and Minnie. Wubbigje was later named Fannie, after they moved to Kansas, because people had difficulty with that name.

By this time, 1893, many of their friends had immigrated to the USA, so they also decided to go to the USA, the land of opportunities. Upon request of her relatives, a nineteen year old girl (Anna Berg) a T.B. patient, traveled with them. They kept her isolated on the boat, and grandma cared for her, she was a kind person. Anna later died in their home in the USA. After traveling by ship for a few weeks and having experienced much sea sickness, the family arrived in the USA.

They traveled to Luctor, Kansas and began farming. They were very poor as Kansas was very dry, so no crops. My mother said they had to pick up the “dry cow pies” on the prairie pasture and burn them for heat. Two more children, John and Alice were born here. After seven years they moved to a farm east of Sioux Center, near the “West Branch.” In 1913, they moved to Lynden, Washington at the urging of their son Cornelius, who already lived there. They took with them Kate, Sena, Minnie, John and Alice. It was a sad farewell for my mother. She had married Willem Jan Heynen on April 9, 1904 and they lived on Antonie Heynen’s farm. (Story of Antonie Heynen given separately.) Fannie died of a heart attack in 1960 at 77 years of age. Dirikje, her mother, died of cancer in 1924. The unmarried daughter, Kate, took over the household. Kate was a seamstress, also taking care of her sister, Sena, who was slightly retarded. Hilco died at the age of 86 in 1937. The two daughters moved to a rest home and died there.

It was custom in those days the grandchildren be named after relatives. Usually each would get a turn as children were born. It was my mother’s turn, so my name was to be Dirikje, my name in the courthouse is on record as that. My other cousins named after her were named Dorothy, but my father with a “Gelderland accent” had trouble saying that name, so my father’s mother suggested they call me Daisy, because she had a neighbor girl named Daisy Mulder who she thought a lot of, and that’s how I got my name. my oldest brother was named after Hilco, and known as Hilbert.

by Mrs. John H. (Daisy Heynen) Den Herder

RESEARCH NOTES added by Wilma J. Vande Berg

From a family report on ancestry.com (done by others) Hilbert Hilke Jager was born 6 May 1851 Winschoten, Groningen, Netherlands died 2 Aug 1937 Lynden, Whatcom, Washington. His parents were Pieter Hilkes Jager 1819-1890 and Anna Kristina Lammerts 1823-1888. His first wife was Jantje Boven born 11 Dec 1852 Winschoten, Groningen, Netherlands and died 16 Oct 1877 Winschoten. They had two children Anna Jager Vander Veen 1876-1959, and Cornelius Jager 1877-1959.
Hilco then married Dirkje Dorothy Meijer born 1 Mar 1856 Woldendorp Groningen, Netherlands and she died 27 Nov 1924 Lynden, Washington. They had the following children: Peter Jager 1881-1947, Wibbechien ‘Fanny’ Jager Heynen 1883-1960, Tryntje ‘Kate’ Jager 1885-1957, Jan Jager 1888-1888, Francina Jager 1889-1958, Cynthia Jager 1890, Minnie Jager 1891-1954, John H. Jager 1894-1960 and Alice Wilhelmina Jager 1901-1984.

Following records found on www.wiewaswie.nl
BIRTH RECORD of Hilko Jager born 6 May 1851 Winschoten, Groningen, Netherlands to Pieter Hilkes Jager age 32 and Anna Kristina Lammerts

BIRTH RECORD of Derkje Meijer born 1 Mar 1856 at Woldendorp, gem.Temunten, Groningen, Netherlands to Jan Derks Meijer age 35 and Wubbegjen Kramer .

MARRIAGE RECORD of Hilko Jager a farmer age 26 years (widower of Jantje Boven) married Derkje Muier born Woldendorp age 23 years, He parents were Peieter Hilkes Jager and Anna Kristina Lammerts, Her parents were Jan Derks Meijer and Wibbegien Kramer married 4 April 1879 at Temunten Groningen Netherlands.

Sioux Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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