Kosters, John William 1885-1959 & Johanna Riemersma Family

KOSTERS, RIEMERSMA, LEFERS, DEWOLF

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/1/2021 at 21:23:26

Kosters, John William 1885-1959 and Johanna Riemersma Family

This story was taken from the Sioux Center Centennial book of 1991 page 410 and it was submitted to the book by Jean Kosters. It 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.

John William was born March 8, 1885 (deceased 1959) to Hendrickus and Fanne (Lefers) Kosters on a homestead, an 80 acre farm one mile south, two miles west and ¼ mile south of Sioux Center. He attended country school in the area. He engaged in farming four miles west of Sioux Center on 240 acres and 120 acres near Ireton, Iowa.

He was thirty-three years old when he married Johanna (Riemersma) on March 22, 1916. She was born March 22, 1891 (deceased 1968) to John and Sarah (De Wolf) Riemersma in Zeeland, Michigan. Johanna graduated from the Sioux Center High School. She played on the girls basketball team. She taught in a rural school for five years and in the Sioux Center Christian School.

John William and Johanna had five children: Henry D. born December 13, 1916, Sarah Susan December 16, 1918, John James February 10, 1921 (died 1983), Francis Allen December 12, 1924, and Eileen Evelyn (Stange) Kosters October 4, 1927.

In 1918 a new house was built on the farm when Sarah was a baby. The children walked 1½ miles to and from the Center Township #2 school. In the winter they went to school in a horse drawn sleigh. Sarah, John, Francis, and Eileen all graduated from the Sioux Center High School.

On September 17, 1926 the Prairie Creek flooded and a hired man was sent to pick up the Haverhals children from school in a horse and buggy. The horse was spooked, tripped, turned the buggy over, the man fell into the river where he drowned, and his horse was found by Hawarden, Iowa.

Kosters was the first one in the neighborhood to buy a Fordson tractor in 1928.

The Depression Years were hard, but Kosters was one of the fortunate ones to hang on. The cyclone of June 16, 1944 hit their log house, cattle shed, and twisted the machine shed and silo.

They would drive the cattle from the farm to market with horses. They shipped them by railroad that came into Maurice — it was a long ride. There were two railroads that went into Maurice that serviced the market. Haying was done by hand with a pitchfork onto a hayrack. There was an iron rail along the peak of the roof with a large fork that lifted the hay off of the rack, or sometimes slings laid under the hay was pulled up by the horses. Planting of oats was done by horses also. The harvesting involved a group of farmers who formed a threshing ring (bee). A large threshing machine traveled from farm to farm to thresh the oats. This involved lots of hard work by the women as well, as they prepared all of the food for the workers.

Kosters had 50-60 head of cattle, and milked by hand 16-20 cows, raised 1000 chicks, and 60-100 head of hogs a year. A binder went into the field, cut and bundled the corn, picked it up, put it on a hay rack, and put it into the cutter for silage, to store in the silo. Corn picking was always done by hand and the horses pulled the wagons. They picked 75-80 bushels as a good days work. They would finish in January, if the weather cooperated. The cream was sold to the Co-op Creamery in Sioux Center. The days started early as there were chores for the whole family.

Kosters suffered a severe heart attack in 1946 and in 1947 he, Johanna, Sarah and Eileen moved to town. There was a bad snow storm and it took them three days to move. In 1950 they moved to a smaller home where they spent the rest of their retired lives. Sarah, now retired, still lives in that home.

Submitted to the book by Jean Kosters

RESEARCH NOTES by Wilma J. Vande Berg

OBITUARY of John W. Kosters
Sioux Center News of Feb 26, 1959
Funeral is Held Wednesday for John W. Kosters
Funeral services were held at the First Reformed church here at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday for John William Kosters 73, life-long resident of Sioux Center vicinity, a retired farmer, who died at this home Sunday after a lengthy illness.
Services were conducted by the Rev. Harry Brower and burial was made in the Sioux Center Community cemetery under the direction of the Co-operative Funeral Service.
Mr. Kostes was born March 8, 1885, neat Sioux Center, a few years after the town of Sioux Center was founded.
On March 22, 1916 he was married to Johanna Riemersma, and the couple farmed in the Sioux Center area until they retired and moved into town about 12 years ago.
Survivors besides the widow include three sons, Henry John and Francis, all of Sioux Center; two daughters Miss Sara of Sioux Center and Mrs. Lyle Stange of Hull; a brother Gerrit of Grand Rapids MI, and 11 grandchildren.

OBITUARY of John William Kosters 1885-1959
Hawarden Independent, Sioux, Iowa, USA Thursday, February 26, 1959
John Kosters Dies At Sioux Center At the Age of 73
Funeral services for John William Kosters, 73, uncle of Mrs. Leonard VanderEsch of Hawarden and a well known farmer in Center township who died at his home in Sioux Center Sunday after a long illness, were held at 1 o'clock Wednesday afternoon at the home and at 1:30.at the First Reformed church in Sioux Center. Rev. Harry Brower officiated with burial in the Sioux Center cemetery.
Mr. Kosters was born March 8, 1885, near Sioux Center. On March 22, 1916 he married Johanna Riemersma, and the couple farmed in the Sioux Center area until they retired to that town 12 years ago.
Survivors include the widow; three sons. Henry, John and Francis, all of Sioux Center; two daughters, Miss Sara Kosters of Sioux Center and Mrs. Lyle Strange of Hull; a brother, Gerrit of Grand Rapids, Mich., and 11 grandchildren.
Sioux Center News, February 26, 1959

OBITUARY of Johanna Mrs. John Kosters 1891-1968
Sioux Center News, Sioux Center, Sioux, Iowa, USA Thursday, January 4, 1968
Funeral Services 1:30 Today For Mrs. John Kosters, 77
Funeral services will be held a the First Reformed church in Sioux Center at 1:30 p. m. today (Thursday) for Mrs. John Kosters, 77. longtime resident of the community who died early Tuesday at the Sioux Center Community hospital after a lengthy illness.
Services will be conducted by the Rev. Jack Boerigter and burial will be made in the Sioux Center. Community cemetery under the direction of Vander Ploegfs Funera1 Home.
A brief service, attended by immediate members of the family will be held at Vander Ploeg's Funeral Chapel at 1 p.m.
Mrs. Kosters, nee Johanna Riemersma, was born March 3, 1891, at Zeeland, Mich. She was married March 22, 1916, at Sioux Center. Mr. Kosters died February 22, 1959.
Survivors include three sons, Henry, John and Francis, all of Sioux Center; two daughters, Miss Sarah Kosters, also of Sioux Center, and Mrs. Lyle Stange of Hull; two brothers, George of' Sioux Center and Ben of Homestead, Fla.; 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

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