Meerdink, William 1859-1940 & Lena Huibregtse Family
MEERDINK, HUIBREGTSE, NYENHUIS, NIJENHUIS, VERVELDE
Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/3/2021 at 15:04:19
Meerdink, William 1859-1940 and Lena Huibregtse Family
This story was taken from the Sioux Center Centennial Book of 1991 page 434 and it was submitted to the book by Mrs. Elaine Feldhacker. 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.
The Meerdink’s may have been Sioux County’s earliest settlers in the Sioux Center area. In about 1885, William Meerdink migrated from Wisconsin to Sioux County, Iowa, when this country was still partially virgin prairie. He was about 26 years old at this time. William started farming with his older brother, John Meerdink, in the Middleburg vicinity for a couple of years. Soon William bought some land in Plato township, 1 mile north and 3 miles west of Sioux Center, Iowa. William and Lena Meerdink lived on his newly acquired farm located near Sioux Center for five years.
William (Berend Willem) Meerdink was born on December 2, 1859 to Janna Hendrika Nijenhuis (Jennie Nyenhuis) and Gerrit Hendrik Meerdink in a log cabin at Cedar Grove, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. William’s mother Jennie was only 43 years old when she died and he was 6 years old. His father remarried to Berndena (Dena) Wilhelmina Lensink, who became his stepmother. He acquired his education in the rural school near Cedar Grove, and most of his childhood and early manhood was spent in the area of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. On Thursday at 11:00 a.m., February 28, 1889, William Meerdink was united in marriage to Leintje (Lena) Huibregtse at the home of the bride’s parents near the town of Holland, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin by Rev. P. Kosten, minister of the Holland Christian Reformed Chuch. Witnesses were G.W. Meerdink, a half-brother of William, and John Huibregtse, who was Lena’s brother.
After living near Sioux Center for 5 years, they moved in 1894 to a farm 2˝ miles east and one mile south of Hull in Sheridan township #31. They lived on this farm for 22 years, retiring to the town of Hull on March 1, 1916. Their grandson Marvin Meerdink and his family now live on this farm. William Meerdink died on April 25, 1940 at 2:45 a.m. at the age of 80 years, 4 months, and 23 days. He is buried at Hope Cemetery at Hull, Iowa. Leintje (Lena) Huibregtse was born on March 31, 1866 to Gezina Engelina Ver Velde and Hendrik Jan Huibregtse in the town of Lima, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Lena was the oldest daughter, and one of the fourteen children, of whom nine grew into manhood and womanhood. She lived in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin until her marriage. In 1939, the Meerdinks celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and William died one year later.
On March 24, 1943, Lena was severely burned when her clothing caught fire while she was removing ashes from a hard-coal heater. She tried to extinguish the fire by rolling on the ground, but had sufficient strength left to return to the house and lift the receiver off the telephone. Lena was unable to speak, but the operator at the local telephone office, sensing that something was wrong, immediately called a neighbor and asked them to investigate.
The neighbors found Lena seated in a chair, her clothing completely burned from her body. The burns she received were so severe that the physician, Dr. Gerrit Maris, called and informed relatives that she could live but only a few hours. She remained conscious and told her children and the neighbors how the accident occurred. The accident happened at about 8:00 a.m. and she passed away at 12:30 p.m. She died on March 24th at the age of 76 years, 11 months, and 24 days, only short of 7 days she would have been 77 years old. Lena is buried beside her husband William at the Hope Cemetery at Hull, Iowa.
William and Lena were the parents of six children, George and Henry were born in Plato township by Sioux Center, and the others were born in Sheridan township by Hull. Their children were: George, Henry, Jennie (Mrs. Art Van Veldhuizen. Cynthia (Mrs. Jerry Joe Dykstra), Dena (Mrs. Henry De Wild) all of the Hull vicinity, and Dr. Benjamin Meerdink of Rock Valley, Iowa.
Submitted to the book by Mrs. Elaine Feldhacker
RESEARCH NOTES added by Wilma J. Vande Berg
OBITUARY for Lena Mrs. William Meerdink 1866-1943
March 25, 1943 Sioux Center News
Mrs. Wm. Meerdink. aged 77, died from burns received Wed. morning at her home in Hull when her clothing caught fire while she was removing ashes from her stove: Mrs. Meerdink had carried the ashes outside ,when her apron caught fire.
She was not aware that her apron was burning until she got back to the house, and then her clothing had started burning too She managed to get to the telephone, but could not talk, and the operator at the Hull switchboard suspected something was wrong so phoned Mrs. Mary Bos, a neighbor, who hurried over and found her so badly burned as to be scarcely recognizable
The accident occurred about 8 o’clock in the morning and she died at noon the same day.
Her grandson Pvt. Joel Dykstra, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Dykstra, was sent for at once from
Ft, Knox, Kentucky Survivors include her six children: George Meerdink of Hull; Jennie (Mrs. Art Van Veldhuizen of Hull); Cynthia (Mrs. Dykstra of Hull); Henry Meerdink
of Hull; Dena (Mrs. Henry De Wilt of Hull); and Dr: Ben Meerdink of Rock Valley. She has one brother; Albert living in Wisconsin. Her husband died three years ago. There are 21 grandchildren and a great grandchild.
Funeral services will be Friday 1:30 at the home and 2 o’clock at the First Ref. Church of Hull with Rev. G. H. Douwstra officiating. The body will not be shown at the services.
(From an ancestry.com account found that Lena Huibregtse was born 1866 Lima Tsp Sheboygan County WI, to Hendrik Huibregtse 1840-1882 and Gezina VerVelde 1842-1912, she was married to Wm. Meerdink 1859-1940, they had children – George 1890, Henry 1893, Jennie 1894, Cynthia 1897, Dena 1903 and Benjamin 1905.)OBITUARY of William Meerdink
Sioux County Index of Hull May 3, 1940
Wm. Meerdink, Early Pioneer Passes on
Came to Sioux County in 1885 and helped break the prairie; Buried here Monday.
Mr. William Meerdink passed away at his home here in Hull, last Thursday afternoon, April 25th, 1940, at the age of 80 years, 4 months and 23 days. Mr. Meerdink had suffered long with a lingering illness brought on by his advanced age.
He leaves to mourn his passing his beloved wife, Lena and six children – George, Henry, Jennie Mrs. A. Van Veldhuizen, Cynthia Mrs. Jerry Joe Dykstra, Dena Mrs. H. W. De Wild, all of this vicinity, and Ben of Rock Valley; Twenty one grandchildren and one great grandchild. Also four brothers and three sisters, all living in the state of Wisconsin survive.
A little more that a year ago on February 28th 1939; Mr. and Mrs. Meerdink had the privilege of celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
Funeral services were held Monday afternoon April 29th at the First Reformed Church at Hull, with his pastor Rev. G. H. Douwstra, conducting the services. The remains were laid to rest in Hope Cemetery, here at Hull. The Index wishes to join the many friends of the family in extending sincere sympathy.
Obituary - William Meerdink the son of Gerrit and Jennie Meerdink (nee Nyenhuis) was born in Sheboyan County Wisconsin, in a log cabin on December 2, 1859. In infancy he lost his mother but in the course of the he acquired a step mother who was a real mother to him. He acquired his education in the rural schools of that vicinity. His childhood and early manhood was spent in the county of his birth.
Having been born of pioneer stock he decided to move West. In bout 1885 he migrated to Sioux County Iowa, when this country was still partially virgin prairie. He farmed with his brother John in the Middleburg vicinity for a couple of years but soon bought some land in Plato Township two miles south of the present site of Carmel Iowa.
On February 28th 1889 he was united in marriage to Lena Huibregtse at Gostburg Wisconsin, and together they made their home on his newly acquired farm. They lived there five years, moving from there to a farm southeast of Hull. Here they lived for twenty two years, retiring to the town of Hull on March 1, 1916. For the past twenty four years they have lived in this same home.
Mr. Meerdink passed away a 2:45 a.m. on April 25, 1940. He was carried to his grave by the stalwart arms of six of his grandsons; Everett and Wilmar Van Veldhuizen, Wilbur Meerdink, Joel and Donald Dykstra, and Edwin Meerdink, and lies under the sod of this country which he helped to break in his earlier days.
(William's parents were Gerrit Hendrik Meerdink and Janna Hendrika Nijenhuis)
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