De Stigter, Leendert 'Lane' 1883-1971 & Barbara Visser Fam.

DESTIGTER, VISSER, BEL, KLOP

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/14/2021 at 05:41:05

De Stigter, Leendert 1883-1971 and Barbara Visser Family

This story was taken from the Sioux Center Centennial book of 1991 pages 295 and 296, and was submitted to the book by Alida Kosters. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw and some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg.

Leendert (also Lane) de Stigter, was born June 9, 1883, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He was the 4th child of Teunis and Heilje (Bel) deStigter. In 1905 he arrived in Hull, Iowa, with Dan Zwiep, who later became his brother-in-law. He soon moved to Sioux Center to work in construction; he roomed and boarded with the John De Groot family. When his fiancée, Barbara, the oldest child of Willem and Aalje (Klop) Visser, arrived a year later she took employment in the home of Gerrit Klein. On April 9, 1908, they married and moved into the house Lane had been building at 131 3rd Ave. N.E.; it was their home for more than 60 years and the birthplace of their twelve children: Helen (Wassenaar), 1909; William, 1910-1987; Tunis, 1912; Alyda, 1914; Adrianna Fredricka (School), 1916-1978; twins: Gilbert and Florence (Kalsbeek), 1918; Peter, 1920; Leonard, 1922; Cornelius, 1924; Lucile Nelvina (Poel), 1926; and Melvin John, 1928. Lane died January 18, 1971, and Barbara July 28, 1972, both are buried in Sioux Center.

Lane and Barbara were happy in their new life in America and encouraged and assisted the rest of their families to come over as well. The house Lane built for his parents was their home until his mother’s death in 1925. Lane was very successful in the construction business; his partner until 1941 was his brother-in-law, William Wassink. Many of the homes, churches, business and farm buildings in Sioux Center, nearby towns and farming areas are part of the story of Lane’s productive years. He was always proud to be identified with the buildings he had designed and built. By the 1950’s Lane was seeing four of his sons joined together as contractor-builders in Sioux Center. Lane also served as local assessor in his semi-retirement years.

The family’s church home was the First Christian Reformed Church. Lane served as deacon and later as elder on the consistory. He was in charge of the building of the church (1929) and the parsonage (1941) on 2nd Street N.E. The family was closely associated with the Sioux Center Christian School also. Lane served many terms on the Board and each spring would spend an evening or two inscribing the diplomas for that year’s graduates in elegant Gothic lettering, an art he brought from the old country. When, during the Depression, he joined with others one winter day to cut down trees on the school yard to provide fuel for the school’s furnace, he broke a leg. Years later he recalled the bright side of the experience; it kept him from the indignity of doing construction for a farmer who had offered $1.00 a day provided Lane would carry his own dinner (lunch) with him! While abed he accepted the challenge of another farmer and carved from a piece of raw lumber a yoke fit for human shoulders! Barbara never allowed the neatly drilled holed in the oak bed (necessary to support the traction device) to be covered; she wanted these reminders of the difficult time the family had survived.

Lots of food was needed for the family; so, the family kept chickens and always had a large garden. The “potato field” (1st Ave SW) was a responsibility assigned to sons in their early teens and it yielded potatoes and the family favorite, sweet corn. Grandchildren remember the food and the many family gatherings. The New Year’s Eve treat was oliebollen, but every Sunday around noon children, grandchildren, and often others would be at the home on 3rd Avenue for lunch. Soup was provided, in turn, by each of the families; the bread was Grandma’s contribution and after lunch there was often only a crust or two left from the eight loaves she had baked on Saturday.

When asked in her last years what special benefit she saw in her life in America, Barbara’s reply was immediate: “That we could have twelve children and live to see them all grow up.”

Submitted to the book by Alyde Kosters

RESEARCH NOTES – added by Wilma J. Vande Berg

BIRTH record of Leendert de Stigter son of Teunis de Stigter and Heiltje Bel born on 9 Jun 1883 at Kralingen, Rotterdam, Zuid Holland, Netherlands.

BIRTH record of Barbara Visser daughter of Willem Visser and Alida Klop born on 12 Dec 1885 at Kralingen, Rotterdam, Zuid Holland, Netherlands.

OBITUARY of Leendert ‘Lane’ De Stigter 1883-1971
Sioux Center News of January 1971
Funeral Friday for Lane DeStigter 87.
Funeral services will be held at the First Christian Reformed church here at 10:30. Friday January 22, for Lane DeStigter, 87 prominent retired Sioux Center Contractor, and a resident of the local nursing home the past two years, who died at the local hospital January 18. Services will be conducted by Dr. Peter Y. DeJong and burial will be made in the Sioux Center Community cemetery with Vander Ploeg Funeral home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. DeStigter had recently broken his hip in a fall from his bed. He was born in the Netherlands June 9, 1883, and came to America as a young man. He was married to Barbara Visser Apr 9, 1907.
Survivors include the widow, a resident of the local nursing wing; and 12 children, Helen Mrs. Ben Wassenaar of Sioux Center; William of Sioux City, Tunis of Sioux Center; Alyda Mrs. E. J. Kosters of Sioux Cener, Ada Mrs. John Schoo of Granville, Ida, Gilbert of Sioux Center, Florence Mrs. Gerald Kalsbeek of Orange City; Peter of Sioux Center, Leonard of Sioux Center, Cornelius of Livonia MI, Lucille Mrs. Norman Poel of Grand Rapids MI; Melvin of Hudsonville MI. He is also survived by 56 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and one sister Marie Mrs. Peter DeLange of Redlands CA. Three sisters Mrs. John Visser, Mrs. Wm. Wassink and Mrs. Dan Swiep preceded him in death. Mr. Visser served as Sioux Center’s assessor for several years following his retirement as contractor.

OBITUARY of Barbara Mrs. Lane De Stigter 1885-1972
Source: Sioux Center News (8-3-1972)
Born: December 13, 1885
Died: July 28, 1972
Mrs. Lane DeStigter, 86, of Sioux Center; longtime resident of the community, died Friday evening, July 28.
Funeral services were held at the First Christian Reformed Church at 10:30 A.M. Monday with the Rev. Dr. P.Y. DeJong officiating and burial was in Sioux Center Memory Gardens Cemetery with Vander Ploeg’s Funeral Home in Charge of arrangements.
Mrs. DeStigter, the former Barbara Visser, was born in The Netherlands December 13, 1885. She was married to Lane DeStigter in Sioux Center March 9, 1907. He preceded her in death on January 18, 1971. He was a contractor in the city for many years and also served a number of years as city assessor.
She is survived by 12 children, Helen (Mrs. Ben) Wassenaar of Sioux Center, William of Sioux City, Tunis of Sioux Center, Alyda (Mrs. E.J.) Kosters of Sioux Center, Ada (Mrs. John) Schoo of Grangeville, Ida, Gilbert of Sioux Center, Florence (Mrs. Gerald) Kaisbeek of Orange City, Peter of Sioux Center, Leonard of Sioux Center, Cornelius of Livonia, Michigan, Lucille (Mrs. Norman) Poel of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Melvin of Hudsonville, Michigan.
Other survivors include 56 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Tunis Visser of Sioux Center and Peter Visser of Grand Rapids; and two sisters, Mrs. Gerrit Pluim of Sioux Center and Mrs. Marinus Vanden Berg of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Note: 1925 Iowa Census states her parents were William Visser and Alida Kolp

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