Duits, Bartholomeus J. W.C. & Johanna Koerselman Family

DUITS, KOERSELMAN, KOSTER, SCHIPHORST

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/21/2021 at 09:52:38

Duits, Bartholomeus J. W. C. and Johanna Koerselman Family

This story was taken from the Sioux Center Centennial book of 1991 page 324 and submitted to the book by Zeanne Van Egdom. 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.

Bartholomeus Johannes Wilhlemus Cornelis Duits was born in Alkmaar, North Holland, the Netherlands in 1874. He was apprenticed to a barber and this became his trade. After serving his time in the Dutch army he set up his business.

Johanna Katrina Koerselman was a young woman working as a housekeeper for two elderly well-to-do maidens, and as she made her daily trip to the market she passed by the barber shop. The young barber saw that she was “en flinke meid” and arranged an introduction.

After their marriage they moved to Barneveld, Gelderland, where the first six of their nine children were born. During this time Bart sold tickets for the Holland-America steamship line. He sold many tickets to friends and acquaintances. Some of them wrote letters to him telling of their wonderful new lives. This convinced Bart to take a new lease on life, as he never liked barbering anyway. Amid many pleas and tears, he stood firm and in May, 1913, emigrated with his wife and five children. (One child died in 1911.) They went to Holland, MI and lived there for five years. At this time their children were: Antje, Alieda, Jacob, Derek Jan and B.J.W.C. Jr. (Bert). Another daughter, Johanna, was born in Holland, MI.

In 1918 the family moved to Middleburg because friends thought Bart would do well to put his sons to work on the farm. Bart tried working as a farm hand, but the city bred man had no aptitude or taste for it. The family was bitterly disappointed with the desolation of their lives in Middleburg. After the birth of another son, Pieter, the Duits family moved to Sioux Center where Bart again set up a barber shop. He occupied a part of the Van Oosbree building, two doors west of the News building.

Bartolomeus J.W.C. Duits was a stern and authoritarian man of the traditional Dutch culture of his time. Patrons at the barber shop were the men who continued to speak the Dutch language. There were many discussions of politics and religion, but mostly religion as B.J.W.C. Duits was a very devout Christian and belonged to the Second Christian Reformed Church (now Bethel).

The last of their children, Louisa, was born in 1921, the same year that the eldest (Antje) was married to Albert Terpstra. The second daughter, Aleida, worked in the post office and later in Orange City at the Volksvriend, a Dutch newspaper. Later she moved to Holland, MI to work on a Dutch newspaper there. She married Ben Kalkman and lived out her life in Holland. Jacob married Jennie Van Roekel and lived in Sioux Center until 1936 when they moved to Woodland, MI for the rest of their lives. Derek Jan (Dick) married Malinda Minten of Alton. He worked at the Sioux Center Co-op Produce for several years. Later he worked for Sears in Sioux City and died at the age of 39 in 1950 from cancer. B.J.W.C.Jr. “Bert” Duits married Wilma Oliver and lived in Sioux Center, Orange City, Rock Valley and Sioux City as a mechanic until his retirement to Sioux Center. Johanna worked at Wierda’s Grocery until moving to Holland, MI where she married Claude Dykema. Pieter “Pete” married Jane Eva Wierda and worked for I.P.S. in Hull and Rock Valley. Louise worked at Van’s Jewelry until moving to Holland, MI to marry Nelson Briene.

B.J.W.C. Duits died in Jan. 1941 at the age of 67. His widow continued to live in Sioux Center until her death in 1946 at the age of 70. They are both buried in the Sioux Center Cemetery.

by Zeanne Van Egdom

RESEARCH NOTES added by Wilma J. Vande Berg

Netherlands records found on www.wiewaswie.nl

BIRTH RECORD of Bartholmeus Johannes Wilhelmus Cornelis Duits born 31 Oct 1873 at Alkmaar, Noord Holland, Netherlands. He was 25 years of age at his marriage 5 May 1899 Lochem, Netherlands to Johanna Koerselman. He was the son of Bartholomeus Duits a merchant and Antje Koster.

BIRTH RECORD of Johanna Catharina Koerselman born to Derk Jan Koerselman a farmer, age 33 and Aledia Hendrika Johanna Schiphorst, on 7 July 1875 at Lochem, Gelderland Netherlands.

MARRIAGE RECORD – Bartholmeus Johannes Wilhelmus Cornelis Duits a barber age 25 married Johanna Catherina Koeselman age 23. His parents were Bartholomeus Duits and Antje Koster, her parents were Derk Jan Koerselman and Aleida Hendrika Johanna Schiphorst, they were married 5 May 1899 at Lockem, Gelderland, Netherlands

OBITUARY of Bartholomeus Duits 1873-1942
Mr. Bartholomeus Duits, 67, died at his home Friday morning following a brief illness.
Mr. Duits was born in Alkmaar, Netherlands on October 31, 1873. He and his family came to America 27 years ago settling in Michigan, lived there a while and then moved to Middleburg. The past 21 years he has lived in Sioux Center and prior to his retirement, he was engaged in the barbering trade. On May 5, 1899 at Lochem, Netherlands he married Johanna Catharina Koerselman and to this union nine children were born, of which one son, Bert, preceded him in death, dying at the age of two years.
He is survived by his widow and the following children: Mrs. Albert Terpstra of Sioux Center; Mrs. Ben Kalkman, of Holland, MI; Jacob of Woodland, MI; Dick of Sioux Center, Bert of Orange City, Johanna of Holland, MI; Peter and Louise both at home. He also leaves eleven grandchildren.
Funeral services was held Monday, January 13, 1941, at 1:30 from the home. The Reverend Mr. M. Keuning officiated. Burial was in the Sioux Center cemetery.
Sioux Center News, January 16, 1941

OBITUARY of Johanna Mrs. Bart Duits 1875-1946
Mrs. Johanna Duits died Wednesday morning at her home here after a lingering illness with cancer. Funeral services will be held Friday, January 4 at 1 p.m. at the home and at 1:30 at the 2nd Christian Reformed Church with Rev. Breen officiating.
She was born July 7, 1875 at Lochnen, Netherlands where she grew to young womanhood. She and her husband, the late Bart Duits came to American and lived in this community for twenty-eight years. Her husbband preceded her in death on January 10, 1941. One son, Bart Duits, preceded her in death while they still lived in Holland. Survivors include eight children Mrs. Al Terpstra, Sioux Center; Mrs. Ben Galkaman, Holland, MI; Jake Duits, Woodland, MI; Dick Duits, Sioux City; Bert Duits, Orange City; Mrs. Claude Dykema, Holland, MI; Peter Duits, Sioux Center. Three sisters survive in the Netherlands, and one brother there also. There are 17 grandchildren. Two sons served in the armed forces during the war, Peter & Dick.
Sioux Center News, January 30, 1946

ANCESTRY. com family report (done by others) not verified by submitter.
Bartholomeus Johannes Wilhelmus Cornelis ‘Bart’ Duits was born 31 Oct 1873 Alkmaar, Noord Holland Netherlands and died 1941 Sioux Center IA. His parents were Bartholomeus Duits 1839-1912 and Antje Koster 1838-1902.Her parents were Derk Jan Koerselman and Aledia Hendrika Johanna Schiphorst
Children listed were –
Antje Duits Terpstra 1900-1982, Aleida Hendriks Johanna Duits Kalkman 1903-1996, Jacob Duits 1907-1985, Derk Jan Duits 1910-1950, Bartholmeus J. W. C. Duits 1911-1994, Johanna C. Duits Dykema 1914-2004; Peter Duits 1919-1997 and Louise Duits Brieve 1921-2014.

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