Franken, Arie 1867-1948 with wives and families

FRANKEN, MOUW, ZEOMERMAAND, VANDEPOL, FRENS, WOBBEN, KOSTERS

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/21/2021 at 18:16:11

Franken, Arie 1867 and wives Johanna Mouw and Anna Zomermaand Kosters.

This story was taken from the Sioux Center Centennial book of 1991 pages 336 and 337 and was submitted by Mrs. Lucille F. Wierda. 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.

Arie Franken was born Dec. 12, 1867 in the Netherlands, the second child of Aart Franken and Elbertje Van Der Pol. In the fall of 1868, they immigrated to America, because many of their neighbors went, and also because they would likely have a better living there. They landed in Alto, Wisconsin, with just a little pocket money.

May 8, 1872 they packed all their belongings in a prairie schooner, with which they crossed the prairies, ditches and rivers, which were just like nature had left them … prairies undrained, ditches and rivers without bridges. Other families traveled with them and often they hitched all five teams to one schooner, in order to draw it through the soft sloughs. They crossed the Mississippi River on a ferry boat. Once it happened, that they traveled a whole day through rain and cold, and during all this journey they had not seen a farm house, or not even a tree or anything of which to make a bonfire to dry themselves and to warm some food. Toward evening they saw a wooden fence, which belonged to the railroad company. They took a few lengths of the fence and made a bonfire, around which they dried and warmed themselves, and over which they prepared some supper. After twenty-three days, May 31, 1872, they arrived two and one half miles east of Sioux Center, Iowa at their homestead.

They then set to work breaking prairie. The only tool they had to build a house with was a break plow. Of those prairie sods they built up walls for the house, and laid timbers, which they hauled from the Rock River. Over these sod walls, prairie hay was placed over the timbers, for a roof. They lived in the sod hut for three years. After that a frame house was built. The timber for the frame house and other buildings came from timber by the Rock River which was about 16 miles from the homestead, because the prairie had no trees. The countryside was open to sweeping winds, sometimes snow storms and other times prairie fires and grasshoppers.

They had two cows and a few chickens that came with them from Wisconsin.

The spring they put in their first wheat crop. They raised enough for food and seed wheat, and also took a little to town to trade for groceries. When the time of harvest was at hand, on Sunday, a dark cloud came up from the North and soon overshadowed the skies and the grasshoppers came down like sleet, destroying everything. These grasshoppers had left just enough grain for a sowing for the next spring. The next spring, they again sowed their wheat, and planted corn in the ground that was broke up first. This was all done by hand. But the grasshoppers came up with the wheat and again left practically no harvest. Some of the surrounding farmers sold their farms and property in despair and moved away. Aart Franken, Arie’s dad and others remained and tried it another year. They indeed were not ashamed because they had such an abundant crop, more than they ever expected and the grasshoppers did not return. Almost every year after that, the crops were more or less abundant. The chief crop at that time was wheat, later corn and flax.

On October 16, 1880, just a short time before threshing, the nice warm weather changed into a snow storm. The corn remained in the field, with the exception of what was needed for the cattle and other animals, which was dug up and carried out of the field in a bushel basket. That winter there was no possible way of hauling kindling wood from the river, on account of the snow, so prairie hay was tied up very tightly into bundles, which kept one man busy almost all the time. It was used for fuel.

The same winter an epidemic of diphtheria broke out and claimed the lives of two brothers of Arie Franken, and in 1898 another brother died of consumption at the age of 18 years. In 1899, Arie’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Aart Franken, moved to the town of Sioux Center, Iowa, into a large home which he had built that summer, located one block east of now Bethel Christian Reformed Church.

When Arie Franken married Johanna Mouw, they lived on the homestead. They had three children:

Ella Franken married Fred Brantsen. He passed away Feb. 25, 1948. Ella married Albert Mulder Aug. 7, 1951. Ella passed away Aug. 15, 1968.

Gerrit A. Franken married Nellie Brantsen March, 1918. She passed away Oct. 5, 1950. In Nov. 1951, Gerrit married Carrie Van Roekel. Gerrit passed away April 29, 1984.

Arta Franken married Horton Jacobsma May, 1922. He passed away May 1956. Arta passed away Aug. 29, 1984.

Johanna Mouw Franken passed away Nov. 11, 1906.

On Oct. 5, 1913 Arie Franken married Anna Zomermaand Kosters.

Anna Zomermaand Kosters had one son, E.J. Kosters. On September 17, 1930 he married Josephine Van Engen. She passed away June 7, 1955. On June 20, 1958 E.J. Kosters married Alyda De Stigter.

Arie Franken and Anna Zomermaand Kosters had four children.

Lucille Franken, the eldest of this marriage, on Aug. 11, 1933 married Lewis M. Wierda, he passed away Feb. 23, 1984.

Henry A. Franken married Della Wierda on July 8, 1942.

Everette James Franken married Dollie Van Dalfsen on July 3, 1942.

Joe Franken married Ruth Miller on May 4, 1944.

In the spring of 1930 Mr. and Mrs. Arie Franken had a new home built and moved to Sioux Center, Iowa. On the same location his father had built a home in 1899. That home was moved away.

Arie Franken passed away Nov. 23, 1948. Anna Zomermaand, Kosters, Franken, Rozeboom passed away April 10, 1962.

by Mrs. Lucille F. Wierda

RESEARCH NOTES by Wilma J. Vande Berg

BIRTH RECORD for Arie (Aart) Franken born to Aart Franken age 30 and Elbertje van de Pol age 30 born on 11 Dec 1866 at Ermelo, Nunspeet, Gelderland, Netherlands.

BIRTH RECORD for Johanna Mouw she was born Dec 13,1874 in Waupon, Wisconsin to Gerrit Mouw 1833-1914 and Willemtje Frens 1847-1909 .

BIRTH RECORD for Annetje Anna Zomermaand, was born at Steenwijkerwold, Overijseel, Netherlands, August 13, 1878, the daughter of Egbert Zomermaand born 22 Oct 1841 Steenwijkerwold OV. and Lummigje Wobben born 28 Jan 1841 Nijeveen Drents Neth. They were married Steenwijkerwold OV. Neth.

MR. ARIE FRANKEN DIED TUES. MORNING
Mr. Arie Franken passed away early Tuesday morning at the Methodist hospital at Sioux City where he had been under medical care for many weeks after fracturing his hip in a fall. He was 81 years old.
The Franken family were one of the pioneer families in Sioux County, coming here by covered wagon in 1871 when Arie was 4 years old. The family first lived in a sod hut.
Mr. Franken was born in the Netherlands on Dec. 12, 1867 and came to America as a small child of one year old. He was united in marriage to Johanna Mouw who preceded him in death on Nov. 11, 1906. After some time he was united in marriage to Anna Zomermaand who now survives him with the children Ella (Mrs. Fred Brantsen), Gerrit A. Franken, Arta (Mrs. Horton Jacobsma) of Hartley, Lucille (Mrs. Louis Wierda) of Maurice, Henry of Sioux Center, Everette of Redlands, Calif., Joe of Lebanon and John Kosters of Sioux Center. There are also 27 grandchildren and four great grandchildren surviving.
Three brothers preceded him in death: Henry at the age of 18, Everette at 81, and Aalt at 76 years.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday afternoon at one o'clock at the home and 1:30 at the Central Reformed Church with Rev. Van Weelden officiating.
Source: Sioux Center News, Nov. 25, 1948.

OBITUARY of Johanna Mrs. Arie Franken 1874-1906
Franken, Johanna born 1874 died 1906 Mother, buried in Memory Gardens cemetery Sioux Center IA as listed in the Sioux County Iowa cemetery index. No obit was found.
Note: This was Mrs. Arie Franken nee Johanna Mouw , born 13 Dec 1874 Waupun, WI died 11 Nov 1906 buried Sioux Center IA. Arie Franken was born 12 Dec 1866 died 23 Nov 1948. Their marriage was March 14, 1893 Hospers, IA. She was the daughter of Gerrit Mouw 1833-1914 and Willempje Frens 1847-1909. Arie and Johanna had three children Allie 1894-1968, Gerrit A. 1897-1984, and Arta 19041984. Arie later married Annie Zomermaand and had several children.
Franken, Johanna nee’Mouw, Mrs. Arie born 1874 died 1906 buried Sioux Center IA
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Sioux Center Nieuwsblad of Nov 14, 1906 In Dutch
Translated:
It is our sad duty to report that Mrs. Arie Franken has exchanged the temporary with the eternal on Sunday evening. She was a victim of this terrible disease, against which the doctors have not yet found a cure. Her remains were buried Wednesday afternoon today. Our heartfelt sympathy is with the husband and his children who stayed behind.
Research Note: From ancestry.com report (by others) Johanna Mouw born 13 Dec 1874 Winsonsin died 11 Nov 1906 Sioux Center IA. She was the daughter of Gerrit Mouw 1833-1914 and Willemtje Frens 1847-1909. She married Arie Franken 1866-1948, on 14 Mar 1893 at Hospers, IA. Their children listed were Elbertje Ella 1894-1968, Gerrit A. 1897-1984 and Aartje Arta 1904-1984.

OBITUARY of Anna Zomermaand, Kosters, Franken, Mrs. Dick Rozeboom.
ROZEBOOM FUNERAL IS FRIDAY
Mrs. Dick Rozeboom Dies Here Tuesday
Funeral services will be held at the Netherlands Reformed church here at 2 p.m. Friday, April 13, for Mrs. Dick L. Rozeboom, 83, long-time Sioux Center resident, who passed away at the Sioux Center Community hospital Tuesday evening [April 10] following a lengthy illness. She had been confined to the hospital since fracturing a hip in November.
Funeral services will be conducted by the Rev. J. Van Sweden of Rock Valley, in the absence of the Rev. C. Hegeman, and burial will be made in the Sioux Center Community cemetery under the direction of Co-operative Funeral Service of Sioux Center. A brief service attended by members of the immediate family will be held at the Little Chapel at 12:30 p.m. Friday.
Mrs. Rozeboom, nee Anna Zomermaand, was born at Drantha (Drenthe?), Netherlands, August 13, 1878, the daughter of Egbert Zomermaand and Lummega Wobben. At the age of 14 she immigrated to the U.S. with her brother and sister. They lived for a time in Colorado and then moved to northwest Iowa.
Following her marriage to John Kosters of this area the couple lived at Doon. Mr. Kosters passed away in 1915. Later she was married to Arie Franken of this vicinity, and has since resided in Sioux Center.
She had one son, E. John Kosters, by her first husband, and one daughter and three sons by her second husband. Following the passing of Mr. Franken in 1948 she continued to reside in Sioux Center and was married on October 27, 1949 to Dick L. Rozeboom, who survives her.
Mrs. Rozeboom is also survived by her five children, E. J. Kosters of Sioux Center, Lucile (Mrs. Lewis M.) Wierda of Maurice, Henry A. Franken and Joe Franken of Sioux Center and Everette James Franken of Redlands, Calif. Other survivors include a brother, Egbert Zomermaand of Sioux Center, 23 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
Source: Sioux Center News, April 12, 1962.

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