Grotenhuis, Arend 'John' 1877 & Pauline Stuurop Family
GROTENHUIS, STUUROP, KLEUVERS
Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/27/2021 at 13:34:59
Grotenhuis, Arend John 1877 and Pauline Stuurop Family
This story was taken from the Sioux Center Centennial book of 1991 pages 351 and 352 and was submitted to the book by Harriet Doornwaard. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw and some notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg, both of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society.
Arend John Grotenhuis was born January 23, 1877, and died on October 23, 1972. He married Pauline Stuurop on February 21, 1900. She was born December 27, 1881, at Pella, Iowa, and died on June 22, 1968.
J.W. “John” Grotenhuis (correction -should be Arend ‘John’ Grotenhuis) was the son of John William Grotenhuis and Johanna Kleuvers. His parents homesteaded a mile west of Sioux Center where he farmed for many years. One requirement for homesteading was to plant trees. They were mostly cottonwood, which grew rapidly and provided both lumber and fuel when mature. Two groves were planted known as the first and second Grotenhuis groves. Many times they were the site for Sunday School picnics and other outings.
Livestock was a major interest and he raised pedigreed stock. German Coach horses, with interesting names like Statesman, Ebony, Shorthorn, Holstein and Guernsey cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs.
Chickens were the wife’s domain. She had Rhode Island Red chickens. One spring her baby chicks were in a coop with a brooder stove. She came in and heard what she thought was a cat. Upon investigation she discovered two baby goats. Her son got the tiny goats from a man who milked goats and he put them in a warm spot.
The hog house was built so the partitions could be raised to the ceiling and bleachers could be set up around a show ring. They had sales in the spring and winter. Breeders from a distance attended as well as local buyers. During the winter when they were met at the train by bobsled, the kids loved to catch rides standing on the runners holding on to the box. Someone told me he bought the first car in the area from race car driver, Eddie Rickenbacker. It was a Firestone Columbus. He did much better with horses than mechanical things since he was an expert horseman and also did well training dogs. He had Collies, Shepherds and German Shepherds at various times. He could hitch a horse to a buggy and send him to the school a mile away to get the children. The dogs were trained to go to the pasture and bring in the milk cows at the proper time. A dog could also guard an open gate and no livestock passed. He trained horses for many people and at times, that provided some wild excitement.
Pauline Stuurop was born in Pella, Iowa. Her parents were Hendrik Stuurop and Jane Kass. They moved to Firth, NE. Her father died when she was six years old. The mother moved to Orange City with her four daughters and was married to A.J. Pennings who had three sons and a daughter. They had five children together, two daughters and three sons. Gerrit Pennings served as a missionary to Arabia, and two brothers became ministers. Those children only received an education if they entered religious work. They first lived on the site where J.W. Grotenhuis homesteaded, and in 1911 built the buildings a mile west of the elevator where Cornie De Vos now lives. He, his sister and brother were each given twenty acres on which to build so they built adjacent to each other. They constructed their own private road from town and some years later built the electronic transmission line to their farm. Originally, their house was lighted by gas under pressure. They also had a gas stove. Each spring a barrel of very high test gas was shipped in to put into a tank in a cave outside of the house. They had to be very careful to let the barrel set for a day or two before emptying it into the tank or the gas would blow up into the air. The gas was piped into the house and was under pressure in a tank. They also had a cook stove both for cooking and warmth. The furnace was a system with hot water radiators.
They lived in Jefferson, Iowa, from 1942 to 1957, where they operated a dairy farm and had a large orchard. There were four varieties of nuts.
When they returned to Sioux Center, they lived on a farm four miles west of town and spent their last days living in Sioux Center. For some time they lived in the Sioux Center Nursing Wing. They are buried in the Sioux Center Cemetery where one of the sons (Henry) is also buried. He died when he was a freshman in Central College. A daughter-in-law is also buried there, and a daughter and her husband plan to be buried there also. It was common practice to buy a plot containing eight grave sites.
Their children are: William of Red Oak, IA (now deceased) had one son; Henry died as a young man; Ethel (Mrs. Earl Atkins) of Ames, IA, had two children; Harriet (Mrs. Gerrit “Gary” Doornwaard) of Sioux Center had two children; Wallace of Westminster CA had three children; Marvin of Hot Springs Village, AK; and Hendrine (Mrs. Vince St. Clair) of Culver City, CA, had three children.
by Harriet Doornwaard
RESEARCH NOTES added by Wilma J. Vande Berg
OBITUARY of Arend J. Grotenhuis 1877-1972
Grotenhuis, Arend ‘John’ born 1877 died 1972 Father buried in Memory Gardens Sioux Center, IA
Sioux Center News of Oct 27, 1972
A..J. Grotenhuis dies Oct 23, funeral is today. Funeral services will be held at Central
Reformed Church here at 10 :30 a.m. Thursday, October28 for Arend "John" Grotenhuls, 95, longtime resident of Sioux Center, who died at the Sioux Center Community Hospital October 23 Services will be conducted the Rev. Wesley Kiel and burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery here with
the Co-operative Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Grotenhuls was born in Sioux Center January 23, 1877, and resided all his life in this community except for 15 years residence at Jefferson, S. D., between 1942 and 1957. He married Pauline Stuurop in Sioux Center February 21, 1900. She died June 22, 1968.
Survivors include three sons, William of Red Oak, Wallace of Costa Mesa, Calif, and Marvin of Orange City; three daughters, Mrs. Earl (Ethel) Atkins of Ames, Mrs. Gerrit (Harriet) Doornwaard of Sioux Center, Mrs. Vincent (Hendrine) St. Clair of Culver City, Calif.; a sister, Mrs. Sara Van Roekel, of Sioux Center;
13 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.
Note: He was the son of John ‘Jan’ Willem Te Grotenhuis 1833-1921 and Janna Hendrik a Kleuvers 1850-1939.Source: Sioux Center News (6-29- 1968)
Born: December 27, 1881
Died: 1968
Funeral services for Mrs. Arend (Pauline) J. Grotenhuis, 86, longtime resident of Sioux Center, were held at Central Reformed Church here at 1:30 P.M. Monday, June 24, with the Rev. Albert H. Ten Clay officiating.
Burial was made in Sioux Center Community Cemetery under the direction of the Sioux Center Co-operative Funeral Home. She passed away at the Sioux Center Community Hospital Saturday. Mrs. Grotenhuis had been a resident of the nursing wing for several Years.
The former Pauline Stuurop, she was born December 27, 1881, at Pella, and was married to Arend J. Grotenhuis at Orange City on February 21, 190. The couple farmed in Sioux County for many years prior to retirement. With the exception of 15 years spent in Jefferson, Iowa, area, Mrs. Grotenhuis had lived all of her life in Sioux County.
Survivors include her widower, Arend; three sons, William of Red Oak, Wallace of Westminster, California, Marvin of Orange City; three daughters, Mrs. Earl Atkins of Ames, Mrs. Gerrit Doorwaard of Sioux Center and Mrs. Vincent St. Clair of Culver City, California; a sister, Mrs. J.T. Schutt of Memphis, Tennessee; and 13 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren.
Note: 1925 Iowa Census states her parents were Henry Stuurop and A.H. Kas.
Sioux Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen