VanPeursem, William 1872-1950 & Lucy Mensink Family

VANPEURSEM, MENSINK, KARS, MIERAS

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 5/11/2024 at 08:59:58

Van Peursem, William 1872-1950 & Lucy Grace Mensink Family

This story was taken from pages 548-549 of the Maurice Centennial Book (1891-1991). The story was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg

William Van Peursem was born at Pella, Iowa, March 25, 1872. He came to Sioux County in 1873, with his parents George and Wilhelmina, and two brothers and two sisters. They settled on a farm one mile south and two and three fourths miles east of Maurice. He attended a nearby country school, but when old enough to help with the field work, he attended only during the winter months. George and Agnes Moir were among his early teachers.

On March 2, 1898, he married Lucy Grace Mensink, who with her parents Henry and Susan had come from Greenleafton, Minnesota, in 1879. The wedding ceremony was performed by the pastor of the First Reformed Church of Maurice, the Rev. Henry Straks, at the home of the bride’s parents, which is now the home of John and Leola De Jong. When the couple celebrated their 50th anniversary, Rev. John Straks, the son of Henry, spoke and said, “My father tied the knot and he tied it securely”.

The couple made their home on the farm owned by the bride’s parents, one mile east of Maurice. It was there that their son Chester Otis was born May 8, 1899. A few years later they moved to the original Van Peursem farm southeast of Maurice, and Lucile Allison was born there November 5, 1906. In 1909, William bought a 160 acre farm for $100 per acre, from his brother-in-law William De Jong. The farm is located one mile south and three fourth miles west of Maurice, where Clifton Wierda now lives. The Van Peursem family still owns 120 acres of the farm. It was there that Philip Wiliam was born December 7, 1913.

Life on the farm was never dull. Besides the field work and numerous chores, farmers did their own butchering. Before canning methods were used, the meat was preserved by being fried, placed in large stone crocks, and covered with lard. Home cured dried beef was stored in the granary and covered with oats.

Summer evenings were spent sitting on the large screened porch, listening to the sound of the windmill, the coyotes howling in the distance, and the Great Northern freight train chugging up the hill a half mile away. Saturday evenings were special when the family went to town and traded eggs for groceries, enjoyed the band concerts, and the children feasted on five cent ice cream cones which were purchased at the drug store, or five cent Hershey bars could be bought at the barber shop.

Playing Flinch was a favorite winter evening pastime, while listening to roll type records on the Edison phonograph. The Jolly Coppersmith and the William Tell Overture were some of the favorite musical numbers. Popping corn in the iron skillet and pulling taffy were also enjoyed. Sunday evenings Grace would play the organ and the family would sing hymns.

The Van Peursem children attended the country school Sherman #4, which was a quarter mile west from their home. The teachers were excellent, among them Jennie Schaap, Kate Balkema, Edith Chenhall, Margaret Geuder, Dorothy Hyink, Eva Mensink and Ruth Dykstra. The enrollment at the school gradually decreased and so was forced to close and the children then enrolled in the Maurice school. At that time the high school consisted of only two grades so Chester transferred to the Northwestern Classical Academy in Orange City. In 1918, during World War I, he enlisted in the navy and was stationed in San Francisco. After being discharged in 1919, he returned to the farm and assisted his father. (Chester’s history will be continued in the account of the Chester Van Peursem family)

Lucile graduated in 1924 with the first class to graduate from the Maurice High School. She then attended Central College at Pella, Iowa, and became an elementary teacher, teaching the seventh and eighth grades in Maurice, from 1928 to 1952.

Due to the poor health of William, he decided to leave the farm and in October, 1921, bought a home in Maurice, the home now owned by Ronald De Jager.

William was an active member of the First Reformed Church, serving as elder, Sunday School teacher and Sunday School superintendent. He was a member of the town council and a member of the committee in charge of planting the first trees in the Maurice Park. His wife Grace enjoyed work in the Ladies Aid of the church and for twenty five years was responsible for sending cards to the sick and shut-ins. She also knit hundreds of square white eye bandages which were sent to a mission hospital in Arabia. For many years she was the Maurice correspondent for De Volksvriend, a Dutch paper published in Orange City.

William and son Philip were avid gardeners, and raising tomatoes was their specialty, selling them for fifty cents a bushel. They were able to buy apples from a neighbor, also for fifty cents a bushel. Crab apples were always free and when pickled they would add spice to any meal. Grace enjoyed canning and by early fall the cellar shelves were filled with a variety of vegetables, pickles, and both red and green tomato preserves, tomato juice filled many green colored half gallon Mason jars. The potato cellar also bulged with Hubbard squash and crocks filled with carrots covered with sand.

After a lingering illness, William passed away March 12, 1950, and Grace passed away suddenly June 16, 1952. At that time Lucile gave up teaching, and she and Philip moved to Orange City, to be near the relatives. They continue to enjoy retirement and the church and community activities.

End of story in Maurice Book written - IN MEMORY OF - Mr. and Mrs. William Van Peursem by Lucile and Philip Van Peursem.

RESEARCH Notes: Found in ancestry.com public member trees submitted by other than this submitter. Found in Local obits on this web page.

William (Willem) Van Peurem was born 25 Mar 1872 Pella Marion Iowa and died 12 Mar 1950 Maurice Sioux Iowa. His parents were George D. Van Peursem 1842-1929 and Wilhelmina Kars 1843-1930. William married Lucy Grace Mensink on 20 Mar 1898 Sioux County IA.

Lucy Grace Mensink was born 26 Mar 1876 Greenleafton, Filmore, MN and died 16 Jun 1952 Orange City IA. Her parents were Henry M. Mensink 1848-1930 and Susanna Mieras 1852-1938. William and Lucy had three children.

CHILDREN - Obituaries found on this web page.

1. Chester Otis Van Peursem born 8 May 1899 Maurice IA died 9 Jun 1989 Orange City IA His wife was Gertrude Maria Boonstra 1897-1979 Their children include -  Helen and husband, Arthur Kalsbeek of Orange City,IA; Howard and wife Jo Van Peursem of Crystal Lake, Illinois; David and wife, Minerva Van Peursem of Orange City, IA . See Chester’s obituary on this web page.

2. Lucile Allison Van Peursem 5.Nov 1906 Maurice IA died 23 Jun 1994 Orange City IA. Lucile was not married. See her obituary on this web page.

3. Philip William Van Peursem 7 Dec 1913 Maurice IA died 29 Jul 1995 -1995. Philip was not married. See his obituary on this web page.

OBITUARY OF WILLIAM VAN PEURSEM 1872-1950
Longtime Maurice Resident Dies.
Maurice, IA. Special: William Van Peursem 77, longtime resident here, died Sunday at an Orange City, IA hospital. He had been in ill health for some time.
Mr. Van Peursem was born March 25, 1872, at Pella, IA. He came to Maurice with his parents when a boy. He farmed near here until 28 years ago when he retired and moved to town.
Mr. Van Peursem was active in church affairs, having been Sunday School superintendent and a member of the consistory of the First Reformed Church.
Survivors are the widow, Grace; two sons. Chester and Phillip, and a daughter, Lucille, and three grandchildren, all of Maurice; five brothers, Rev. John of Zeeland, Mich.; Rev. Gerrit of New Jersey, Henry of Maurice, Martin of Orange City and Peter of Pasadena, Cal; and a sister, Mrs. Jeanette De Jong of Los Angeles.
Funeral services will be at 1 pm Wednesday at the residence and at 1:30 at the church. Rev. John Roggen will officiate. Burial will be at a Maurice cemetery under direction of the Cooperative Burial association of Sioux Center, IA.
Source: Sioux Center News: March 16, 1950

OBITUARY OF LUCY GRACE VAN PEURSEM
From The Sioux County Capital, Orange City, Iowa, June 19, 1952:
MRS. WM. VAN PEURSEM SUFFERS FATAL HEART ATTACK AT HER HOME
Mrs. Wm. Van Peursem, 76, passed away at her home in Maurice Monday as the result of a heart attack.
Born Lucy Grace Mensink at Greenleafton, Minn., on March 26, 1876, she came to Maurice, Iowa, in 1879. She was united in marriage with William Van Peursem, March 2, 1898. He preceded her in death on March 12, 1950.
She is survived by three children, Chester of Orange City, and Lucile and Philip of Maurice, three grandchildren and great grandchild. Also three sisters, Mrs. H.D. Oggel, Miss Ella Mensink, and Mrs. George De Groot, all of Maurice.
Funeral services will be held Friday, June 20 at 1:30 at the home and 2:00 p.m., at the First Reformed Church in Maurice, with burial in the Maurice Cemetery.