Hoekstra, John 1884-1962 & Ida Hiemstra family

HOEKSTRA, HIEMSTRA, DOUMA, POSTUMUS

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 8/5/2024 at 05:34:26

Hoekstra, John 1884-1962 & Ida Hiemstra Family

This story was taken from pages 377-378 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.

My folks, John and Ida (Hiemstra) Hoekstra, and sister Florence Hoekstra (Newkirk), were all born in the Netherlands, in the Hallum area. John was born March 11, 1884, Ida was born December 29, 1885, and Florence was born June 21, 1910.

My folks and Florence came by ship to America, about 1911, and settled in Maurice, where they resided until their death.

Two more children were born after coming to America: infant Jake, deceased after six weeks, and Jake Edward, August 12, 1915.

John and Ida lived in the Catholic Manse near the Catholic church. John was a carpenter, and worked everyday building houses, barns, etc., in the area and near Fairmont, Minnesota. He also helped build the elevator and bins in Maurice. It was a common sight to see John, Dick Wiersma and Herman Van Donkelaar leaving for work in his blue pickup at 6:00 a.m., and returning home at 6:00 p.m.

John and Ida enjoyed visiting their children and grandchildren, and also their frequent visits to Maurice.

Friends and relatives enjoyed many coffee and tea times with Ida, and hosts of friends and relatives enjoyed Ida’s currant buns that she so gladly and often shared with them.

John kept busy with his carpenter work until a couple of years before his death at the age of 77. He passed away quietly while sleeping. Ida continued to live in Maurice, until her death in 1967, at the age of 83.

John and Ida always had a large garden, and were able to store much food in a cave just outside their back door. They and their children could always be seen every Sunday in the American Reformed Church in Maurice.

For several years some school teachers roomed and boarded at John and Ida’s, and enjoyed the very delicious meals cooked by Ida.

When Jake and Florence were still at home, it was an annual event for the family to go camping at Arnolds Park, on the Fourth of July, with other families from Maurice.

Jake and Florence attended school in Maurice. After graduation, Florence worked as hostess in Martin’s Tea Room in Sioux City, and later was employed in Rockford, Illinois area where she met Bob Newkirk whom she married. Together they operated a steak house in Cherry Valley, Illinois, near Rockford, until Florence’s death in 1971, and Bob’s death about 1973.

Jake was a member of the softball team for several years, and worked for his Dad until Jake entered Central College, Pella, Iowa, and graduated from there in 1937. He taught school and coached for several years, taking the Emmetsburg Catholic Boy’s Basketball team to state and winning third place. He also operated a men’s clothing store for about ten years in Ruthven, Iowa. Jake and Billie Shawver were married in 1940, and had two children: Greg and Gwen. Greg is a doctor in the Waterloo Hospitals as a family practitioner. Gwen has been teaching PE, and coaching near Eau Claire, Wisconsin, for fifteen years where the girl’s basketball team went to state five years, and won it three years. Greg was married to Anne Schroeder in 1971, and they have three boys: Peter, Timothy and Christopher.

Jake and Billie are now retired, and live at Lost Island Lake near Ruthven, Iowa, and are enjoying visiting their children and grandchildren.

After Jake and Billie were married and had a cottage at Lost Island near Ruthven, John and Ida would visit them every Memorial Day and Fourth of July, as John did not take off work any other days. He loved to fish though.

Relatives of John Hoekstra who also came to America, were his brother, the late Peter Hoekstra, and a sister, the late Ida Hoekstra Systma, who lived in Evergreen, Illinois.

Ida did not have any relatives who came to America to live. There were visits to America by a nephew and his wife several times.

Ida and her sister-in-law, Ida Systma, returned to the Netherlands for a visit about 1952. Jake’s son, Greg and his wife Anne, also visited relatives in the Netherlands about 1976, and in 1977, Jake’s wife Billie, and daughter Gwen also made them a visit.

At present, Jake and Billie live by Lost Island Lake near Ruthven, Greg’s family lives in Waterloo, and Gwen lives in Fall Creek, Wisconsin.

They all cherish the many memories they have of their visits to Maurice, and of the many relatives and friends there.
(End of the story in the Maurice book, apparently written by son, Jake)

RESEARCH Notes: From family reports on ancestry.com posted by other than this submitter.

John Hoekstra born 3 Nov 1884 0ostdongeradeel Friesland Netherlands Dec 1962 Maurice IA.
Netherlands marriage record shows Jan Hoekstra a carpenter born at Ee, Netherlands was 24 years old when he married Ybeltje Hiemstra born at Hallum age 23 yeats, married Nov 2, 1909 in Ferwerderadeel Friesland Netherlands. His father was Jacob Hoekstra and mother was Grietje Douma.

Ybeltje ‘Ida’ Hiemstra 29 Dec 1885 Ferwerderadeel Friesland died 1 March 1969 IL, buried Maurice IA. Her parents were Aedze/Edze Lammerts Hiemstra and Fokje Hylkes Posthumus.

CHILDREN
A daughter, Mrs. William (Florence) Newkirk of Cherry Valley, Illinois; a son, Jake of Ruthven, Iowa, a son Jake died in infancy. See their stories in the above narration from the Maurice book.

OBITUARY OF JOHN HOEKSTRA
Sioux Center News of Jan 11, 1962 p.9
Funeral services were held on Saturday afternoon, December 30, for John Hoekstra, 77, of Maurice, at the First Reformed church of Maurice with Rev. Donald Blom officiating. Burial was held in the Maurice cemetery with Van Etten Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Hoekstra passed away at his home Wednesday, December 27, following a heart attack. He is survived by his wife and two children, Mrs. William Newkirk of Cherry Valley, IL., and Jake of Gillett Grove, la.. There are two grandchildren, and one brother. Peter, of Maurice.

OBITUARY OF IDA HOEKSTRA
Source: Sioux County Capital (3-20-1969)
Born: 1885 Died: March 1, 1969
SERVICES HELD FOR MRS. J. HOEKSTRA
Funeral services for Mrs. John Hoekstra, 83, were held Wednesday, March 5, at the First Reformed Church of Maurice with the Reverend M. Hoekman officiating. Burial was made at the Sherman Township Cemetery under the direction of the Van Etten Funeral Home.
Pallbearers were Albert Dekker, Harry Hoekstra, Ellsworth Hoekstra, Jake Hoekstra, Paul Dekker and Robert Ver Mulm.
Special music was furnished by Mrs. Jake Foreman, Mrs. Pierce Jansma, Mr. Wallace Muilenburg and Mr. James Vlieger, Mrs. Kenneth De Pree was the organist.
Mrs. John Hoekstra, nee Ida Hiemstra, passed away of leukemia on March 1 at Rockford, Illinois. She was born 1885 in Hallum, Netherlands. She was married to John Hoekstra in 1909 and came to the United States and Maurice in 1913. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. William (Florence) Newkirk of Cherry Valley, Illinois; a son, Jake of Ruthven, Iowa, and two grandchildren Gregory and Gwendolyn Hoekstra. One son, Jake died in infancy.