Bartels, Pieter & Geesje (Kuiuper)

BARTELS, KUIPER

Posted By: Kaleigh De Vries (email)
Date: 5/22/2020 at 16:32:12

The Bartels family may have been Sioux County's earliest settlers in the Sioux Center area. in 1882 they immigrated from Dwingeloo, Drenthe, Netherlands to Sioux County, Iowa and resided in Alton for a few years, where Pieter worked as a day laborer. He worked on the Northwestern Railroad for a couple of years during the summer months and in the winter time he dug wells by hand. After two years they began to farm on rented land. In 1887, they brought their first farm north of Sioux Center and garmed there until the fall of 1910 when they retired and moved into the town of Sioux Center. In 1914 they visited the Netherlands. Pieter Bartels (Bartelds) was born on January 11, 1853 to Hendrik and Jantje (Strijk) Bartelds at Beiler, Drenthe, Netherlands. In September 19, 1878, he was united in marriage to Geesje Kuiper at Dwingeloo, Drenthe, Netherlands.

The Bartels family attended church in Sioux Center until the First Reformed Church of Carmel was organized in 1895. Pieter had always been active in church work, he was the first Deacon and later elected Elder at the Carmel church. He also was an Elder at Central Reformed Church in Sioux Center.

Pieter's mother died in Beilen, Drenthe, Netherlands on April 5, 1886, so his father Hendrik Bartelds immigrated to the United States in 1894 or 1895. Hendrik came to Sioux Center and lived in the Pieter Bartels home four miles northwest of Sioux Center and died on November 28, 1897 in their home.

Geesje Kuiper was born on December 6, 1858 to Roelof and Jantje (Mos) Kuiper at Dwingeloo, Drenthe, Netherlands. She died on March 5, 1915, at the age of 56 years, 2 months, and 29 days of an abscess on her lung. She is buried at Memory Gardens Cemetery at Sioux Center.

After his wife's death, in the late fall of 1916 Pieter remarried a widow, Mrs. Sarah (John) Meerdink of Yakima, Washington. They were married 22 years before Sarah's death in 1938. Pieter died on June 15, 1938 at the age of 85 years, 5 months and 4 days of pneumonia. Pieter is buried next to his first wife, Geesje, at Memory Gardens Cemetery at Sioux Center, Iowa.

Pieter and Geesje Bartels were the parents of 12 children. Two daughters were born in the Netherlands, Ralph was born at Alton, Henry was born four miles east of south Sioux Center, and John was born one mile west and one and one half miles south of Sioux Center. All the other children were born four miles northwest of Sioux Center.

The Bartels children were:
1. Jantje "Jennie" (Mrs. Albert Wolfswinkel), Breckenridge, Minnesota, born April 1, 1879, died April 14, 1958.
2. Jantina "Nellie" Bartels (5 years old), Sioux County, Iowa, born in 1861, died December 1, 1886.
3. Roelof "Ralph" Bartels, Sioux Center, Iowa, born September 21, 1883, died November 8, 1982.
4. Hendrik "Henry" Bartels, Bellflower, California, born November 10, 1885, died April 29, 1974.
5. Jan "John" Bartels, Steen, Minnesota, born December 26, 1887, died in 1976.
6. Jantina "Nellie"(Mrs. Cornelius Wolfswinkel(, Toppenish, Washington, born February 21, 1890, died between 1981 and 1989.
7. Marehtje "Mary" (Mrs. Peter Achterman), Rock Rapids, Iowa, born March 23, 1982.
8. Klaas Bartels, Sioux Center, Iowa, born May 4, 1894, died at 5 weeks.
9. Klaaziena Bartels, Sioux Center, Iowa, born July 1895, died September 5, 1895.
10. Klaaziena "Cynthia" (Mrs. George Meerdink), Sioux Center, Iowa, born November 19, 1896, died March 28, 1981.
11. Anna Bartels (Mrs. Neal M. Punt), Sioux Center, Iowa, born August 22, 1898, died April 11, 1944.
12. Albertus "Bert" Bartels, Sioux Center, Iowa, born March 8, 1902, died August 17, 1989.

Bartelds was the original surname and when Pieter came to Sioux County to apply for citizenship papers, the Judge advised him to take the letter "d" of his name, as it could be pronounced easier. So that is why the name became Bartels instead of Bartelds.

by Mrs. Elaine Feldhacker

A People with Convictions: A History of Sioux Center, Iowa 1870-1991
As written at time of publication - 1991

Sioux Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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