Schuiteman, Gerrit 1865 and Hattie Groeneveld 1874 Family

SCHUITEMAN, PONSTEEN, PONSTEIN, GROENEVELD, LUCHTENBURG

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 6/14/2021 at 07:29:33

Schuiteman, Gerrit 1865 and Hattie Groeneveld 1874 Family

This story comes from the Sioux Center Centennial Book of 1991 page 521 and was submitted by Hendrietta Schuiteman. This story was transcribed for this BIOS by Wilma J. Vande Berg and some research notes were added.

Gerrit Schuiteman was born on September 26, 1865 in Nunspeet, Gelderland, Netherlands, the second son of Jan Schuiteman and Eigbertje Ponstein. Gerrit Schuiteman and Hattie Groeneveld were married on December 29, 1891 by Rev. De Pree. Hattie Groeneveld was born January 1, 1874 at Waupon, Wisconsin, the daughter of Hendrik Groeneveld and Anna Luctenburg.

When Gerrit was a young man he was living alone with his father when Hattie came to be their housekeeper and after some time Gerrit and Hattie were married. They continued to live on that farm where their first three children were born, John, Annie, and Allie.

It was while they were living there that the first cyclone to ever come to the area hit the community, passing only two miles from their farm. They knew the storm was awful and were frightened, but they didn’t know what had happened until the next day when a neighbor came by on horseback and told them about it. Several people had been killed in the storm, in 1892, only a few miles from their place.

In those days, bakery bread had not yet appeared on the market, not even flour! Not only did they have to bake all of their bread, but they also had to first raise the wheat, harvest it, thresh it and then take it to the mill to be ground into flour.

So soon after harvest, Gerrit Schuiteman would go by team and wagon to Le Mars, leaving at two o’clock in the morning with a load of wheat to have it ground at the mill. When he got there, he would have to wait his turn. While waiting he could have breakfast and a bed for several hours for 25 cents. The same 25 cents would also pay for the horses to be put into a stable and be fed. Then in the afternoon, he would return home, and have to carry the 100 lb. sacks of flour to an upstairs bedroom for safe keeping for a year’s supply of food. This would have to last them for the entire year, as there was no way they would be able to buy more if it was gone.

It was while they were living on that same farm that Hattie had an encounter with a big Indian chief, which she never forgot. Each spring and fall, the Indians would come by with their covered wagons. In the spring, they would go north to spend a few months in the cooler climate and then in the fall would go back and south for the winter months. Often the Indians would travel with the back curtain of the wagon turned up, and sometimes as many as six or seven Indian children could be seen, bobbing up and down as the wagons bumped along on the then dirt road, which is now Highway 75. Hattie was frightened of the Indians because they often stopped at farm places to ask for food. One day Hattie was alone with her son, Johnnie, in the house while Gerrit was in the field, she looked out the window and saw the covered wagons coming. Quickly she went to the window to watch it they would go on, and while she was watching, the door opened, and there stood a great big Indian chief.

The chief was tall, dressed in full uniform with bracelets on his arms and ankles, earrings dangling from his ears, rows and rows of beads around his neck, and then the feathers! There were lots of big colored feathers on his head. He spoke to Hattie but of course she could not understand him. The baby, Johnny, was sitting in his highchair, and Hattie was scared stiff. When the Indian noticed she did not understand him, he looked around and saw the pantry door open, went there and saw a bread box, he took out a piece of bread and crumbled it in his hand indicating that he wanted flour. Quickly, Hattie ran upstairs and grabbed a sack, which was almost half full, and gave it all to him, only too glad to get rid of him.

The family lived on that farm until March 3, 1897, when they moved to the home place, which is located two miles north and one mile west of Sioux Center. This place had nearly new buildings, since that area had also been hit by the cyclone and had been rebuilt. They purchased the first 120 acres for $34.50 per acre, and later were able to buy an adjoining 40 acres for $80 per acre. Two more daughters were born there, Henrietta and Priscilla. The family lived there until John and Ann were married the same spring, John then stayed on the farm, and the parents with three daughters, moved into town.

The first number of years that they lived in town, Gerrit went to the farm every day when there was work to do. He still traveled with horse and buggy in those days.

In their lifetimes, they saw many changes, not the least of which was the way of keeping warm. At first, they had to burn cow chips. Then they were able to have a stove which burned cobs and wood, and then coal although Gerrit never did have a furnace. Hattie did have that luxury, and she even lived to see the time she had a window air-conditioner in the last years of her life.

They saw the way of travel evolve in that at the time they were married they went to the minister’s house with a team and wagon, then in a buggy. Then in an enclosed carriage which had curtains that offered protection form the weather. A large flat stone was heated in the oven of the stove on Sunday morning and wrapped in a sack. It was placed on the floor of the carriage and the family kept their feet warm all the way to church. Then they even owned and automobile! They even lived to know about airplanes.

Gerrit always desired to go back to his homeland in the Netherlands, had he lived longer he might have gone by airplane. How things did change in their lifetime!

Gerrit died on January 14, 1946 and Hattied died on Dec 20, 1970. The children of Gerrit and Hattie are as follows: John Schuiteman born Oct 26, 1892; Annie (Mrs. Wm. G. Hulstein) born October 7, 1895, Allie (Mrs. Sam P. Schut) born August 21, 1898 Henrietta Schuiteman born September 24, 1907; and Priscilla (Mrs Ed J. Vermeer) born September 11, 1913.

RESEARCH NOTES:
BIRTH record in the Netherlands for Gerrit Schuiteman, he was born to Jan Schuiteman age 51 and Eibertje Ponsteen age 42 on 30 Sep 1866 at Ermelo, Gelderland, Netherlands.

Ancestry report on family has birth of Gerritje ‘Hattie’ Groeneveld as 1 Jan 1874 at Waupon Wisconsin died 20 Dec 1970 at Sioux Center IA. She was the daughter of Hendrik Groeneveld 1824-1888 and Annetje Luchtenburg 1832-1914.

OBITUARY of Gerrit Schuiteman
Source: Sioux County Index (1-31-1946)
Born: September 30, 1866 Died: January 14, 1946
His birth certificate tells us he was born 30 September 1866! The stone on his grave and the obituary says 26 September 1865!
Gerrit Schuiteman is Laid To Rest Thursday, January 17
Mr. Gerrit Schuiteman of Sioux Center passed away at the Doornink hospital at Orange City early Monday morning, January 14, 1946. He had reached the age of 80 years.
Mr. Schuiteman became ill with a serious skin disease several months ago and was taken to the hospital on the evening of December 29, the same day that Mr. and Mrs. Schuiteman remembered their 54th wedding anniversary. Since that time he was in a very critical condition and suffered much.
He was born on September 26, 1865 at Nunspeet, Gelderland, Netherlands and at the age of 15 years he came to Sioux County with his parents, Jan and Eibertje (Ponstein) Schuiteman and an only brother and he made his home in the Sioux Center vicinity since that time.
On December 29, 1891 he was united in marriage to Hattie Groenveldt, and five children were born to them, namely, John, Anna (Mrs. William G. Hulstein); Allie (Mrs. Sam P. Schut); Henrietta and Priscilla (Mrs. Edwin J. Vermeer).
He is now survived by his widow and the children and one great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by an only brother, Art Schuiteman, who passed away 12 years ago at the age of 72 years.
Mr. and Mrs. Schuiteman and family farmed near Sioux Center until 25 years ago at which time they retired and moved into town at their present location.
Funeral services were held on Thursday afternoon , January 17, 1946 at the home and at the First Reformed Church with Reverend L.A. Brunsting officiating. The body was laid to rest in the family plot of the local cemetery, and acting as pallbearers were Henry Vermeer, Neal Rozeboom, Peter Schouten, Henry Kamerman, John Mieras and Peter Moerman.
At the close at the afternoon's services a Dutch Psalm verse: Psalm 89, verse 1, was sung by the congregation upon request of the family. This verse was sung at the close of the last services held for his father, his mother and his only brother.

OBITUARY of Hattie Groeneveld Schuiteman
A woman who had for many years held the honor of being Sioux Center's oldest resident is dead.
Mrs. Gerrit Schuiteman of 906 S. Main Avenue passed away at the Sioux Center Community hospital Sunday afternoon at the age of 96 - just 12 days prior to her 97th birthday.
She had been in failing health for several years and has been hospitalized the last few days of her life.
Funeral services were held at the First Reformed Church at 1:30 P.M., Wednesday with the Rev. Jack Boerigter officiating and burial was made in the Sioux Center Community cemetery under the direction of Vander Ploeg's Funeral Home.
Casket bearers were Gerrit Hulstein, Elrich Vermeer, Peter A. Schut, Glen Schut, Glen Vermeer and Howard Sandbulte.
Mrs. Schuiteman, the former Hattie Groeneveld, was born at Waupun, Wis., January 1, 1874, and came to Sioux Center as a girl. She was married to Gerrit Schuiteman here December 29, 1891, the year Sioux Center was incorporated, January 14, 1946.
Survivors include four daughters, Mrs. Wm. G. Hulstein (Anna), Mrs. Sam P. Schut (Allie), Henrietta and Mrs. Ed J. Vermeer (Priscilla) 16 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren and three great, great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, John, who died October 5, 1959, at the age of 66; a brother who passed away in infancy; and two sisters, Mrs. John Den Otter and Mrs. Ike Vander Schaaf.
Mrs. Schuiteman was a member of the senior ladies aid of First Reformed Church.
Parents: Henny Groeneveld & Annie Luchtenberg from the IA 1925 Census Record.
Source: Sioux Center News, December 24, 1970

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