Cleveringa, Frederick 1828-1904 and Wilhemina Bauer Family

CLEVERINGA, BAUER, BOWERS, TORRENGA, TOERINGA

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/10/2021 at 12:36:25

Cleveringa, Frederick 1828-1904 and Wilhelmina Bauer Family

This story was taken from the Sioux Center Centennial book of 1991 pages 275 and 276, submitted by Carol Van Riessen. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw and some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society.

Mr. Frederick Cleveringa was born October 28, 1828 at Warfhuizen, Groningen, in the Netherlands. His parents were Klaas Pieters Cleveringa and Klasske Roelfs (Toeringa) Cleveringa. He was a twin, born just before midnight, and Peter the other twin, born after midnight. In 1852 Frederick, at age 25 came to the United States along with his parents and three brothers and sisters. They came in a sailboat, with the trip lasting 90 days, and first settled in Bloomington, Illinois.

Wilhelmina Bauer was born October 16, 1844 in Wisnar, Germany. She and her two sisters, Mrs. Frederick “Reka” Kuhl and the other one unknown, came to the United States in 1857 at 13 years of age. She also settled in Bloomington, Illinois.

Frederick was still a bachelor nearing the age of 40, when he met and married Wilhelmina Bauer, who was 16 years his junior. They moved to Muscatine, Iowa where their son William F. Cleveringa, Sr. was born on November 3, 1869.

In April 1870 Frederick and Wilhelmina, along with six-month-old William, undertook a 400-mile journey from Muscatine, traveling across sparsely settled prairie land, with the purpose of homesteading in Sioux County. This trip lasted three weeks. The Cleveringas and a family friend, who had accompanied them walked nearly the entire distance, with two teams of horses and a few cattle pulling the covered wagon, which carried their supplies and all of their earthly belongings. This little group of pioneers later reported not a day passed on their trip without some hardships — enduring the weather, fording streams and battling fatigue.

They came to a place called Orange City, Iowa. The name was derived from the House of Orange in the Netherlands. This little burg had a few dugouts and one or two little shacks.

Frederick took out homestead papers to file on an 80 acres, one mile east and a half mile south of south Sioux Center. A bare piece of prairie then became their home. Now in Sioux County, Frederick’s and Wilhelmina’s first house was a sod hut, built in June 1870. The sod walls of the hut were 12 inches thick, and the roof, which was made from timber brought from the Rock River area, was thickly covered with long slough grass. This would protect them from cold and fire.

A school house was used as a church. All went there in a wagon with a board across the top for a seat. Back in the wagon was some straw where the kids sat. As the crowd became larger the school house became too small, so they opened the windows, put the wagons in front of the windows in order to hear the minister. Rev. Bolks was their first minister and Rev. DePree the next. Accidents happened too at the church. The seats were not screwed to the floor, just loose, so somebody would give one good push and over went the seat. Nobody was hurt and the minister went right on preaching.

One day Wilhelmina had a bad toothache, so she packed her basket of eggs to sell for groceries and walked eight miles to Orange City to have her teeth pulled and bought groceries later.

As time went on, more people came to settle in Sioux County. They exchanged visits with friends for sure once a week. Not having enough chairs, they turned a stone crock, or a box upside down to sit on.

In 1880, a bad snowstorm came the 16th of October. No corn was picked that fall and only the top of the corn could be seen. The family all got sick that ear. William first, then Fred, then Frederick, and then Annie. All had typhoid fever and didn’t get over that until spring. Peter had to go out and pick corn by the sack to feed the cattle. Wilhelmina tied pieces of wood under his feet so he wouldn’t sink into the deep snow. He then got sick and died.

The water situation was a problem. Until a well was dug on the farm, Frederick had to drive his herd of cattle about two and one-half miles to West Branch Creek, in order to secure water for them. That same summer, however, water was found on the farm after a 20-foot well was dug.

During the latter part of May 1870, Frederick Cleveringa broke up 15 acres of prairie land and planted his first crop of corn, and put up some hay for the livestock.

Kindling wood for cooking and heating had to be gathered on the banks of the Rock River, some twelve miles away.

As time advanced, the family expanded when the couple’s second child, Frederick, was born in the humble sod hut.

From the first homestead they moved to a farm one half mile east of Carmel, Iowa and from there in 1885 the Frederick Cleveringa family moved to the present farm site, two miles north of Sioux Center, where John and Carol (Cleveringa) Van Riessen now live. Nine years later Frederick and Wilhelmina retired to town and their son William who married Alice Cleveringa then moved onto the Cleveringa homestead.

Frederick and Wilhelmina had seven children and to this union were born:

William Cleveringa born November 3, 1869, died March 11, 1944, his spouse was Aaltje “Alice” Cleveringa born April 23, 1876, died May 20, 1944.

Frederick F. Cleveringa born in a cave in 1872, died February 27, 1930, his spouse Nellie Hoff, born October 24, 1874, died August 1, 1919.

Annie Cleveringa died at the age of two of typhoid fever and was buried in Orange City.

A baby girl died in infancy and was not named.

Simon Cleveringa called “Zacheus” born July 3, 1877 died December 9, 1880 of typhoid fever.

Peter Cleveringa born December 6, 1874, died January 22, 1888 of typhoid fever.

Annie Cleveringa Slobe born March 1881 died January 27, 1967, her spouse was Albert Slobe born November 24, 1904, died October 14, 1950.

Frederick Cleveringa died November 18, 1904, at the age of 76. Wilhelmina Cleveringa died April 25, 1904, at age 60. The entire family is buried in the Memory Gardens at Sioux Center, Iowa except the first Annie.

Members of the family remember and honor their forefathers. They came to the United States and to Iowa, not only because they had faith in this land, but also because of their faith in the Lord. These people were pioneers of the land and of the church. They put their trust in God first. Frederick was a charter member of the First Reformed Church in Sioux Center and he helped establish First Reformed Church in Hull, Iowa.

Submitted by Carol Van Riessen

RESEARCH NOTES added by Wilma J. Vande Berg

OBITUARY of Frederick Cleveringa 1828-1904
Verleden Vrijdagnamiddag om 5 uur is alhier plotseling overleden de oude heer F. Cleveringa. Juist even te voren had zijn dochter, Mrs. A. Slob, die met haar gezin bij hem inwoonde, hem in zijn kamer een kopje thee geschonken. Hij had toen een weinig over benauwdheid geklaagd, doch daar hij hier wel meer last van had, daar hij reeds ettelijke jaren gesukkeld [gesukkeid?] had met een zwakke borst had men zoo aan geen ernstig gevaar gedacht. Zijn dochter begaf zich naar een andere kamer en slechts een oogenblik later hoorde zij een geluid in haars vaders kamer als van een vallend lichaam. Zij snelde er heen en vond toen den ouden heer achterover in zijn stoel liggen en hij blies slechts enkele seconden later den laatsten adem uit.
De dokter was van oordeel, dat er een ader vlak onder zijn hart gebarsten moest zijn, tengevolge van het stollen van zijn blood.
De overledene was een der oudste nederzetters in deze kolonie. Ruim 50 jaren geleden kwam hij uit de provincie Groningen, naar Amerika. Eerst woonde hij afwisselend eenige jaren in Chicago en Muscatine, Iowa en kwam toen naar Sioux County, waar hij nog een dergenen was die een "homestead" bekwam en de sprinkharentijd mee doormaakte. Hij had den rijpen leeftijd van ruim 76 jaren bereikt en volgde zijne vrouw al spoedig in het graf, de laatste ongeveer 7 maanden geleden gestorven zijnde. Drie kinderen en drie oude zusters blijven achter om den overledene te betreuren. Moge hun treuren niet zijn als dat dergenen die geen hope hebben.
De zusters zijn Mrs. Postema van Emmons County, N. Dak., 79 jaar oud, Mrs. B. W. Jansen alhier, 74 jaren en Mrs. J. Pekelder 70 jaren oud.
De begrafenis had Maandagnamiddag plaats. De dienst in het sterfhuis werd geleid door Ds. Van Wijk en in de Chr. Ger. kerk door Dss. Van Wijk en DePree.
Source: Sioux Center Nieuwsblad, November 23, 1904.
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Translation:
Last Friday afternoon at 5 o'clock old Mr. F. Cleveringa suddenly died here. Just a few minutes before his daughter, Mrs. A. Slob, who with her family lived with him, had given him a cup of tea in his room. At that time he had a few complaints about tightness in the chest, but since for some years he had been ailing with a weak chest, they had not thought him to be at any serious risk. His daughter went to another room and only a moment later she heard a noise in her father's room as of a falling body. She ran over and then found the old man lying back in his chair and just seconds later he breathed his last.
The doctor was of the opinion that a vein in his heart had burst as a result of the solidification of his blood.
The deceased was one of the earliest settlers in this colony. Over 50 years ago, he came to America from the province of Groningen. At first he lived alternately for some years in Chicago and Muscatine, Iowa, and then came to Sioux County, where he was able to obtain a "homestead" and went through the grasshopper plague. He had reached the ripe old age of over 76 years and followed his wife shortly to the grave, she having died about 7 months ago. Three children and three old sisters are left to mourn. May their grief not be like that of those who have no hope.
The sisters are Mrs. Postema of Emmons County, N. Dak., 79 years old, Mrs. B. W. Jansen of this place, 74 years and Mrs. J. Pekelder 70 years old.
The funeral was held Monday afternoon. The service in the house of mourning was led by Rev. Van Wijk and in the Christian Reformed Church by Revs. Van Wijk and DePree.
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The Sioux County Cemetery Index has Cleveringa, Frederick, b. 28 Oct 1828, d. 18 Nov 1904, Memory Gardens Sioux Center IA.
Family tree information on Ancestry.com has him as Freerk (Fred) Cleveringa, born 28 Nov 1828 in the Netherlands; died 18 Nov. 1904 in Sioux Center; parents Klaas Pieters Cleveringa and Klaaska Roelf Torrenga; no information on spouse or children.
Family information on Findagrave.com has him born Oct. 28, 1828 in Warfhuizen, De Marne Municipality, Groningen, Netherlands; died Nov. 18, 1904 in Sioux Center; brother of Grietje Cleveringa Jansen; spouse Wilhelmina Bouwers Cleveringa (1844-1904); children William (1869-1944), Fred (1872-1930), Peter (1874-1888), and Annie Cleveringa Slob (1882-1967). The site includes a photo of his gravestone and one of him and his wife, which says they settled in Sioux County in 1870. [editorial comment: he looks like someone who in his youth was a handsome dude].

OBITUARY of Wilhelmina Mrs. Frederick Clevering 1844-1904
From the Rock Valley Bee, May 6, 1904: Sioux Center:
Mrs. F. Cleveringa who died last week was one of the pioneers and well known throughout this community. She was sixty-six years old. She leaves to mourn her loss, a husband, two sons and a daughter.
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From the Sioux Center Nieuwsblad, May 4, 1904:
Overlijdensbericht.
Het behaagde den Heere uit ons midden weg te nemen onze geliefde vrouw en moeder
WILHELMINA CLEVERINGA-BOWERS,
in den ouderdom van 59 jaren, 6 maanden en 9 dagen, na een smartelijk lijden van 8 weken, waaronder zij echter geduldig bleef in den Heere, die alles regeert. Wij mogen met Job zeggen: "de Heere heft gegeven, de naam des Heeren zij geloofd" en het is ons ten troost haar te mogen nastaren in de hope op een zalig wederzien.
FREDERICK CLEVERINGA en KINDEREN.
Tevens betuigen wij onzen hartelijken dank aan vrienden en buren, die ons in de dagen van druk zoo getrouw hebben bijgestaan.
Translation:
Obituary.
It pleased the Lord to take from our midst our beloved wife and mother
WILHELMINA CLEVERINGA-BOWERS,
at the age of 59 years, 6 months and 9 days, after a sorrowful suffering of 8 weeks, during which however she remained patiently in the Lord, who governs everything. May we say with Job: "The Lord is risen, the name of the Lord be praised," and it is our consolation to remain in the hope of a blessed reunion.
FREDERICK CLEVERINGA and CHILDREN.
We also express our heartfelt thanks to friends and neighbors who have supported us so faithfully in this time of trial.
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No more extensive obituary was located. Her husband's obituary (separately posted) gives some additional information about their early life.
The Sioux County Cemetery Index has Cleveringa, Wilhelmina, b. 16 Oct 1844, d. 25 Apr 1904, Memory Gardens Sioux Center IA.
Family information on Findagrave.com has her born Oct. 16, 1844, Germany; died April 25, 1904 in Sioux Center; spouse Frederick Cleveringa (1828-1904); children William (1869-1944), Fred (1872-1930), Peter (1874-1888), and Annie Cleveringa Slob (1882-1967). The site includes a photo of her gravestone and one of her and her husband, which says they settled in Sioux County in 1870.

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