Kosters, Gertie, Mrs. Gerrit, 1889-1950

KOSTERS, BRANTSEN

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/22/2010 at 22:51:27

MRS. GT. KOSTERS O.C. KILLED IN TRAFFIC CRASH FRI.

Mrs. Gerrit Kosters of Orange City was killed in a traffic accident last Friday [Sept. 8] about two miles south of Struble on highway 75.

The Kosters car, driven by the husband of the victim, struck the rear of the car driven by Mrs. Casey DeGroot of Sioux Center. Visibility was practically zero due to billowing smoke pouring across the highway from burning weeds in the roadside ditches. Both cars were travelling slowly due to this condition, being almost completely enveloped by the smoke. The Kosters car struck the rear end of the DeGroot car which was travelling in the same direction, north.

Mrs. Kosters suffered a broken neck in the impact, and died almost instantly. Mr. Kosters and the two DeGroot children and Mrs. DeGroot suffered minor injuries and were treated at the LeMars hospital. Mrs. John Meendering was also a passenger in the DeGroot car.

Mrs. Gerrit Kosters, nee Gertie Brantsen, was born April 10, 1889 in Sioux County. She was married to Gerrit Kosters in the summer of 1910. Eight children were born to this union, namely Gerrit William and John of Orange City, Nelvia Lillian (Mrs. Floyd Vander Griend), Freddie, who passed away at the age of 2 years, Lillian Ann (Mrs. Robert Niekerk of Denver), Frieda Wilma (Mrs. Maynard Drost of Orange City), Allan and Henry Anthony both of whom lost their lives while serving in the armed forces during World War II.

Surviving also are her husband and eleven grandchildren, one brother William Brantsen of Sioux Center. Another brother, Fred preceded her in death two years ago. Three sisters also survive, Mrs. Ben Mulder of Rock Valley, Mrs. Gerrit Franken and Mrs. Jake Duistermars of Sioux Center.

Source: Sioux Center News, Sept. 14, 1950.

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The left-hand edge of an article about the accident in the Sioux County Capital (Orange City, Sept. 14, 1950) was obscured in the original newspaper binding and/or microfilming process, but it provides some additional information:

[A] traffic accident happened Friday afternoon at about 3:30 on [High]way No. 75 just south of [the] Struble corner. Mr. and Mrs. [Gerrit] Kosters of Orange City [were] on their way from Sioux City [when] they came over a little hill [and] ran suddenly into dense [smoke] blowing across the pave[ment] from a brush fire. Their car [crashed?] into the rear of one [driven] by Mrs. Casey De Groot [of] Sioux Center who had also [slowed] down to ten miles an hour [because] of the smoke. Mrs. Koster suffered fatal injuries when [she] was thrown against the wind[shield] and the front ventilator [illeg.] and died at once. Her [skull?] was fractured in two places, [her] neck was broken and she suffered many bruises. Mr. Kosters [suffered?] a broken leg and an in[jured?] chest. Both cars remained [on the?] pavement.

[Men?] from the Struble Corner [aided?] the injured and Luken's [of?] LeMars was called for the ambulance. Mr. Kosters was taken to [the] LeMars hospital and the body [of] Mrs. Kosters brought here to [the] Van Etten Funeral Home.

John Kosters, a son, was called [at] once but another son, William, [who] is recuperating from a kidney [operation], was out fishing and did [not] learn of his mother's death [until] about five o'clock.

Mr. Kosters, a diabetic, is in a [serious] condition but he had a [good?] night Monday and hope is [illeg.] that he will recover. Mr. Kosters knew that his wife had [been] killed at the time of the [impact?].

Funeral services for Mrs. Kosters were held Monday afternoon [first?] in the home and at 2 p.m. [in the] Second Christian Reformed Church with Rev. J. Masselink officiating. Burial was in the local cemetery.

[Redundant family information omitted.] Her son Allen died over Italy when his plane was shot down and Henry went down when the destroyer he was on was lost in a typhoon in the Pacific.