Duistermars, Elmer - Died 1941

DUISTERMARS, BONNEMA

Posted By: Linda Vander Linden-Volunteer (email)
Date: 11/25/2011 at 09:50:40

Sioux County Capital, January 1, 1942

Two weeks ago, Mrs. Alice Duistermars of Storm Lake and formerly of Orange City received word that her son, Elmer was killed in action in Hawaii as a result of the Jap raid on Pearl Harbor. Now, according to her sister, Mrs. Gerrit Grotenhuis, she has received word that the report was not true and that he is alive. That is all the relatives here have heard so far.

Sioux Center News, December 18, 1941 (Thursday)

The war was brought close to home when a boy born in Sioux Center lost his life in action in the Pacific. The boy, Elmer Duistermars, is a son of Donald Duistermars, deceased. His mother, the former Agnes Bonnema, now lives in Storm Lake.

According to the news dispatch, Mr. Duistermars enlisted in the Navy in January 1940 and was serving as an electrician. He was married on October 16, 1941. His widow lives in Los Angeles.

Also surviving are four sisters, Miss Madeline Duistermars who lives with her mother in Storm Lake, Mrs. Herbert Olson of Sioux City, Mrs. H. S. Post of Twin Falls, Idaho, Mrs. Millard Dadson of Los Angeles, and Mrs. P. D. Versteeg of Jerome, Idaho, and one brother William of New York.

The news of his death was sent to Mrs. Duistermars by the department of war. No further information was available. Many people here remember the Duistermars family.