Van Kekerix, Adriana (Mrs. Jacobus/James), 1871-1929

VANKEKERIX, GROENEWEG, NUGTEREN

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:34

From the Alton Democrat, March 15, 1929, Rock Valley news:

Mrs. Van Kekerix Dies

Mrs. Van Kekerix passed away at the home of her son southwest of Rock Valley Saturday afternoon [March 9] after a very brief illness. She had gone to her son’s home to make the acquaintance of a new grandchild when she suddenly became ill and in spite of the best of care passed away.

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From the Alton Democrat, March 22, 1919:

Mrs. James Van Kekerix Passed On

Mrs. James Van Kekerix passed away Friday, March 1, from the results of a stroke of paralysis. Mrs. Van Kekerix was born in Holland on March 3, 1871 and had she lived until Sunday she would have attained the age of 58 years. She grew to womanhood in her native country and came to this country at the age of twenty years and since that time resided in this locality. She was the mother of three children: Paul, Sam and Andrew, all of whom are living in this vicinity. She also leaves her husband and four brothers: John, Walter, Joe, Bert, and two sisters, Mrs. John Den Boer and Mrs. Tim Kooima, besides 13 grandchildren, all living near Rock Valley. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon in the Old Reformed Church and interment made in Valley View Cemetery. The bereaved family have the sympathy of a host of friends.

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From the Rock Valley Bee, March 15, 1929:

DEATH OF MRS. JAMES VAN KIKERIX[sic]

Mrs. James Van Kekerix passed away at her home Friday [March 8] following an illness of but a few days. A short time before her death she suffered a stroke of paralysis from the effects of which she could not recover. Had she lived until Sunday she would have been fifty-eight years old.

Mrs. Van Kekerix had lived in this vicinity for many years. She was born in Holland where she grew to womanhood. She came to this country thirty-eight years ago and since that time has lived in this vicinity for many years.

Mrs. Van Kekerix was the mother of three children, Paul, Sam, and Andrew, all of whom are living in this vicinity. She also leaves her husband and four brothers and two sisters, John, Walter, Joe, Bert and Mrs. John Den Boer and Mrs. Tim Kooima, and thirteen grand-children all living in this vicinity.

The Van Kekerix family lived on a farm near Rock Valley for many years. Seven years ago they retired from the farm and since that time have lived in Rock Valley. Mrs. Van Kekerix was a woman who was respected by all who knew her. She was a kind and loving mother, and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon in the Old Reformed church, of which she was a member and the remains were taken to the Valley View Cemetery. The bereaved family have the sympathy of their many friends.

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RESEARCH NOTES

The Sioux County Cemetery Index has Van Kekerix, Ardiana [i.e., Adriana], b. 1871, d. 1929 ss Jacobus, Valley View Cem Rock Valley IA.

Her death certificate has Adrianna van Kekerix; married but husband’s name not stated; born March 3, 1871 in Holland; parents Pluin Groeneweg and Adreanna Nugtern; informant Jim van Kekerix, Rock Valley; died at Rock Valley at 2:30 p.m. March 9, 1929; cause, apoplexy, duration 1 day; buried at Rock Valley March 9, 1929.

FindaGrave.com has Adrianna Groeneweg Van Kekerix, born 3 March 1871 in Barendrecht Municipality, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands; died 1 March 1929 in Rock Valley [however, the death certificate with a death date of March 9, signed and dated by the attending physician, is a more credible source for the date]; parents Pleum Groeneweg (1847-1924) and Adriana Nugteren Groeneweg (1845-1907); six siblings listed; husband Jacobus Van Kekerix (1863-1951, married 1896); children Sam Van Kekerix (1897-1975) and Andrew Van Kekerix (1904-1959). There is a photo of their joint headstone (with her name spelled Adriana).

It appears as though her husband’s formal name was Jacobus but he called himself James or Jim. There are also other inconsistencies in the family data. The 1896 Sioux County marriage register has Jakobus Van Kekerits (32) and Adriana Groneweg (25), daughter of Pluin Groeneweg and Adriana Nugteren, marrying in Hospers on March 18, 1896. The 1910 U.S. census for Sioux Township, Sioux County has farmer James Van Kekerix (46), wife Jennie [a common Anglicized form of Adriana] (38), married 17 years, both immigrated 1893, and children Paul (17), Sam (12), Mary (14), and Andrew (5). (It also shows them married 17 years, which would have been 1893, and son Paul born in Holland.) The 1920 U.S. Census for Plato Township, Sioux County has farmer Jim Kekerick (56), wife Adriana (48), and son Andrew (15). The marriage indexes on Ancestry.com for their sons Sam and Pleum [Paul] show him as Jacobus, but the marriage record for their son Andrew has him as Jim. Paul’s entry in the 1925 Iowa state census gives his parents as Jim Van Kekerix and Adriana Groneweg, and shows him as born in the Netherlands about 1893.