Grootes, Peter Dirk, 1865-1942

GROOTES, BRINKHUIS

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

From the Rock Valley Bee, October 9, 1942:

Peter Dirk Grootes, 77, passed away at the Twin Falls hospital September 24, 1942, at 8:30 a.m., following a heart attack suffered the previous day.

Born at Westzaan, Holland, on January 27, 1865, he came to Iowa at the age of 17, returning to his native land twice to visit his family. Mr. Grootes located near Newkirk, this county, and on September 18, 1888, married Geziena Alyda Brinkhuis. To this union one son and three daughters were born.

On leaving Newkirk the family moved to Rock Valley where he was engaged in the hardware business for more than twenty years. Because of ill health, he went to Idaho in 1921, settling near Kimberly on a farm operated by his boyhood friend, Mike te Veltrup, who had been associated with him in his business in Rock Valley.

[portions of this paragraph are torn off] For the past [missing] he operated a da[missing]. In recent years [missing] failed, it was Mike who [missing] many of his responsibilities.

Surviving are his wife [missing] Grootes, Kimberly; his son [missing] Melert Grootes, Twin Falls; his daughters, Mrs. Marie Bloem, Ames, Iowa; Mrs. Peter Mulder and Mrs. Howard Johnson, of Kimberly; and his six grandsons, Robert and Delmar Bloem, Charles, Franklin and John Henry Mulder and 9-weeks-old Billy Johnson with whom he had had a snapshot taken the Sunday preceding his death.

He was a member of the Kimberly Methodist church and a former member of the Odd Fellows lodge of Rock Valley. Among his mementoes were several clippings from the Rock Valley Bee. One of these, the birth announcement of his youngest daughter, Alma Mae, he had saved for more than thirty years.

Mr. Grootes will be missed in Kimberly and especially by the neighborhood youngsters whose friend he was. He was always willing to help them and let them use his tools and workshop.

Funeral services were held Monday at the Kimberly Methodist church and interment was at Sunset Memorial Park, Twin Falls.

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From the Twin Falls, Idaho, Times-News, September 24, 1942:

Peter De. Grootes Called by Death

Peter Dirk Grootes, 77, operator of a dairy farm at Kimberly, died at 8:30 a.m. today at the Twin Falls county general hospital, where he had been a patient since yesterday.

Born in Holland, he came to this country in 1917 and was a naturalized citizen. He was a member of the Reformed Dutch church and a former member of the Odd Fellows lodge. Mr. Grootes had been a resident of Kimberly since 1925. He came to Idaho from Rock Valley, Ia., in 1921, settling on a farm at Hansen, and moving in 1925 to the Kimberly section.

Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Grootes, Kimberly; a son, Dr. M. Grootes, Twin Falls, and three daughters, Mrs. Delko Bloen, Ames, Ia.; Mrs. P. Mulder, Kimberly, and Mrs. Howard Johnson, Twin Falls.

Also surviving is a sister in Holland, 87 years of age. The brother and sister had been in frequent correspondence and only recently she had expressed her thankfulness for a bomb shelter to which she could go in an emergency. This fact had brought consolation to Mr. Grootes, relatives said.

Funeral services will be held next Monday at the Kimberly Methodist church, the hour of services to be announced. Interment will be in Sunset memorial park/ The body rests at the Reynolds funeral home.

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From the Twin Falls Times-News, September 28, 1942:

Impressive Rites For P. D. Grootes

Impressive last rites were conducted this afternoon at the Kimberly Methodist church for P. D. Grootes, well-known dairy farmer. Rev. S. D. Trefren, pastor of the church, officiated. Mrs. A. A. Arnold and Mrs. Ben Potter sang a duet, and Mrs. Arnold presented a solo, accompanied by Mrs. Joe Lincoln. Pallbearers were W. D. Herndon, Carl Emerson, O. J. Bellwood, Carl Thiene, Leo Urban and Fred Dodds, all of Kimberly. Interment was in Sunset memorial park, under the direction of the Reynolds funeral home chapel.

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RESEARCH NOTES

His death certificate gives his death place Twin Falls County Hospital, where he had been ½ day; usual residence Kimberly, Idaho; lived in Idaho 21 years; former residence Rock Valley, Iowa; born January 27, 1865 in Holland; wife Gazena, age 71; occupation: ran small dairy, 21 years; retired hardware merchant, worked at this occupation 32 years; died at 8:30 a.m. September 24, 1942; cause, coronary occlusion, due to arteriosclerosis.

His FindaGrave.com page adds his birthplace, Westzaan, Zaanstad Municipality, Noord-Holland; wife Gezina Aleida Brinkhuis Grootes (1870-1955); and a photo of his headstone.

The 1900 U.S. census for Hospers, Sioux County has Peter Grootes, age 35, born Jan. 1865 in the Netherlands, immigrated 1881, naturalized, married 12 years, a grocer; wife Gezina (30), mother of 3 children, all living, immigrated 1881; children Marie (12), Dena (10), and Meyert (7), all born in Iowa; brother Jan P. (36), born 1864 in the Netherlands, immigrated 1892, alien, no occupation given.

The 1930 census for Kimberly, Twin Falls County, Idaho, has P. D. Grootes (65), age 23 at marriage, born in Holland, immigrated 1882, naturalized, a dairy farmer; wife Geziena (60), age 18 at marriage, born in Holland, immigrated 1882, naturalized; daughter Alma Mae (19), born in Iowa; and boarder [mangled first name] te Veltrup (60), single, born in Holland, a hardware store salesman.

In 1940, Peter D., Geziena, and lodger Mike M te Veltrup are still living on a farm in Kimberly; Peter has no occupation listed, and Mike is a dairy attendant.