Site Navigation

This information on this page was contributed by Aaron Schultz.

My 4th great grandparents, Arend Boyen Arends and Eiska Tjarks (Janssen) Arends, came to the United States from Ostfriesland, in 1855. They came after just being married in 1854, and then had their six children in Illinois, and Iowa. Their children were: Esdert Hagen Arends (1857-1935), John A. Arends (1859-1948), Anke "Annie" Oelmann (1861-1928), Metta "Mattie" Noordmann (1863-1933), George Arends (1867-1953), and Elska Davids (1869-1921). Arend Arends helped build East Friesland, and he lived a mile West down the road on his farm which they settled on in 1864. Descendants still own the farm today. I am a descendant of George Arends. George had five children with his first wife, Grietje Burma (1870-1899), and one daughter with his second wife, Geraldine "Dena" (1879-1971). George and Dena then moved to CA, where they both died. They are both buried at East Friesland. I am the descendant of Dick Arends (1891-1980), George's second child, and then his daughter Evelyn (Arends) Freeseman (1914-1993). Owners of the farm are my cousins, children of Donald Glenn Arends.