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Berend Mients Bouma was born on June 4, 1798 in Wouterswoude, the son of Mient Lammerts Bouma and Swaantje Berends. He married on May 16, 1824 in the municipality of Dantumadeel Minke Thomas London (Loudon), daughter of Thomas Thomas London (Loudon) and Ymkjen Ruurds. Minke Thomas London was born on August 25, 1800, also in Wouterswoude. The family was blessed with 3 sons: Mient, born September 25, 1825, followed by Thomas on September 13, 1829, and the last son Ytsen on December 24, 1833. All were born in Wouterswoude. On September 14, 1828 a stillborn daughter was birthed in the family, also in Wouterswoude. In the census of 1829 the Bouma family is listed as living in house number 4c at Wouterswoude and Berend Mients Bouma's occupation is given as laborer.
In July of 1834 disaster struck when suddenly father Berend Mients died at the young age of 36 years on July 25, 1834 inWouterswoude. Mother Minke remained alone with the care of her 3 young children. We can see it as a courageous deed when in 1857 she, along with her sons Thomas and Ytsen, took the step to emigrate to America. By way of Antwerp, Belgium they journey aboard the Benjamin Aymer to its destination in New York. There she sought her luck in the mostly Frisian community of Pella founded by the Rev. H. P. Scholte. About mother Minke we know little more. In the 1860 census of Summit township we find her age 60, born in the Netherlands, but there the trail ends and her date and place of death I have unfortunately not been able to find.
In Pella her sons Thomas and Ytsen were married.
In Pella on March 24, 1864, Thomas Berends Bouma and Jantze, Jannigje (also called Jane) Brewell Bruinekool were married. She was the daughter of Cornelius Jacobsen Bruinekool and Hendrikje Annie Stomphorst and was born on October 11, 1844 in Hoevelaken, the Netherlands. Cornelius Jacobsen Bruinekool and his wife Hendrikje Annie Stomphorst emigrated with 7 children to Pella. The children were in order Hendrik, Jacoba, Trijntje, Jannigje, Hendrika, Jan and Pieter. Mother Hendrikje did not see the promised land; she died on the voyage and was buried at sea.
Thomas Berends Bouma and Jane Bruinekool were blessed with 12 children. Thomas died on May 28, 1909 in Killduff, Jasper county, Iowa while Jane died on May 31, 1922 in Sully, Jasper county. Thomas was a farmer northeast of Killduff. He died of stomach cancer. Jane died of a kidney disorder. Both were buried in the Swan cemetery in Sully.
The following 2 short stories are about Jane Jane Bruinekool, spouse of Thomas Berends Bouma.
Jane was a rather small remarkable woman; when the occasion needed it she was like fire. One day son Benjamin Thomas and one of his brothers felt rather rambunctious which caused them to feel the urge to get into mischief. Mother Jane already had spoken to them and warned them a few times. Near where they were playing there was a ditch in which the water stood fairly high. Both boys decided not to obey their mother, thinking that when their mother came after them they would run to the ditch, hoping their mother would not follow because of the depth of the water.
To their consternation when Mom spoke to them again she decided to grab them. She ran after them and they ran toward the ditch. They expected that when Mom got to the ditch she would stop; but when they jumped into the ditch the by now frightened boys found Mom jumping in right after them. She grabbed them by the collars, took off her slippers and, in the middle of the ditch, gave them a good spanking. In this way she cured the boys from thinking they could make a fool of her and taught them that once warned they'd better obey. Whetter this happened once or if they tested her more often remains a question.
Another story that shows her strength and resolve is the following.
At one time Thomas Berends Bouma, Jane's husband, had bought a little bull of which he was very proud. He looked at that little bull as though it were a pet. Jane, however, wanted nothing to do with the animal which she could not stand. Jane regularly helped with milking the cows and she made an agreement with Thomas that at those times he would lock the bull in the barn. Thomas did not take her words too seriously; hence at times the bull was not in the barn when Jane went milking. For those occasions Jane had found an iron rod which she took with her in the field when she went milking.
One lovely summer's day the bull romped in the pasture when Jane went to milk the cows. After a bit the bull came sniffing in Jane's direction. Jane did not hesitate for a second. As soon as the bull came close enough she grabbed the iron rod and gave him a good one right between the horns. She hit him in a vital spot, and the bull fell dead on the ground.
Thomas saw it all from a distance and called with a shocked voice: "O, what happened to my little bull?" He gave Jane a foolish look and said again: "My darling bull, my darling little bull." Jane gave him a piercing glance and replied: "You were going to lock him in the barn when I was milking," and as far as Jane was concerned, with that the incident was closed.
We have found the following data about their 12 children:
1) Cornelius Case Bouma was born on September 15, 1866 in Pella. He married on September 21, 1892 Carrie Elizabeth Otcheck, daughter of William Frederick Otcheck and Cora Caroline Nesbitt. She was born in 1875 in Mahaska county, Iowa. The marriage was not of long duration, for on March 16, 1894 Carrie Elizabeth Otcheck died in Lynnville, Jasper county. From this union 1 son was born, Louis Clifford Bouma, on June 28, 1893 in Killduff. We'll return to him later (see child 13).
Cornelius Case Bouma remarried on May 3, 1899 in Jasper County Nellie May Trafton, daughter of George E. Trafton and Martha E. Green. Nellie was born in 1878/1879 in Iowa. This marriage also did not last long because the next month Cornelius Case Bouma died on June 28, 1899 in Richland, Keokuk county, Iowa from heart problems, He was buried in the Newton Union cemetery in Newton, Jasper County, Iowa. Cornelius Case was a farmer. When Nellie died is not known.
2) Benjamin Thomas Bouma was born on January 20, 1868 in Pella. There he married on May 30, 1898 Nettie Wilhelmina Meno Derrick, daughter of John Codbeck Derrick and Sarah A. Hurd. She was born on December 26, 1870 in Pierre, Hughes county, South Dakota. Nettie had a link with the Dutch royal family. Benjamin Thomas Bouma was a preacher and teacher. He was also an inventor and held patents. He died on January 7, 1929 at Grinnell, Poweshiek county, Iowa and was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery at Lynnville, Jasper county. From this marriage 2 sons were born: Robert Thomas on June 7, 1899 in Hill City, Graham county, Kansas and Frank John Bouma on May 17, Lynnville, Jasper county. After Benjamin Thomas died Nettie M. Derrick married on February 26, 1931 to George W. Sparks in Newton, Jasper county. Nettie M. Derrick died on July 2, 1935 in Lynnville and was also buried in the Woodlawn cemetery there.
3) Milton S. Bouma was born on October 16, 1869 in Pella. He married on February 22, 1898 in Newton Zatima Catherine More, daughter of Thomas More and Isabell Bryon. She was born on October 8, 1869 in Killduff. Milton died on September 23, 1906 in Omaha, Douglas county, Nebraska from tuberculosis. According to sources, he was the solicitor of Omaha from April 20, 1903 to his death. He was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Omaha. More than 10 years later Zatima Catherine More died on September 13, 1917 in Lincoln, Lancaster county, Nebraska. Likely she was also buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Here also a girl named Isabelle R. Bouma was buried on September 2, 1906. She is probably a daughter of the above named couple and was named after Catherine's mother Isabell.
4) Anna Bouma was born on June 16, 1871 in Killduff and died at the young age of 1 year and 3 months on September 16, 1872 from diphtheria. She was buried at the Swan cemetery in Sully.
5) Anna (Annie) Hattie Bouma was born on August 16, 1872 in Killduff. It's strange that she received the name Anna before her sister Anna (4) died. Probably Anna (4) was very ill and her parents expected her imminent demise. Anna Hattie Bouma married on September 19, 1895 in Killduff George Ancle Root/Rood. George, son of Jacob D. Root/Rood and Sarah Jane Slagel, was born on September 5, 1866/1873 in Jasper county. Their union was blessed with the birth of son Clyde G. Root. (When Annie died Clyde was 18 months old; hence he was probably born in November 1896). Alas, this marriage also did not last long, for on April 21/22, 1898 Anna Hattie Bouma died in Sully and was buried there in the Swan cemetery. What happened later to George is unknown to this day.
6) Mary Clara Bouma was born on November 2, 1874 in Killduff. She married on January 11, 1899, possibly in Killduff, Andrew Pierson Bell, son of John Pierson Bell and Amanda Jane Oldfield. Andrew was born on March 16, 1877 in Reasnor, Jasper county. Their union was blessed with 1 son, born on July 21, 1899 in Killduff, who received the name Glen Vernon Bell. This marriage also did not last long, for on January 21, 1901 Mary Clara Bouma died in Sully and was buried in the Swan Cemetery. 36 years later Andrew Pierson Bell died on July 13, 1937. He was buried in the Palo Alto cemetery near Newton. This cemetery is nicknamed Wild Cat Cemetery from which we may infer that many wildcats wandered around in it. Andrew was a farmhand by trade. From medical archives we learned that Mary Clara Bouma died from tuberculosis and her husband Andrew Pierson Bell from a heart attack.
7) Henry John Bouma was born on January 29, 1877 in Killduff. On February 25, 1903 in Newton he married Nellie Edyth Swearingen, daughter of James Lewis Mansville Swearingen and Emma Louise Lyons. Nellie was also born in Killduff on May, 2 1883. Their union was blessed with 5 children: Millicent Augusta, born August 23, 1903; Vernon Leroy, born June 21,1905; Emma Leola Marie, born March 1, 1907; Lonney Elmer, born November 30, 1910 and Nevelle Geraldine, born July 12, 1915.
Henry John Bouma died on December 13, 1919 in Clarion, Wright county, Iowa and was buried there. Henry had been a farmhand. His wife Nellie Edyth Swearingen died more than 40 years later from a heart attack on November 26, 1962 in Fort Dodge, Webster County, Iowa. She was buried at the Fort Dodge Memorial Park cemetery.
8) Katherina Bouma, also called Katie, was born on March 9, 1879 in Killduff. She died at the young age of 14 on February 26, 1894 in Sully from diphtheria and was buried in the Swan cemetery.
9) Jenneta Bouma, also called Janie, was born on September 14, 1881 in Killduff. She died at the young age of 15, also from diphtheria on January 5, 1897 in Sully and was buried with her sisters in the Swan cemetery. What pain it must have been for the parents to have lost 3 children to this disease. Before a vaccine was developed, diphtheria was one of the most common causes of death in children. Hence it was not unusual that more than 1 child died from this disease in a family. In the period wherein Katie and Janie died we can certainly speak of a diphtheria epidemic. In earlier articles in this series (see article 1 - Johannes Viersen who died aboard ship 1847 and article 2 - Tjitske Postma who died aboard ship in 1847, both of whom died from diphtheria).
10) Thomas Elmer Bouma was born on July 14, 1884 in Killduff. He married on January 28, 1913, probably in Jasper county, Gertrude Mae Smith, daughter of Lewis Smith and Jennie Strovers. She was also born in Killduff on June 25, 1890. The couple had 2 sons: Earl Elmer, born on April 18, 1916 and Kenneth Edward, born on May 27, 1922. Thomas Elmer worked for many years in a cement factory in West Des Moines. He died on December 14, 1966 in West Des Moines, Polk county and was buried there in the Resthaven cemetery. According to medical archives he died from arteriosclerosis. Gertrude died on December 26, 1974 from pneumonia and was buried beside her husband.
11) Elizabeth T. Bouma was born on October 12, 1887 in Killduff. She married on April 16, 1911 Harry Ara Wingfield, son of Ira Mullin Wingfield and Nancy Margaret Burton. Harry Ara, also called Henry Arie, was born on February 21, 1886 in Lynnville. The Wingfield couple were blessed with 3 children: Ira Leroy, born on October 21, 1912, Lola Mae, born on July 17, 1922 and Elizabeth Jane, born on May 11, 1925. We know by now that joy and sorrow are close to each other. [I have no translation for her condition, possibly she did not stop bleeding after the birth?] The condition was fatal and she died the same day, May 11, 1925 in Valley Junction, Polk county. She was buried in Woodlawn cemetery in Lynnville. Two days later the infant Elizabeth Jane died also in Valley Junction and was buried with her mother.
Harry Ara Wingfield moved to Des Moines and worked in the administration of a large concern. He died from a heart attack on January 12, 1940 in Des Moines and was buried at Woodland cemetery in Lynnville.
12) Martha T. Bouma was born on April 16, 1890 in Killduff. She married in Newton on June 10, 1914 Clyde Baker Brayton, son of Alonzo Brayton and Hannah Rebecca Haines. Clyde was born in Sully on April 9, 1888. Their union was blessed with 3 daughters and 1 son: Francis Lyle, born on December 7, 1915; Yvetta Deloris, born September 14, 1918; Loretta Darline, born January 15, 1922 and Vivian Claire, born April 7, 1926. On May 14, 1967 Martha T. Bouma died in Des Moines. According to medical reports she had heart troubles. This seems to have been a family condition since a number of her siblings also died from that. Her last place of rest is Jordan cemetery in West Des Moines. Clyde Baker worked in a car tire shop and later at the local post office. He died on February 24, 1975 from a stroke and was buried beside his wife in Jordan cemetery in West Des Moines.
13) Louis Clifford Bouma was born on Janury 28, 1893 in Killduff. He is the only son born from Cornelius Case Bouma's first marriage (see above). He was raised by his grandparents because his mother died when he was 6 months old and his father when he was 6 years old. He was, according to a will, the lawful child of Thomas Berends Bouma and Jane Bruinekool [his grandparents].
Louis married on December 23, 1914 in Newton Grace Elizabeth Chambers, daughter of George David Chambers and Mary Adeline Morris. Grace was born on March 18, 1894 in Hampton, Franklin county, Iowa. From this marriage 2 children were born: Harvey Clifford, born August 18, 1918 and Clardena, born January 28, 1925.
Louis became a noted person in Lynnville. He was city clerk, a member of the municipal council and finally Mayor of Lynnville. He was also known as a good bricklayer and fancy plasterer.
Louis Clifford Bouma died on March 22, 1964 in Lynnville, and his wife Grace Elizabeth Chambers died on May 8, 1978 inNew Sharon, Mahaska county, Iowa. According to medical records Louis died from kidney poisoning and Grace from chronic thrombosis. Both were laid to rest in Woodland cemetery in Lynnville.
Thus far the story of son Thomas.
And what transpired with son Ytsen? About him much less is known. He married on June 25, 1861 in Pella Jacoba Bruinekool, who was a daughter of Cornelius Jacobsen Bruinekool and Hendrikje Annie Stomphorst. She was born on September 30, 1839 in Hoevelaken, Gelderland, the Netherlands.
In America the sisters Jacoba and Jannigje worked as housemaids. Ytsen was called Isaac in America. According to the 1870 census the family had 3 children: daughter Mary aged 7, son Berend aged 3 and daughter Heintje aged 1. In the census of 1880 they cannot be found. But in 1900 we find them back in Nebraska. Here Isaac is listed with 2 more sons: Isaac and Henry both born in Iowa. There also seems to have been a son named Cornelius after his maternal grandfather.
The family lived in Plainview, Pierce County, Nebraska. Isaac Sr. was a farmer. Jacoba Bruinekool died on July 11, 1916 inPella and was buried there in Oakwood cemetery. The exact date of death of Isaac Bouma Sr. has not ben found (possible dates are October 21, 1929 and October 21, 1935, both in Nebraska, but we are no certain this is the correct person). We're also confronted with a lady named Emma Colson known in Plainview, Pierce County, Nebraska as Mrs. I. Bouma. She was born around 1837, died on February 16, 1894 in Plainview, Pierce County, Nebraska and was buried in Memorial Park cemetery. Was she Isaac Bouma's second wife? Was Isaac Bouma divorced from Jacoba Bruinekool who died many years later in Pella? These are questions that unfortunately we have found no answers for and that remain a puzzle for us.
Lastly we come to son Mient, the oldest of the three. He married on May 16, 1854 in the municipality of Dantumadeel Wijtske Pieters Potstra, daughter of Pieter Harpes Potstra and Attje Thomas London. Wijtske was born on July 28, 1825 at Wouterswoude.
The family was blessed with the following children: Minke, born July 19, 1855 who died October 14, 1855; Beern, born November 2, 1856; Attje, born February 26, 1859; Minke, born November 27, 1860; Pieter, born May 27, 1863 and Thomas, born July 21, 1865.
Mient likely missed his mother and brothers and probably heard through correspondence about their good fortune because in 1867 he set his course toward America with his wife Wijtske and their 5 children: Beern, Attje, Minke, Pieter and Thomas.
We find the family back in the census of 1880 in Floyd Township, Sioux county, Iowa. Meindert (Mient) is then age 55 and a widower. He is a farmer and daughter Mary (Minke) and Thomas live with him. Wijtske must alrerady have died but neither in Marion county nor in Sioux county can we find a death date for her. On August 5 1914 Meindert or Mient Bouma died, probably in Pella. He was buried in Oakwood cemetery in Pella.
What happened to the children has been hard to discover.
We know son Thomas appears in a population register of Pella in 1925 and that he was a bachelor. He lived in an old folks' home; perhaps he worked there and had a room.
About daughter Mary we know that she married G. W. Barret on January 1, 1883 in Otley. About this couple we have also found no further information.
I don't know what happened to the other children of Mient en Wijtske.
During all the detective work in America many variations on the name Bouma appeared: Bowman, Bouman, Bauma, Boume and Baama. Because of this, finding the correct people in the various population, birth, marriage and death documents is not an easy task. In addition the Frisian first names are often so changed in America that it is like searching for a needle in a haystack. We hope you understand the situation.
If you have corrections or additions I would like to hear them
Kor Postma
van Aernsmastraat 14
9104 HG Damwoude
Tel: 0511 - 422640