Pike Township Bekker Family Stories
GERRIT BEKKER
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, page 214-215
By Alberta BekkerGerrit Bekker, sometimes called Barney or Ben, came to America from Holland with his parents, Johannes Bekker and Gertrude Salemink Bekker, in February of 1882, when he was five years old. The family lived in the West Liberty and Nichols area. He married Teresa TeVoert and reared six children. They farmed in the Nichols are until his death in 1946.
One son, Raymond Bekker, and a daughter, Alice Bekker Stych, are deceased. Two sons, Bernard Bekker and Ed Bekker, reside in Muscatine. A daughter, Agnes Bekker Slater, lives at Grandview, Iowa, and a daughter, Alberta Bekker Raasch, is at Clinton, Iowa.
Mr. Bekker was an active member of St. Mary’s church at Nichols. One of his hobbies was photography, at which he was quite adept. Also, he sometimes helped the local mortician. He told the story that when a certain citizen died, the family lamented that they did not have a picture of their deceased loved one. So the deceased was propped to a sitting position, and Grandpa Bekker took a picture for the relatives.
Return to Family Stories Index Return to Muscatine Co. IAGenWeb, Index Page
Page created December 5, 2010 by Lynn McCleary