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LAMMERS, GERRIT JAN AND HENDRIKA (KASTEIN)
This story is of the first ancestral Lammers families in the Sioux Center area. Most of the families in this area with Lammers as their surname have descended from this couple.
The Gerrit Jan Lammers family came to America in 1867 about the same time the other families of his wife's side came, also. Gerrit Lammers was married to Hendrika Kastein in Dinxperloo, Netherlands and four children were born to them there; William, Ralph, Dirk and Johanna.

The Kasteins that came to Alton, Wisconsin were Henrika's parents; Roelof and Elizabeth (Ter Beest) stayed in Alto; Kastein, a brother Benart Kastein with his wife Fredrika Ten Brink came to Sioux Center; a sister Wilhelmina (Mrs. John Vande Berg) who came to Sioux Center; a sister Johanna (Mrs. Gerrit Boeyink) who came to Sioux Center; and a sister Theodore (Mrs. John Hagen) who stayed in Alto. There are separate stories in this book on those mentioned families that came to Sioux Center.

Hendrika Kastein was born December 17, 1838, in Dinxperloo, Gelderland Netherlands. Gerrit Jan Lammers is believed to have been born there also. Her parents were Roelof Kastein and Elizabeth Ter Beest and his parents were Jan Lammers and wife. Just a few years after Gerrit Jan and Hendrika came to Alton, Wisconsin, Gerrit died in about 1873. In the early 1880's the family came to the Sioux Center area. The older boys found work and became farmers here. The family first went to church at the Christian. Reformed church in Orange City, and later joined the Christian Reformed church in Sioux Center in about 1890.

The Kastein Sisters: L-R: Theodora (Mrs. John Hagen) Hendrika (Mrs. Gerrit Jan Lammers),
Johanna (Mrs. Gerrit Boeyink) and Wilhelmina (Mrs. Jan "John" Vande Berg).
The mother Hendrika Lammers married Jan "John" Van't Hull and after he died on November 21, 1907, she lived with her son, William, and wife Aaltje Nykamp or Neikamp. She died July 8, 1921.
The information following is what could be gathered on the children of Gerrit Jan Lammers and Hendrika Kastein.

William Lammers was [born] October 10, 1861 in the Netherlands. He married Aaltje" Alice" Nykamp who was born May 1866. They farmed near Sioux Center and had no children. William died in 1953 and Alice died in 1927.

Ralph Lammers was born November 14, 1863. He married Johanna born June 30,1856. They left the Sioux Center area and lived various places, Wisconsin, California, and Oregon. They had seven children; John J., Henry, Lizzy, Dick, William, Arthur, and George Lammers. Ralph Lammers died August 23, 1931 and his wife died June 5, 1920. Johanna's maiden name may have been Ter Beest.

L-R Four generations about 1912. Mrs. Gerrit
Jan Lammers (Hendrika Kastein) baby is Mina
(Lammers), Mrs. Cornie Hamelink, John
Lammers, and Dirk Lammers.
Dirk Lammers was born February 3, 1865 and he married Hermina Nykamp. She was born August 27, 1863, Hermina and William's wife Alice were Nykamp (sisters). They farmed near Sioux Center and were parents of eleven children, one infant died. Their children ware: Gerrit Jan, Jannigje "Jane" (Mrs. John Addink), Gerrit, Henry, Aaltje (Mrs. Art Franken), William, Ralph, Hendrika (Mrs. Bart Van Donge), Johanna (Mrs. Louis Klein) and Elizabeth (Mrs. Ed Van Donge). Dirk Lammers died October 5, 1944 and Hermina Nykamp Lammers died December 21, 1935.

Dora Lammers married Gerrit Jan Schut born January 8, 1866 on March 12,1889. They were from the Carmel, Iowa, area and the parents of eleven children: Fannie (Mrs. Arie De Vos), Henrietta (Mrs. Bert Van Voorst), Sander Schut died at 4 yrs., Jennie (Mrs. Henry Nicolay), Gertrude (Mrs. Henry Sneider), Irene (Mrs. Charles A. Rochwell), Wilhelmina died as a young child, Theodora, Gerrit, Sam, William, and an infant that died. Mrs. Dora Lammers died on March 18, 1945.

Johanna Lammers married Godfrey Beckman and they were from Hull, Iowa. Later they lived at Artesia, Ca. They are the parents of six children: Charlie, George, Gertrude, Cara, Myrtle, and Esther.

Elizabeth Lammers married Everet Te Paske on February 3, 1887. He was a blacksmith in Orange City for some time. They were the parents of six children: Allie, (Mrs. John Lubbers) Sarah (Mrs. John Skoft), John Te Paske, Francis (Mrs. Arthur Visser or Fisher), Leo Te Paske, and Eva (Mrs. John Hoekstra).

by Wilma J. Vande Berg

Source: Sioux Center Iowa 1991 Centennial Book--Family Contributor, Mary Haverhals