Beukelman, Willempje (Mrs. Cornelis) & Children's Families

BEUKELMAN, GROENEVELD, BRAA, VANDERLINDEN

Posted By: Wilma J. VandeBerg -volunteer (email)
Date: 3/13/2025 at 16:04:02

Beukelman, Willempje Groeneveld, Mrs. Cornelis, &her children’s families

This biography of the Pioneer family of Willempje Groeneveld, Mrs. Cornelis Beukelman, was composed by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. This narrative was made from various sources including records from the Netherlands web site www.wiewaswie.nl ; our local web site  www.iagenweb.org/sioux ; family reports and vitals collected from ancestry.com records and it’s public member trees, Find A Grave index and various local archives, books and publications.

Disclaimer: Names, dates and places may very form one source to another, but have been stated in this biography as presented in the source. Family data taken from ancestry.com public member trees is subject to the submitter of data to ancestry.com and was not verified by this submitter. Information was cross checked from sources where possible.

FAMILY HISTORY – OH! The grief, trials and hardships of this family tears at the heart strings yet with great strength and fore sight they kept treading on ward! Cornelis and Willempje married in the Netherlands and had multiple children being born and died as infants and children. There were three Adrianus and Hendriks and two Abrams born. If one child named Adrianus died the next child born was named Adrianus. Seven of the some 14 children born to this couple survive to adulthood. This process of naming children was called the Patronymic naming system Wet winter conditions, childhood diseases and economic situations took a toll on poor farming families during that time period. After her husband died in the Netherlands in 1856 Willempje moved her family to America. The immigration information finally found on Ancestry.com Passenger and immigration lists W. Groeneveld age 57 (used Willempje’s maiden name) born 1811 arrived 1868 port uncertain, head of household W. Groeneveld and 7 children. Record located in the Algemeen Rijksarchief Netherlands. Source Robert P. Swierenga Emigrants to USA 1835-1880. The actual ship’s record must not exist any more.

What a tough courageous, sturdy, energetic, giant of a pioneer lady, first in her married life she loses many children in death in the Netherlands, then braves the ship’s crossing to America with seven chldren , then lives a short few year in the Pella area, then moves by covered wagon to Sioux County IA in 1870 and then in later life lives in Harrison South Dakota.

Early American pioneering life of the Beukelman family, they left the Pella Iowa area after having been there about two years. Quoting from page 25 in the Book ‘Story of Sioux County’ by Charles Dyke, “Early in the spring of 1870 five wagons left the Pella vicinity, Van De Waa taking the lead, as he and his team had traveled the road several times. With him was his father in law, Gerrit Van De Steeg, H. J. Luymes, Arie van Der Meide and Arie Beukelman, with his mother and sister Soetje, the only women in the party, and the first women in the colony. Several miles north of Pella, Jelle Pelmulder and several others joined them. They started out in high spirits and all went well until they come to a bridge on which the approach was washed out so they it had to be crossed in an oblique manner. The drivers of the first four teams saw the danger and missed the washout. But the team of the Beukelman family being blind, and having a third horse tied behind the driver did not avoid the danger, he drove straight across the floor of the bridge being loose, it tipped upwards and the horses and wagon with its occupants fell off the bridge into almost two feet of water. Immediately several fellow travelers hastened to the rescue, expecting some of the family to be killed, as the load was heavy but both Mrs. Beukelman and her daughter had fallen outside the wagon while her son although under the load was found to be only slightly hurt when rescued. The only serious result of the accident was the drowning of a box full of chickens which had been overlooked and not pulled out in time to save them in the general excitement. As the wagon was damaged and the household foods got wet, the train stopped half a day to repair the wagon and dry the bedding and clothing by spreading it on the grass. Mrs. Beukelman had some paper money with her that got very wet, but she attended to the drying of the herself. She was a very energetic woman.

The wagon repaired and the household goods dried and reloaded, the wagon train went on through swampy land, When they now came to a bridge it was first tested as they wanted no more accidents if avoidable. It took nineteen days to make the trip of less then three hundred miles. Safety first became the watchword, and better slow that sorry.
After a time living on their homestead located Township 95 Range 43 in the 1870 census; some people living some ways from them had a child sick with one of the childhood ailments. Those people included the widow Beukelman and sons Peter and Case – and he was a ‘case’ and Arie, and daughter Zoetje, Mrs. Beukelman was the first woman homesteader in Sioux County. The older sons, Pete and Case were irrepressible humorists and practical jokers, played a routine of witchcraft on the sick child in a bizarre spectacle” The compiler of this narrative will leave the rest of the witchery ordeal in the book to the reader of the account in the ‘Sioux County History Book’ ...the supposed witches were the Beukelman boys Case and Pete who got a big kick out of the silly business, but not so with the parents.

RESEARCH FAMILY HISTORY Sources - ancestry.com births, marriages and deaths; ancestry.com public member trees; Find A Grave; local archives; www.wiewaswie.nl and more.

Cornelis Beukelman the patriarch of this clan died at Zuidland, Zuid Holland, Netherlands 13 Dec 1856.
Also his son, Willem, died 5 Sep 1858 Zuidland ZH Netherlands. Sometime thereafter the widow and children immigrated to America, as Netherlands archives listse y thear of immigration of 1868, in 1870 she with her children and belongings left the Pella area for Sioux County Iowa and the newly established colony of settlers. It is established that the family immigrated from the Netherlands several years in 1868, they must have accumulated possessions and the means to make the trip to Iowa in a prairie schooner wagon driven by horse teams just two years later.

1868 – As established the immigration years was 1868 also in Hendrik’s 1910 census record it indicates they came in 1868. The Dutch immigration indexes of Robert Swierenga that were taken from families leaving the Netherlands indicate that W. Groeneveld (Willempje Groeneveld Beukelman) they used her maiden name, came to America in 1868 with seven children.

1870 Census of Sioux county IA Township 95, Range 42, Eliza Buckleman (error - was Willempje Beukelman) born abt 1805 (1812) born Holland with Susan Buckleman (Zoetje) born abt 1855, sons Ira (Arie) Buckleman age 22, Cornelius Buckleman age 26. There were other brothers, Pieter and Hendrik that must have come before or separately as not noted in the 1870 census record.

1875 - Oct 21 1875 Cornelis ‘Case’ Beukelman obtained a final homestead deed for Township 95 North Range 44 West section 6.

1880 Census of Holland Tsp. Sioux County Iowa Willemptje Beukelman age 68 born about 1812 born in Netherlands, Widowed, Children at home Peter 35 and Arie 33.

FAMILY GENEALOGY RESEARCH – sources www.wiewaswie.nl ; Ancestry.com birth marriages and deaths; Ancestry.com public member trees submitted by others; local archives on www.iagenweb.org/sioux ; Find A Grave & www.genealogie.nl etc.

Cornelis Abrahamsz Beukelman was born 16 Nov 1798 at Abbenbroek, Zuid Holland Netherlands he died 13 Dec 1856 at Zuidland, Zuid Holland, Netherlands and was the son of Abraham Pietersz Beukelman born 26 Jul 1775 Abbenbroek, ZH, Nethelands and died 7 Jan 1856 Heenvliet, Zuid Holland, Netherlands ; and Aafje Cornelisd Braa born 8 May 1774 Abbenbroek, ZH, Netherlands and died 2 Jan 1848 Abbenbroek, ZH, Netherlands.

Cornelis Abranhamz Beukelman married Willempje Groeneveld 16 Jun 1831, Oudenhoorn, Zuid Holland, Netherlands. Willempje had a daughter Aafje, born 16 May 1831 Oudenhoorn, Zuid Holland, Netherlands when she was 18 yrs old just prior to her marriage to Cornelis. She was baptized as Beukelman.

Willempje Adrianusdr Groeneveld born 24 May 1812 Oudenhoorn, Zuid Holland, Netherlands died 6 Jun 1889 Harrison, Douglas Co. SD. Her parents were Adrianus Bastiaanz Groeneveld born 26 Jan 1786 Nieuw Helvoet Netherlands and died 10 Jan 1835 Oostvoorne Netherlands; and Zoetje Hendriks Van Der Linden born 19 Jan 1793 Ouderhoorn, Netherlands and died 7 Apr 1841 Oostvoorne, Netherlands. .

CHILDREN: of Cornelis and Willempje: from various afore mentioned sources.

1. Aafje ‘Effie’ Groeneveld Beukelman Plooster born 16 May 1831 to Willempje Groeneveld named Beukelman by Cornelis Beukelman, Oudenhoorn, Zuid Holland, Netherlands died 7 Mar 1910 at Harrison, Douglas, SD. She married Leendert Plooster 1825-1905. They were the parents of a large family (the 1900 census of Douglas Co. SD indicates a total of 20 children born with 8 living) – Jaape 1852-1852, Cornelius 1854-1916, Adrianan 1855-1856, Adrianus 1856-1857, Simon 1857-1933, Adrian -child 1858-1864, James/Jannis 1859-1935, Jaape Vander Brake 1860-1939, Abraham 1861-1962, Willem 1863-1864, Willempje 1864-1865, Willem 1866-1924, Willempje twin 1868-1868, Zoetje 1868-1868, Willempje Minnie Brink 1869-1943, JaneJannetje Schryvers 1870-1934, Abraham 1871-1873, Zoetje 1873-1873, Zoetje Susie 1875-1910.

2. Adrianus Beukelman born 5 Aug 1832 Abbenbroek, Zuid Holland Netherlands died 8 Sep 1834 Abbenbroek, ZH, Netherlands

3. Abram Beukelman born 3 Dec 1833 Abbenbroek, Zuid Holland, Netherlands died 1834 Abbenbroek, ZH, Netherlands

4. Adrianus Beukelman born 6 Jan 1835 Abbenbroek, Zuid Holland, Netherlands died 26 Jan 1835 Abbenbroek, ZH. Netherlands

5. Adrianus Beukelman born 16 Dec 1835 Abbenbroek, Zuid Holland, Netherlands died 11 May 1855 Abbenbroek ZH. Netherlands

6. Abram Beukelman born 26 Sept 1837 Abbenbroek, Zuid Holland, Netherlands died Mar 1896, Sioux Center IA. His wife was Nellie Bliek born 1 Feb 1844 Zuid Holland, Netherlands died 27 Apr 1915 Sioux Center Iowa. The De Volksvriend of Mar 5th in the Harrison Globe news states that Abr. Beukelman is with his wife in Sioux Center. De Volksvriend of Orange City states the A. Beukelman has died. The Sioux Center Nieuwsblad of March 11, 1896 In Dutch
Translated : Jacob (Abram) Beukelman, father-in-law of H. J. de Groot, who had arrived from Dakota, died Friday evening The funeral took place Monday afternoon from the Chr. Ref. church over here. Iowa census of 1895 lists Abram Beukelman living in Sioux Center in 1895 with wife Lena and children Cornelius, Abram, and Nellie. Find a Grave lists their children Lena Mrs. Bert Schouten 1884-1952, Aafje Mrs. Peter Berghuis 1877-1958, Cornelis Beukelman 1867-1839, Johannah Mrs. Hendrik De Groot 1866-1957, Willempje Mrs. John DeGroot 1871-1926, Abraham Beukelman 1887-1968 died Sioux Center , Zoetje Mrs. Robert Van Drimmelen 1883-1961 died Los Angeles CA.

7. Hendrik 29 June 1839 Abbenbroek, Zuid Holland, Netherlands Netherlands and died 8 Jan 1841 Abbenbroek, Zuid Holland, Netherlands

8. Pieter 16 Nov. 1840 Abbenbroek, Zuid Holland, Netherlands and died 30 Jan 1843 Zuidlan,d Zuid Holland Netherlands, at about 3 years of age.

9. Cornelis Beukelman born 17 May 1842 Zuidland, Zuid Holland, Netherlands d. 2 Apr 1919, Harrison, Douglas, SD.
Census of 1900 living in Iowa Douglas SD, C. Beukelman age 56 born May 1844 Immigration year 1870 (referring to immigration to Sioux County from Pella) Married Nellie Vanden Berge in 1874, he was naturalized, and a farmer. Children born to them were John 18, Willempje 18, Affie 15, Jan 13, Arie 11, Nellie 6, Gertie 2. The children listed on Find A Grave were – Gertrude Vander Wal, Cornelius Hendrik Marston Beukelman, Arie C. Beukelman, Elizabeth Van Den Hoek, Wilmina Biesheuvel, John Beukelman, Zoetje Westra, Adrian Michiel Beukelman, and Effie Biesheuvel.

10. Hendrik Beukelman born 4 Oct 1843 Zuidland, Zuid Holland, Netherlands d. 13 May, 1914 Harrison SD. Census of 1910 living in Iowa, Douglas, SD Henry Beukelman age 56 born Oct 1843 Holland. Wife was Adrinna married 1870 in USA 30 years, was naturalized. Children – Jacob, 23, Mennie 20, Anna 18, James 18, Willie 14. On Find a Grave Hendrik’s wife was Adriana Rouwerd born 1841-1907, Children were – Jane Van Otterloo, Henry Nieuwendorp, Minnie Sluiter, Cornelius Hendrik Beukelman, Jacob H. Beukelman, William Henry Beukelman, James Hendrik Beukelman and Lena Van Heukelom.

11. Pieter Beukelman born 11 Dec 1844 Zuidland Netherlands and died 10 Jan 1936 Leota MN buried at Middleburg IA.
1910 census of Sheridan Township Sioux county Peter Beukelman age 62, born Netherlands, immigrated 1868, wife Flora age 50 married 25 years mother of 9 children, Cornelius 23, Marinus 27, Adrianus 21, Nellie 10, William 19, Minnie 16 Arie 17 and Emma 9.
Find a Grave lists wife as Dirkje Bomgaars 1860-1916, Children as William Beukelman, Edward Arie Beukelman, Marinus P. Beukelman, Nellie Beukelmand, Neal Beukelman, Emma Gertrude Karssen, James Beukelman and Minnie Vos.

12. Arie Beukelman born 12 Apr 1848 Zuidland, Zuid Holland Netherlands d. 1 Aug 1897 Harrison Douglas Co. SD. He married Jannetje Reekers born 1867-1941. Three children listed on Find a Grave were - Cornelius A. Beukelman, Albert A. Beukelman and Wilhelmina A. Wiersma.

13. Willem 4 Aug 1850 Zuidland , Zuid Holland Netherlands d. 6 Sept 1858 Abbenbroek ZH Netherlands

14. Zoetje 24 Apr 1854 Zuidland, Zuid Holland Netherlands died Oct 1875 Sioux County IA married Gerrit Draayom 1851-1964 on 9 Dec 1874 Orange City IA. They had one child - William Draayom born 2 Oct 1875 Hospers IA died 3 Oct 1964 Parkston, SD buried Hospers, IA.

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Picture of a courageous, energetic, sturdy pioneer woman, Willempje Groeneveld Mrs. Cornelie Beukelman, as found on Find A Grave on line.

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