Kollis, Cornelius, 1877-1946

KOLLIS, KOOIMAN, BAKKER

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:36

From the Alton Democrat, November 21, 1946, Rock Valley news:

Cornelius Kollis passed away at his home in Rock Valley following an illness of over five months. Death came rather suddenly and was a shock to the family. Cornelius Kollis was born at Enkhuizen, Netherlands on January 20, 1877 and here he grew to manhood and married Wilhelmina Kooiman, September 25, 1902 to which union was born nine children, three of whom preceded him in passing.

He came with his family to America in 1912 and first located at Sanborn. The family came to the vicinity of Rock Valley in 1922 and lived here for two years, then went to Michigan in 1924 where they remained until 1928, then moved back to this vicinity. His life mate passed away December 2, 1938. Mr. Kollis spent several months at Rehoboth, New Mexico with his daughters Clara and Betty.

He is survived by six children, Sam of Paterson, N.J.; Clara of Rehoboth, N.M.; Mrs. Gertrude Scholten, Orange City; Louis of Inwood; Betty at home; Mrs. Effie Baker, Fairview, S.D. He is also survived by two sisters and one brother in the Netherlands and ten grand children.

Mr. Kollis was a devout Christian and brought his family up to follow in the way. He was a member of the Chr. Ref. church. Funeral services were held at the home on Monday at 1:30 and 2:00 in the Chr. Ref. church with Rev. Herman Kuiper[?] officiating. Burial was made in the cemetery at Inwood beside his wife.

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RESEARCH NOTES

Similar or shorter obituaries were published in other area newspapers.

His death certificate has Cornelius Kollis, resident of and died at Rock Valley, where he had lived 1 year 2 months; a retired farmer; widowed, wife Wilhelmina Kooiman; born Jan. 20, 1877 in the Netherlands; parents Simon Kollis and Effie Bakker; died at 9 a.m. November 14, 1946; immediate cause of death coronary thrombosis, duration 7 months; due to arterio-sclerosis; buried in Richland Cemetery, Inwood.

The Richland Township Cemetery (Inwood) index on the Lyon County Genweb site has entries for Wilhelmina Kollis (5-10-1875 to 12-2-1938) and Cornelius Kollis (1-20-1877 to 11-14-1946).

WieWasWie.nl has a marriage index record for groom Cornelis Kollis, age 25, a farmer, born in Enkhuizen (Noord-Holland), parents Sijmon Kollis and Aafje Bakker; bride Wilhelmina Kooijman, age 27, born in Enkhuizen, parents Lieuwe Kooijman and Trijntje van der Deure; married 25 September 1902 in Enkhuizen.

In the 1920 U.S. census, the family was farming (renting) in Lincoln Township, O’Brien County: Cornelius (42), Wilhelmina (44), sons Symon (16) and Lewie (5), and daughters Tryntje (14), Klarena (10), Geertje (7), Elizabeth (4), and Eafje (8/12). The parents and three oldest children immigrated from Holland in 1912 and were aliens; Geertje, Lewie and Eafje were born in Iowa and Elizabeth in Minnesota.

The 1925 Iowa state census shows the family living in Sioux Township, Sioux County with wife Minnie’s parents, Louis (75) and Tena (VanderKool?) (73) Kooiman.

The 1930 census shows the family farming (renting) in Sioux Township – Cornelius, Wilemina (now both naturalized), Gertrude (17), Lewis (15), Elizabeth (14), and Effie (10).

His World War I draft registration card (Sept. 1918) shows him (age 41) as a resident of Sanborn, O’Brien County, a farmer; wife Wilhelmina Kollis; an alien, has filed declaration of intention; tall, medium build, blue eyes, bald.

Ancestry.com has a 1923 passport application for a man who appears to be him: Cornelis Kollis, born Jan 20, 1877 at Enkhuizen, Netherlands, father Samuel Kollis who still resides at Enkhuizen; Cornelis emigrated to the U.S. from Rotterdam about June 1, 1912; has resided continuously in the U.S. since then, at Sanborn and Ocheyeden, Iowa, and Georgeville, Minn.; was naturalized in the District Court of Osceola County, Sibley, Iowa, on December 13, 1921[?]; currently resides at Ocheyeden, where he is a farmer; plans to leave from New York on board the Ryndam on March 5, 1923, to travel to the Netherlands to visit relatives. He is described as 46 years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall, sloping forehead, blue eyes, normal nose, medium mouth, whiskered chin, gray hair, ruddy complexion, full face, no distinguishing marks. A photo of him is included. The passport was issued February 10, 1923.