Koster, John, 1855-1940

KOSTER, DEMOTTS, DEMOTS, SIEMENS

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/30/2022 at 12:05:33

From the Sioux Center News, February 8, 1940:

John Kosters, 85, Passes Away at Sanborn

John Kosters, resident of Sioux Center many years ago, passed away at his home in Sanborn last Saturday. The funeral was held on Tuesday. Mr. Kosters was 85 years old.

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From the Sanborn Pioneer, February 8, 1940:

John Koster Dies After Short Illness

John Koster, a prominent and respected resident of Sanborn for twenty-rive years, passed away at his home shortly after noon Saturday, February 3, 1940, after an illness of two weeks. Before his last illness he had been in good health and though well past 80 years of age, was a robust and active man. The illness took a serious turn very soon. Miss Marian Irving, a registered nurse, was secured to care for him and all that medical science and loving hands could do, was done for him but God’s will differed and he went to a better world after a short time of suffering.

John Koster was born May 3, 1855 at Ermolo, Gelderland, The Netherlands, and was in his eighty-fifty year at the time of his death. He came to the United States with his parents when he was 12 years old, settling at Holland, Mich.

When a young man he went to New Holland, S. Dak. And it was there he met and married Miss Katie Siemens on March 1, 1886. They lived in and near that place until 1915, when they moved to Sanborn and purchased the farm at the northeast edge of town, where they have since resided, but he retired from the farm work, leasing his land to tenants.

Mr. Koster is survived by his wife and four children: two daughters, Mrs. A. Van Kley of Rock Valley and Mrs. Marie Donkersloot, Boyden; two sons, Jake and William; also four grandchildren.

Mr. Koster was an active member of the Christian Reformed church at Sanborn. He will be greatly missed in his home circle, in the church circle and among his neighbors and friends.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at one o’clock in the home and at 1:30 at the Christian Reformed church, the Rev. Wm. Van Rees in charge. Burial was made in Roseland Cemetery. Pallbearers were M. Zonnefeld, Jake Elgersma Sr., Wm. Elgersma, John Kooistra, Wm. Vegter and Wm. Snip.

Relatives and friends from out of town attending the funeral were: Mr. and Mrs. Ed Essink, Mr. and Mrs. Vander Ploeg, Mrs. B. Roskamp, Mrs. J. Roskamp, Geo. Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. B. Schreur, Geo. Schreuer, Mrs. J. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. B. Davis, Irene Vander Ploeg, and Miss Della Davis, all of Kanawha, Ia.; Harm Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Primus, of Wellsburg, Ia.; Mr. and Mrs. J. Siemens, M. Siemans, Goldfield, Ia.; H. Primus and C. Primus, Steamboat Rock, Ia.; Lee B. Primus, Des Moines; Neal Mouw, Sioux Center; A. Van Kley and family, Rock Valley; Wm. Vugteveen, Mr. and Mrs. P. Steve DeJong, Hospers; Hattie Niemand Verdriet, Maurice; Mrs. P. Mouw, Henri Kooi, and S. DeJong, of Orange City.

(This obituary was reprinted in De Volksvriend, February 15, 1940.)

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From the Sanborn Pioneer, February 15, 1940:

John Koster An Early Settler in N.W. Iowa

The life of the late John Koster, whose death we recorded last week, contained some very interesting incidents which were overlooked in the hurry of preparing the obituary for last week’s issue. As they were of interest and also great importance in this part of the state, we relate them for this issue.

The parents of John Koster, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Koster, Sr., were early settlers in Sioux county, having homesteaded 80 acres of land, which is now included in the site of Sioux Center. The Koster home which they built there was one of the best in the township; it is still standing and in good repair.

When the Koster family first came to this country from the Netherlands, they settled at Holland, Mich., but came to Sioux county when that county was first opened for homesteading, being among the first to arrive.

The deceased (John Koster) had very interesting anecdotes to relate of those early days, such as breaking up the sod with an ox team, also about his experience as postmaster, with the office in their farm home. When the Milwaukee railroad was built he was manager of feeding the crew on one division. Their nearest railroad town was LeMars; wheat for flour was taken to the Sheldon mill.

Later, in about the year 1883, John Koster went to New Holland, S. Dak. when that town was first settled and again went through the same experience of pioneering, encountering the “grasshopper years” and the “blizzard of 1888.” In that year he was married to the helpmate who shared the rest of his life. While at New Holland, he engaged in the mercantile business. He was also the first postmaster there. There was a bitter fight between the republicans and democrats at that time, he being a staunch republican and always on the front line of the battle and standing by his principles. Mr. Koster served many years as Deacon of the church at New Holland. He was energetic and ambitious all his life to the very end.

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RESEARCH NOTES

His death certificate (informant Mrs. J. Koster) has John Koster, age 84 years 9 months 0 days; born May 3, 1855 in Ermelo, Netherlands; parents Jacob Koster and Marion De Motts; in the United States 72 years; wife Katie Siemens Koster, age 72; occupation, retired farmer; died in Sanborn at 12:15 p.m. February 3, 1940; cause, purpura hemorrhagica, onset Jan. 30, 1940; due to influenza, onset Jan. 20, 1940.

His FindaGrave.com page has a photo of the joint headstone of father John (1855-1940) and mother Katie (1867-1947); “there shall be no night there.”

WieWasWie.nl has a birth index record for Jan Koster, parents Jacob Koster, age 29, a farmer, and Maaitje de Mots, age 25; born 4 May 1855 in Teigt (Ermelo), Gelderland.