Stapert, Willemke “Wilma” (Mrs. Jelle), 1865-1940

STAPERT, KROESE, KROEZE, DEJONG, VANKEIMPEMA

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/31/2022 at 21:13:00

From the Alton Democrat, June 21, 1940 – Orange City Happenings

[text is fuzzy]

Mrs. Jelle Stapert, born Williamje Kroese, passed away on Monday evening in the home of her daughter, Mrs. August Egdorf of Jeffers, Minn. Funeral services will be held this Thursday afternoon at one o’clock at her home and 1:30 at the First Chr. Ref. church at Orange City, with Rev. [illegible] of Sheldon in charge.

Mrs. Stapert was born at Friesland, Netherlands in 1866[?], and came to America in 1884. In 1886 she was married to Mr. Harm De Jong in Michigan. The latter died in [illegible]. Three children were born to them, all of whom survive their mother: Mrs. August Egdorf of Jeffers, Minn., John of Hartley and James of Sanborn. In 1914 she was married to Mr. Jelle Stapert, who passed away in 1936.

For the past several months she had lived with her son John at Hartley and about a week ago went to live with her daughter. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 3[?] great grandchildren. Burial will be made in the Sheldon cemetery.

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From the Sioux County Capital, June 20, 1940:

MRS. JELLE STAPERT

Mrs. Jelle Stapert, who has been staying with her daughter Mrs. August Egdorf at Jeffers, Minn. for the past two months, died Tuesday morning at 1:30 at her daughter’s home at the age of 74 years after an illness of about a week. Cause of death was hemorrhages of the stomach.

She was born December 14, 1865 in Ooster Bierem, Friesland, and was the former Fillempje [i.e., Willempje] Kroeze. On May 20, 1886 she married Herman De Jong at Grand Rapids, Mich. After his death on March 13, 1911 she married Jelle Stappert in 1914. Mr. Stappert died Dec. 8, 1936.

She is survived by 3 children: John De Jong of Hartley, Jim De Jong of Sanborn and Dora, Mrs. August Egdorf of Jeffers, Minn.; 14 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; 3 brothers and 3 sisters, Ike Kroeze of Sanborn, Gerrit Kroeze of Orange City, John Kroeze of Sheldon, Mrs. R. Donkersloot of Sheldon, Mrs. Pete Boer of Sanborn, and Mrs. Bert Scheelhaas of Edgerton, Minn.

The body arrived at Van Etten’s funeral parlors Tuesday evening. The funeral is being held today at 1 p.m. at her home in Orange City with Rev. Mr. F. Schuurman in charge and at 1:30 p.m. at the First Christian Reformed church here with Rev. Mr. Bajema of Sheldon officiating. Interment will be made in the Sheldon cemetery.

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An obituary (in Dutch) was also published in De Volksvriend, June 27, 1940. It says that she came to America in 1888, and married Herman de Young in Michigan in 1890. A few years later they moved to Orange City, and then to Archer, where her husband died on 13 March 1914. In August of that same year she married Jelle Stapert, and about two years later, in 1916, they came to Orange City, where her second husband died in 1936. It lists her survivors as above, calling her sons John and Jim De Young; her brother Ike Kroeze is here called Eise.

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RESEARCH NOTES

The Jeffers Review (June 27, 1940) has a paragraph about her death, adding no additional information and calling her Willamina Stapert.

Her death certificate, 1940-MN-003060 (informant Mrs. Dora Egdorf) gives her name as Wilhelmina Stapert, widow of Jelle Stapert; usual residence Orange City, Iowa; born December 14, 1866 in the Netherlands; parents Johannes Kroeze and Wilhelmina Kroeze; died in Delton Township, Cottonwood County, Minn., where she had been for 10 days, at 2:20 a.m. June 18, 1940; immediate cause, ca. [carcinoma?] of stomach, duration 6 months; due to gastric hemorrhages, duration 10 days; buried in Orange City.

Her FindaGrave.com page has her as Wilma Kroese Stapert, born 12 Dec 1865 in Franekeradeel Municipality, Friesland, Netherlands; died 11 June 1940 in Cottonwood, Lyon County, Minnesota, buried in East Lawn Cemetery, Sheldon. There is a photo of her headstone: “Mother Wilma De Jong Stapert 1866-1940.” Parents Johannes Kroese (1835-1916) and Jetske Eises Van Keimpema Kroese (1840-1922). Three siblings listed: Gertie Kroese Donkersloot (1869-1953), Hans Kroese (1873-1964), and Tillie Kroese Boer (1877-1943). Husbands Harmen Ymen De Jong (1858-1911, married 1886) and Jelle S. Stapert (1863-1936, married 1914). Three children listed: Hattie Stapert Siebersma (1891-1961), Dora DeYoung Egdorf (1893-1944), and James Harmen DeYoung (1894-1978).

WieWasWie.nl has a birth index record for Willemke Kroese, parents Johannes Kroese and Jetske Van Keimpema, born 12 Dec 1865 in Barradeel, Friesland.

The Michigan County Marriage Records index on Ancestry.com has Wilhellemina Kroeze, age 21, and Harmen Dejong, age 27, married in Vriesland, Ottawa County, 20 May 1886.

The 1900 U.S. census for Grand Rapids, Mich. shows Harm DeJong (41), born in the Netherlands, immigrated 1882, married 14 years, occupation “rubber”; wife Willemke (34, born Dec. 1865), immigrated 1884, mother of 3 children, all living; and children Johannes (11), Dora (7), and Ymen (6), all born in Michigan. In 1910 Herman (51) and Willemke (44) DeYoung are farming in Carroll Township, O’Brien County, Iowa with children Dora (17) and James (16). His immigration year is given as 1883 and hers as 1885. The online index to East Lawn Cemetery, Sheldon, gives Harmen Y. De Jong’s death date as 13 March 1911.

The Sioux County marriage register for 1914/1915 has groom Jelle Stapert, age 51, resident of Orange City, a workman, born in the Netherlands, parents Siebe Stapert and Hendrika Groen; bride Wilempke De Jong, age 49, resident of Archer, Iowa, born in the Netherlands, parents Johannes Kroeze and Jetsche Van Kempema; second marriage for both; married in Orange City August 12, 1914. In 1920 Willemke (54) and Jella (56) are living in Orange City, where he is a laborer; her immigration year is given as 1884, naturalized in 1914. In 1930 Wilma (64) and Jella (66) are still in Orange City, neither employed. In 1940 she appears as Wilma Staben (74) apparently living alone in Orange City in a house that she owns.