MOUW, BEREND (BEN) AND MARIA (DUISTERMARS)
My father Berend (Ben) Mouw and Maria Duistermars were married on February 4, 1876. With the money my father had earned working on the railroad from LeMars to Alton, they built a frame house on their homestead and moved in. There were eleven children, and one died in infancy or there would have been twelve. We ware all born on the homestead a mile and a half west of the Old Sioux Center corner. My brother Neal was the oldest and I was the youngest and there were twenty years between us. So it was Neal Mouw, Minnie Mouw (Mrs. John G. Schoep), William B. Mouw, John B. Mouw, Hattie Mouw (Mrs. Alfred Bruins), Henry Mouw, Johanna Mouw (Mrs. Chris Van Roekel), Maggie Mouw (Mrs. W.J. Bruins), Ben B. Mouw, Albert Mouw, and Peter B. Mouw.
My father used oxen to pull the plow to break the prairie, but he also had a couple of horses. The ox yoke he used on the oxen bas been preserved and is hanging above the fireplace in Vernon Mouw's home.
Sister Johanna (Mrs. Chris Van Roekel) was the last child to he born in the original home. She was the seventh child and more room was needed. So my father made arrangements for a larger home. The building material for the house was hauled in from LeMars and some from Orange City. It was a large square house, and is still standing on the homestead. This was in the year 1887.
Back row L-R: Maggie Mouw (Mrs. W.J. Bruina), Minnie Mouw (Mrs. John G. Schoep), Wm. B.
Mouw, John B. Mouw, Neal Mouw, Henry Mouw, Johanna Mouw (Mrs. Chris Van Roekel). Middle
row L-R: Hattie Mouw (Mrs. Aldred Bruins), Albert Mouw. Front row L-R: Maria (Duistermars)
Mouw, Peter B. Mouw, Ben B. Mouw, Berend (Ben) Mouw.
One of the large rooms in the cellar was used to store canned fruits, canned vegetables, canned meats and chickens. We also had a large underground cave outside of the house. In this we would store our potatoes for the winter and barrels of apples. It would hold about 50 bushels of apples. Oh yes, there was also the summer kitchen or Kachel Hok as it was called in the Holland language off the kitchen. The Kachel Hok housed a large kitchen cookstove, a good sized table, a couple of kitchen chairs, the washing machine, the ironing board, large pots and pans, a large cob or wood box for fuel. It really was a utility room. It was used for washing and ironing in the summer to keep the heat out of the house. It was also used to try out the pork, whenever a hog was butchered and to can meat and chickens, and for canning fruits and vegetables. Remember, there was no refrigeration or ice boxes in those days. Everything had to he canned in glass fruit jars or big stone crocks. When a hog was butchered, a11 the meat was immediately fried, and put into five gallon stone crocks. Then the fat was poured over the meat, and when this fat hardened the crock was put in the ce11ar and the meat kept very well. When they wanted to use the meat they would dig it out of the fat, reheat it, and it was ready to go on the table.
At one time we were working 540 acres of land with horses. When threshing
the grane time came, the threshing crew would move in and they would stay
for almost a week. During that time my mother and the older girls would
bake 24 loaves of bread a day to feed them, plus all the other foods.
The threshing crew was composed of an engineer, a separator tender, a
water boy, and an extra man to pitch grain. Then all the neighbors would
come in and help and they would all stay for lunches and meals. The engine
was a big steam engine and had a loud whistle on it. When I was small I
would always be with the engineer at lunch time and meal time so that I
could pull the whistle cord and blow the whistle when it was time to eat.
The Wandscheer boys usually did our threshing and then Dan Wandscheer would
be the engineer.
My father was born in Nunspeet, Gelderland, Holland on January 19, 1850. He died in Sioux Center, IA on February 7, 1926 being 76 years old.
My mother was born near Ter Wolde, Gelderland, Holland on November 11, 1852. She died in Sioux Center, IA on September 19, 1937 being 84 years old. Her maiden name was Maria Duistermars.
They were married in Orange City, IA on February 4, 1876 so they were married a few days over 50 years.
by Peter B. Mouw
North section just west of the east side (N-S)cemetery road, going west row 13, rows are staggered.
North section just west of the east side (N-S)cemetery road, going west row 13, rows are staggered.
North section, going west from the east side N-S road, row 6.
BEN MOUW WAS SIOUX CO. BLAZERHelped Lay First Rr. Tracks - Homesteaded In West Branch Township -
Ben Mouw, prominent retired farmer and pioneer of Sioux County, passed away Sunday morning at about ten o'clock, following an illness which had confined him to his bed for but a short time, though he has been failing health for some years.
Funeral services were held Wednesday at the home In Sioux Center and at the Christian Reformed church, of which he was a member, The seven sons were pallbearers.
Mr. Mouw's death marks the ponding of another of the early trail-blazers, for he came to Sioux County in 1871, just one year after the arrival of the first settlers. He helped build the first railroad, having had previous experience in this line in New York, and Pennsylvania, and worked every foot of the ground from Sheldon to Le Mars.
He took up a homestead in West Branch township, weathered the hardships of the "grasshopper" times and other trials of pioneer life, and was so succesful a farmer that he acquired an estate of approximately 800 acres.
During the early seventies he was a member of a party of Hollanders who undertook to move the county seat in a bob sleigh, by currying the county records and safe from Calliope, then county seat, to Orange City. The Court restored the records and and safe to Calliope for the time being, but at the following election the county seat was permanently removed to Orange City, by vote of the people.
Mr. Mouw was always interested in public affairs and in the welfare of the community. He served as school director for many years, and with tbe late Hans Moeller, was a founder and active promoter of the Farmers Co-Operative Society of Sioux Center.
Ben Mouw was born near Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, on January 10th, 1850. He came to the United States with his parents in 1869 at the age of nineteen years. With his father he worked with a railroad construction crew on Long Island and later in Pennsylvania, where his father was accidently killed while at work.
In 1871 the family came to Sioux County. He was married at Orange City in 1875 to Miss Mary Duistermars and the following year the couple moved to his homestead; where they resided for 34 years, moving to Sioux Center sixteen years ago in 1910.
He is survived by bis wife and eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, who are: Neal Mouw, Mrs. John Schoep, Wm. B. Mouw, all of Sioux Center; John B. Mouw, Rock Valley: Mrs. Aldred Bruins, Holland, Minn.; Henry B. Mouw, Sioux Center; Mrs. Chris Van Roekel, Sionx Center; Ben Mouw, Sioux Center: A.A. Mouw, Muskegon, Mich.; Mrs. W. J. Bruins and Peter Mouw of Sionx Center; also by 57 grandchildren, an older brother, John Mouw of Long Beach, Calif, and tvo sisters, Mrs. Wm. Bonnecroy of Orange City and Mrs. M. Rouwenhorst who was expected this week from Madison, Wis. to attend her brother's funeral.
Mr. Mouw was a kind and helpful neighbor, a splendid old man of notable courage, but always thoughtful and considerate of others. His cheerful spirit sustained him to his last hours on earth, and his memory will be cherished by a host of friends.
Alton Democrat 1926-02-12.
Mrs. Ben Mouw, sr. of Sioux Center died Sunday afternoon a the age of 85.
She was a pioneer resident of Sioux county.
Mrs. Mouw, nee Mary Duistermars was born in Terwolde, Gelderland, The Netherlands. She came to America in 1873.
In 1875 she married B. Mouw. To this marriage was born 12 children one of whom died in infancy. The young couple first moved into a shanty "over the Branch". Some 50 years ago they built the grand old house known as the Mouw homestead. Old settlers will recall the palace it was in its days. In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Mouw quit farming and came to town.
Mrs. Mouw was a real pioneer for she spun her own wool and knitted all the stockings for her children. The last years she spun and knitted for her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Surviving Mrs. Mouw are 11 children who are: Neal, Mrs. John Schoep (Minnie); Will; Mrs. Chris Van Roekel (Johanna); Henry; Ben and Peter, all of Sioux Center; Mrs. Al Bruins (Hattie) of Long Beach, Calif.; John of Rock Valley; Mrs. Will Bruins (Margaret) of Maurice; and Albert of Muskegon, Mich. Eleven years ago Mr. Mouw died.
Funeral services will be held this Thursday afternoon in the Central Reformed church of Sioux Center at 1:20 p.m. Revs. R. Meengs and B.D. Dykstra of Orange City will have charge of the services.
Sioux County Capital 1937-09-23.
Neal Mouw, pioneer banker of Sioux Center, passed away at his home on Monday morning, September 17. At his bedside were his wife, his only daughter Mildred, his son Donald's wife and his sister Johanna.
He had been an accute sufferer at cancer since early July. When care and surgery had been tried in vain at Rochester, he returned to his home a few weeks ago.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, sept. 20 at Central Ref.Church after brief rites at the home first. Interment will be in the local cemetery. Mr. Mouw had just entered his seventieth year.
Survivors include his wife, one daughter Mildred of Chattanoga, Tenn., three sons, Russel, Hardware Merchant at Marcus, Bernard, Captain with the armed forces In Texas, and Donald now in the Pacific. There are five grandchildren.
Mr. Mouw was the oldest of twelve children born to his pioneer parents the late Ben Mouw and Mary Duistermars. Except the second who died in infancy, all of the ten brothers and sisters survive. They are: Minnie (Mrs. John. Schoep), Sioux Center; William, Sioux Center; Haltie, (Mrs. Alfred Bruins), Bellflower, Calif.; John of Sioux Center; Johanna (Mrs. Chris Van Roekel), Sioux Center; Henry of Holland, Mich.; Maggie (Mrs. Will Bruins), Sioux Center; Ben, Sioux Center; Albert, Muskegon, Mich.; Peter B., Sioux Center.
Neal Mouw was born in West Branch Township on August 10, 1876 He was one of the first two infants to be baptized in the first congregation of Sioux Center. This took place in the schoolhouse on the Peter Schut homestead. The Rev. Seine Bolks was the missionary pastor. He grew to young manhood on his father's homestead one and a half miles west of Sioux Center. After completing a business course at LeMars he entered the employ of the Citizens State Bank of Sioux Center in June, 1897, as assistant cashier. After being so employed until 1903, he was elected cashier and was at that time the youngest bank cashier in Sioux County. He continued in this position until 1918, when he was elected President; in which position he continued until his resignation shortly before his death.
On December 4,1802, Neal Mouw and Wihelmina Vander Meide were married at Orange City. On the same day they started housekeeping in their present home - almost 43 years ago.
Was Mayor Four Years.
From 1900 to 1906 he also acted as Town Clerk, and from 1906 to l910 he held the office of Mayor of the town, and filled the office with credit to him self and the office. During his term of office as mayor the Town Council and mayor refused to renew the saloon license, and the town went "dry". It was the first town in Sioux County to go "dry". There were six councilmen at that time and the vote was three for and three against. Neal Mouw's vote was the deciding vote and he voted "dry". Throughout the years he enjoyed the complete confidence of the community. He was steady, conservative dependable. No depositor was ever asked to discount the amount of his claim, and the bank over which he presided always functioned "on all fours", and always met its obligations. He was of the highest social and moral standards, a source of strength to all that is good in church and comnunity. He served his day and generation well.
Sioux Center News 1945-09-20.