BROEK, WILLIAM FAMILY
Tracing our family' s history and origin back in history has found that the Broek family name was originally taken in 1811 by Jon Broek great-great grandfather of William Broek. The Broek name was taken per decree from Napolean then ruler of Europe that everyone take a sir name. Prior to that time no one had thought of obtaining a family name. The name Broek was chosen because at that time Jon Broek was living just outside the city of Kampen, Netherlands on a small farm with lots of pasture on which his cattle grazed. The name Broek refers to marshland, and since most people took sir names associated with occupations or locations of homes ... Jon took the name Broek.
The sur name Broek is synonymous with Kampen, Netherlands. For almost 300 years and even to this day Broeks have been residents of Kampen. It is without surprise then that our direct ancestors immigrated out of Kampen, and it was in the early spring of 1904 that Grandfather David Broek along with his wife and six children left their home in Kampen for the long trip to America.
After leaving Kampen the family traveled to Liverpool, England to board the passenger ship Cretic for passage to America. "The country where dreams come true". The liner left Liverpool on April 21, 1904 and arrived at Boston harbor on April 30 with 564 passengers on board including Grandfather David age 52, wife Margaret age 52 and their six children, William age 21, Hilda age 19, John age 16, Christina age 15, Bert age 13 and Effie age 10. It was quite a trip across the stormy Atlantic, conditions ware crowded and the food was not the same as the rich Dutch food the family was accustomed to. Keeping the youngsters in line was a full time job for the already anxious parents.
Broek Family L-R: Effie, Bert, Christina, John, William.
Following their leaving the ship the family took a train across the eastern part of the United States to Hull, Iowa ... It seemed like it was a never ending trip all the way from Boston to Iowa, to cross Holland even in that day took only a day but here in America it took almost four days to cross half way across the new homeland. The family arrived safely in Hull and were met by Lammert Van Whye a cousin to Grandfather David Broek, he took the family of immigrants to his farm three miles north of Sioux Center.
A few weeks later in the summer of 1904 the family moved to a farm four miles north and 1/2 west of Sioux Center and set up farming . . . of course there were no modern facilities there, the family was busy with cattle feeding and milking. However tragedy struck the newly immigrated family, Grandfather David became ill and in a few weeks passed away leaving a widow with six children in a strange land and little resources. This forced the young men of the family to work at neighboring farms to earn extra money for the family. Later the family moved again, this time to a farm one and a half miles west of Sioux Center.
The young family grew up, the boys grew into manhood and on September 12, 1912 William the oldest of the family married Hattie Hooyer a beautiful young Dutch girl who had moved into Sioux County from Oskaloosa who had in turn immigrated with her family trom Holland a few years earlier. William and his new bride began their life together on a farm just northeast of Sioux Center. It was there that eight children, five boys and three girls were born. Margaret who died at the age of 6 years in 1919, Marlon who died in 1989 at the age of 75, Harriet who was born in 1915, David who died at the age of 17 in 1934, Albert born in 1920, John who died in 1964, Margaret who was born in 1925 and Donald who was born in 1933. William and Hattie farmed until 1947 then moved into Sioux Center to retire. William was involved in a number of community organizations and served on the Consistory of the Second Christian Reformed Church for a number of years. William died on Sept. 22, 1963 at the age of 83. Hattie died on September 18, 1968 at the age of 81.
by Donald W. Broek
Overlijdensbericht.
Den 26sten April nam de Heere tot Zich onzen geliefden Man en Vader
DAVID BROEK,
in den ouderdom van 55 jaren. Zijn lijden was lang en soms smartelijk. We geloven dat hij nu boven alle lijden verheven is bij zijn Zaligmaker. Buren en vrienden zeggen wij hartelijk dank voor hun hulp en belangstelling die ons gewerd gedurende de ziekte en uitvaart van onzen dierbare.
DE FAMILIE.
Sioux Center Nieuwsblad 1908-05-06.