MUILENBURG, JACOB AND AALTJE (VANDER MEER)
Jacob Muilenburg was born in St. Louis, Mo. on June 12, 1849 and moved to Pella, IA, with his parents in 1850. At the age of twenty he came with a group of prospectors to Sioux County in 1869: Jacob's parents Huibert and Klazina (VerSteeg) Muilenburg and their family came from Pella to Orange City, Iowa, by wagon the following summer. The Muilenburg family were among the early group who were instrumental in setting up the Dutch Colony in Orange City.
Jacob Muilenburg married Aaltje Vander Meer on December 27, 1871, she was born November 7, 1857 at Pella, Iowa, the daughter of Dirk Vander Meer and Cornelia Vanden Bosch. Her parents also were among the first settlers of the Dutch Colony at Orange City, Aaltje was eighteen years old at the time. As told in a newspaper article on the event of her death, "She was truly an American Pioneer Mother, her parents brought her to a new frontier in Sioux County, Iowa, she in turn led the establishment of first settlers in South Dakota".
Jacob and Aaltje attended the First Reformed Church in Orange City as young people with their separate families, and after their marriage until 1882 when according to church records they left for Harrison, South Dakota.
The family started farming in 1871 near Orange City. In 1882 they moved to Harrison, South Dakota and after suffering the many disappointments of crop failure there, they moved back after thirteen years. They then settled on a farm near Newkirk, Iowa. They lived there 21 years and retired in Sioux Center in 1916. From 1904 until their deaths they were members of the First Reformed Church in Sioux Center.
Jacob Muilenburg family: front L-R: Aaltje (Mrs. Jacob
Muilenburg), Alan, Harvey, (behind)
Dirk, Clara, and Mr. Jacob
Muilenburg. Back row: Agnes, Huibert, Asa, Cornelia, David and
Josie
The following reminiscent occurrences are remembered by two grandchildren of the Muilenburg's. Alice Muilenburg Schutt remembers when her grandmother was an elderly woman and had developed a heart condition and usually retired early in the evening. One evening after a visit from son, Asa Muilenburg's family, Alice was getting in the car when she discovered that she had forgotten her mittens, as she entered the house she saw her grandmother drinking a glass of wine which the doctor had prescribed for medication. Both of her grandparents were so upset that Alice had seen this, that Alice was set down for the longest temperance lecture she ever had. Alice said she remembered that lesson learned as a child and passed it on to her children. Alice's brother, Everett Muilenburg, recalls that one day he was waiting at his Grandfather Muilenburg's home for his father Asa to pick him up after school. Grandfather Muilenburg asked Everett to sit with him under an apple tree. (His grandfather was very proud of his apple trees and liked to share the apples, but in his own way. He was a stern man who impressed young minds.) Everett happened to look up in the tree and saw a little boy sitting in the top of the tree. After visiting several minutes with Everett, Grandfather Muilenburg called for the little boy to come down. After the shaking little boy came down, Grandfather Muilenburg sat him down in the chair and told him there was a box of apples nailed to a tree by the side walk. The little boy could have as many as he liked. If he had to have one from the top of the tree Grandfather Muilenburg would get it for him. The little boy never climbed a tree again.
Jacob Muilenburg died August 13, 1935 and his wife Aaltje died September 24, 1930. Quoting from her obituary in the newspaper, "What a thrilling book the life of Jacob and Aaltje would fill. A book alive with the brave struggle against stubborn nature. There would be chapters on back breaking toil, loneliness and disease, death and sorrow. Then there would be chapters with the hope of reward and the joy of conquest. All the lines in the book would be devout with a faith in the love of God. The last chapter would tell of patience in suffering the ills of old age for which a life time had schooled them for. And the last line of the book would tell of a hope and assurance of eternal reward." They were the parents of thirteen children, ten of whom survived to adulthood.
Huibert Muilenburg was born January 4, 1873 and died August 28, 1889.
Cornelia Muilenburg was born December 4, 1874 and died May 12, 1876.
Dirk Muilenburg born October 15, 1876 and married Rena Stachouse and their
family was from Hurley, South Dakota.
Cornelia Muilenburg was born June 1, 1879 and she married S.A. Kalsbeek and their family was from Rock Rapids, Iowa.
Klazina "Clara" Muilenburg was born October 22, 1880, married John Boeyink and their family was from Sioux Center. Their children were Henry who married Bess Vander Ploeg, Alede (Mrs. Don Jurriens) Sylvia (Mrs. Clarence Van Wachel) and Dorothy.
Agnes Muilenburg was born August 14, 1882, married Ralph Boeyink and their family was from Sioux Center. Their family is described further under Ralph Boeyink in this book.
Josie Muilenburg was born September 11, 1884 and never married.
Asa Muilenburg was born May 2, 1886 and married Jennie Vermeer. Their family was from Sioux Center. Their family is described further under Asa Muilenburg in this book.
David Muilenburg was born August 5, 1888 and he married Alice Youme. Their family was from Hawarden, Iowa.
Huibertha Muilenburg was born October 17, 1890 and died April 7, 1891.
Huibert Muilenburg was born February 29, 1892 and he married Cora De Mots. Their family was from Orange City, Iowa. Children were: Elwin, Nolan and Everly.
Allan Muilenburg was born August 25, 1895 and he married Jena Gotz. They were from Sioux Center, and had no children.
Harvey Muilenburg was born August 17, 1899 and he married Winnie Juffer. They were from Sioux Center, their one daughter, Eleanor, married and moved to California.
by Alice Schutt and Wilma J. Vande Berg
PIONEER MOTHER PASSED AWAY
Mrs. Jacob H. Muilenburg died on Wednesday Sept. 24, at the age of 77 years, ten months, and seventeen days. Mrs. Muilenburg whose maiden name was Aaltje Vander Meer was born at Pella, Iowa on Nov. 7, 1852. In 1870, at the age of 18, she came to Sioux County with her parents.
On Dec. 27, 1871 she was married to Jacob H. Muilenburg at Orange City. The young couple settled on a farm near Orange City, where they lived until 1882, when they moved to Harrison, So. Dak. in Douglas County. They lived there until the dry years, moving back to Sioux County in 1895. After living in the neighborhood of Newkirk for a few years, they moved to the Sioux Center community. In 1916 they retired from the farm and moved into town.
Mrs. Muilenburg was one of the few survivors of that brave type of woman, the American Pioneer Mother. She was born to pioneer traditions, her parents having been among those hardy Hollanders who settled the Pella community. They brought her with them to a new frontier, the then unsettled Sioux County. And in her turn she was among those who led in the establishment of our last frontier on the prairies of So. Dakota.
What a thrilling book her life would fill. A book alive with the brave struggle against stubborn nature. There would be chapters on back breaking toil, loneliness and disease, death and sorrow. Then there would be chapters with the hope of reward and the joy of conquest. All the lines in the book would be devout with a faith in the love of God. The last chapter would tell of patience in suffering the ills of old age for which a life time had schooled her. And the last line of the book would tell of a hope and assurance of eternal reward.
When the descendants of brave pioneers learn properly to evaluate the work done for us, a monument will be raised to such mothers. When the names are graved on it, that of Mrs. Jacob H. Muilenburg will be among them. It will be a monument raised to mothers who reared a race: "strong back, tall, upright as pines, who by the scale of a hemisphere shaped their designs."
The bereaved: Mr. J. H. Muilenburg, sons and daughters: Mrs. S. A. Kalsbeek, Rock Rapids; Mrs. John Boeyink, Mrs. Ralph Boeyink, Josie Muilenburg, Asa Muilenburg, Allan Muilenburg, Harvey Muilenburg, of Sioux Center; David Muilenburg, Hawarden; Hubert Muilenburg, Orange City. Brothers and Sisters: Isaac Vander Meer, Seattle, Wash., Cornelius Vander Meer, Alton, Iowa; Mrs. A. Kuyper, Hollandale, Minn.; Jacob Vander Meer, Dumont, Iowa; Mrs. C. Van Citters, Sibley, Iowa; Mrs. Dr. A. C. Jongewaard, Sioux Center; Mrs. G. Van Steenbergen, Hull, Ia.
-Obituary from The Sioux Center News
(10/2/1930)
SIOUX CENTERPIONEER GONE
J. A. Muilenburg One of First Sioux Co. Settlers
Jacob. A. Muilenburg, venerable and well known Sioux Center pioneer, died Friday night at the home of his daughter, Mrs. S. A. Kalsbeek, at Rock Rapids where he had been residing for some months. Mr. Muilenburg was one of the last survivors of that little band of twenty which came by prairie schooner from Pella in 1870 to scout out the land for the first settlers of Sioux county.
Born at St. Louis 86 years ago, he came to Iowa with his parents at the age of one year, the family settling at Pella. In early manhood he joined the band of pioneers looking for new land and homes.
His marriage to Miss Ellen Vander Meer, daughter of another pioneer family, on Dec. 27, 1871, was the culmination of a prairie romance. The couple settled on a homestead near Orange City where they underwent the many hardships and experienced the joys of pioneer life. Imbued with courage and high adventure of that life in 1882 they moved west to Harrison, S. D., where they again assisted in the early settlement of a new country. In 1895 they returned to Sioux county and lived for a few years on a farm near Newkirk before moving to the Sioux Center vicinity. In 1916 they retired from farm life and moved to Sioux Center, where they were held in highest regard. Having reared a splendid family of nine children, they were able in their later years to enjoy the fruits of their labors.
On Sept. 24, 1930, Mrs. Muilenburg passed on after a full and active life. Mr. Muilenburg continued to maintain in his advancing years a keen interest in family, community and national affairs, and until some months ago was a familiar figure on Sioux Center streets. His honorable and courageous life will long be a beacon light to his family and many friends.
Surviving are his children, namely: Mrs. Kalsbeek of Rock Rapids, Mrs. John Boeyink, Miss Josephine, Ase, all of Sioux Center, Hubert of Orange City, Dave of Hawarden, Allen and Harvey of Sioux Center. Three sisters and two brothers survive Mr. Muilenburg, namely, Mrs. John Kuiper and Mrs. C. De Booy of Orange City, Mrs. Noteboom of Zion City, Ill., John Muilenburg of Manchester, S. D., and Sam Muilenburg of Orange City.
Services were held Monday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Boeyink and at Central Reformed church, Rev. J. H. Keuning officiating. Besides local friends many were present from Orange City, Hawarden and neighboring towns. Mr. and Mrs. Gt. Muilenburg of Beresford, S. D., were among those here for the funeral.
-Obituary from The Alton Democrat
(8/30/1935)