SCHOEP, JOHN AND WILHELMINA (MOUW)
"John" Jan Gerrit Schoep was born June 18, 1872 in the Netherlands. He came to the United States when he was eight years old. His parents were Gerrit Hendrik Schoep and Johanna Berkhoff. He grew up in the Sioux Center area. His parents farm was located on the corner where Henry Ramaker lived a few years back. He had a bakery in Sioux Center. As a young man he plowed furrows for the town streets.
At 24 years of age in 1897 John Schoep married Wilhelmina "Minnie" Mouw. She was born December 16, 1878 to Berend Mouw and Marie Duistermars. She grew up in the Sioux Center area as her family farmed west of the "old town" corner.
During the course of their marriage eleven children were born to them. They had a General Merchandise Store, P.L. Schoep and brother. They were members of the First Reformed Church, and joined initially when the church was east of its present location. About 1908 the family moved to the farm five miles west and one mile north where Gerrit and Marlys Van Holland now live.
They were members of the Lebanon Christian Reformed Church for about five years and then they went to Carmel Reformed church. John was a deacon and both John and Minnie were Sunday School teachers.
Shortly after Gerrit got married the family had small pox and in 1918 there was a Spanish influenza that claimed many lives in the Carmel area.
50th Anniversary of John G. and Minnie Schoep in 1947. John
and Minnie are holding the
cake.
The eleven children's families are as follows:
Gerrit Schoep married Attie Feekes, they lived by Carmel, and have three children; Wilmina (Mrs. Wilbert Kleene), Katherine (Mrs. Raymond Huyser) and John Schoep married Lucille Wesselink.
Ben Schoep married Jennie Wolfswinkel, they lived by Carmel, and have four children: Joan (Mrs. Harold Vande Berg), Marvin married Arda Schuiteman, Wilma (Mrs. William Huyser) and Shirley (Van Regenmorter).
Neal Schoep married Esther Beernink, they lived by Sioux Center and have three children; Milly (Mrs. Harold Van Dort), Phyllis (Mrs. Lee Heileger) and Harold Schoep.
Marie Schoep married Bill Vonk, they lived by Sioux Center and then in New Jersey. They have two children; John and Leona (Lind).
John Schoep married Marion Feekes. They lived by Maryarnd, MN and have fourteen children; Jasper, Harriet (Norby), Donald, Judy (Mrs. Milt Pennings), Eugene, Arvin, Violet (Poppen), Philip, Marlin, Burdett, Earl, Faith (Mulder), Jay, and Verlyn.
Johanna Schoep married Floyd Van Kley. They live in Sioux Center and have three children; Joan (Mrs. Prather), Myrna (Mrs. Moss) and Louella (Mrs. Vern Holliday).
Wilhelmina Schoep married Neal Van Beek, they were from the Carmel area and the parents of four sons; Rallyn, Erwin, Virgil and Lloyd.
Louise Schoep married John I. Vander Schaaf, they were from Sioux Center, and had three children; Jean (Mrs. Clarence Van Meekeren), I van Vander Schaaf, and Merrill Vander Schaaf.
William Schoep married Bernice Grefhorst, they were from Sioux Center and the parents of four children, Emily (Mrs. John Kruid); Marilyn (Mrs. Gerrit Van Holland), Phyllis (Mrs. Cornie Schelling) and Bill Schoep.
Ardine Schoep married Henry I. Vander Schaaf, they were from Florida and the parents of two children; Kenny, and Neva Jean Grevengoed.
A son Albert Peter Schoep died at six weeks of age. In 1937 John and Minnie retired and moved to Sioux Center where they lived one block east of the hospital. John died February 19, 1955 and Minnie died March 24, 1965.
by Wilma J. Vande Berg