Brink, Gerrit 1858-1938 & Johanna Pennings family

BRINK, PENNINGS, DIKS

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 2/11/2024 at 07:16:58

Brink, Gerrit 1858-1938 & Johanna Pennings Family

This story was taken from pages 287-289 of the Maurice Centennial Book (1891-1991). The story was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg.

Gerrit was the youngest child of Heimerik (Hendrik) Brink and Willemina Diks. He was born October 12, 1858, at Wilp, Gelderland, Netherlands.

His father was a day-laborer and the family was very poor. Gerrit used to tell his children that when he was young he would take his lunch to school but he was so hungry he would eat it all in the morning and then he would have nothing left for the rest of the day.

He came with his family to America, in 1868, leaving Holland, on the eighth of February, and going first to Greenleafton, Minnesota.

In 1869, his father homesteaded land in Iowa, in America Township, Plymouth County and the family moved there. It was located about five miles southeast of LeMars. About 1875, the Brinks moved to a farm two miles east and ¼ south of Maurice, where Lee Maassen now lives. At the age of 17, Gerrit bought 80 acres of land from Dirk Schalekamp for the sum of $450.00. This was located two miles east of Maurice.

On October 28, 1880, he married Johanna Pennings. Johnanna was the daughter of Gerrit Jan Pennings and Gerritjen Pennings. (Her parents were second cousins.) She was born February 19, 1861, at Aalten, Gelderland, Netherlands.

The Pennings were known to be refined people. When Johanna was five yeas old her mother died. In 1872, she came with her father and siblings to America. They first came to Greenleafton, Minnesota, and about 1874, came to Orange City. Emigrant records show Gerrit Jan was a land owner and was well-to-do. He belonged to the Christian Reformed Church and came to America for economic improvement.

After their marriage Gerrit and Johanna moved on the farm he had purchased. They became the parents of twelve children.

Their son Hendrik was born September 17, 1881, He became a victim of diabetes and on November 8, 1897, died at the age of 16.

Gerritje was born August 9, 1883, and the cause is not known but she died April 29, 1886. As there was no cemetery in the Maurice area at that time, she was buried in the Orange City cemetery. There is no marker and the grave is lost.

On May 20, 1885, they became parents of another daughter, Willimina (Minnie). She later married John Peelen. (Her story appears elsewhere.) She lived to be 89.

Gerrit Jan was stillborn on February 22, 1887, and the next year on March 25, 1888, another son was born and they named him Gerrit Jan but they called him George. However, he, too, had a short life when he died at the age of 11 on March 18, 1899. He also contracted the disease of diabetes.

Johannas Adriannus (John) was born June 29, 1890. In 1912, he married Gertie Kuiken (story elsewhere). He lived to be 65 and in 1955, he died suddenly of a heart attack.

Again there was a stillborn baby, a little girl born on October 29, 1892. They named her Gerritje, also. Willie was born on December 20, 1893, and once again more sadness struck the Brink household when on March 28, 1894, he died at the age of three months of an unknown cause.

On January 7, 1895, they again became parents of a little girl whom they named Gerritje, or Gertie as she is known today. She married Raymond De Jong and at the present time resides in Heritage House in Orange City. She celebrated her 95th birthday January 7, 1990.

Henry Jr. made his appearance into the world July 29, 1898. On January 18, 1922, he married Jennie Vogelaar. In 1945, he moved his family to California, and lived in the Bellflower-Lakewood area. It was there on September 9, 1978, he died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 80. He is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery at Cypress, California.

When sons Hendrik and George died in 1897, and 1899, Gerrit felt he was not able to farm without their help so he built an acreage in the far northeast corner of Maurice (where Gerrit Van Donkelaar now lives) and moved there in 1900.

Two more little girls were added to the family, Cynthia who was born December 29, 1900, and Johanna who arrived March 7, 1903. Again tragedy was to strike the family when Cynthia became a victim of polio at the age of 11 years. The illness left her badly deformed. It was during the bad flu epidemic in 1919, that she also got the flu. The polio had left her in a weakened condition and she died on April 4, 1919, at the age of 18.

About 1917, Gerrit built the house at 514 Main Street and moved there. John and Minnie Peelen took over the acreage.

Daughter Johanna married Henry Vogelaar February 3, 1927. She, too, inherited the weakness to the disease of diabetes and, at the age of 41, died on October 17, 1944 (story elsewhere).

Of the twelve children born to Gerrit and Johanna, they buried seven of them. Johanna always remarked she was glad none of them had died of an accident. Hendrik, Willemina (Minnie), Gerrit Jan (George), John, Willie, Cynthia, and Johanna are all buried in Sherman Township Cemetery. It is not known where the two stillborn children rest.

Gerrit and Johanna were members of the First Reformed Church of Orange City, even before their marriage, but when it was decided to organize a church in Maurice, they became charter members of the First Reformed Church there on October 24, 1884. Gerrit served on the consistory many years.

When they could no longer take care of themselves their daughter Minnie and John Peelen moved in with them. At the age of 76, Johanna died November 12, 1937, at the home of her daughter, Gertie. She had been ill with a stomach ailment.

The task of caring for their father was too great for Minnie and John so the rest of the children were to take turns caring for him. He suffered from hardening of the arteries and died at the home of his son, Henry on May 15, 1938, at the age of 79. Both are buried in Sherman Township Cemetery.

Gerrit wore wooden shoes when he was outside. Grandchildren remember his “klompen” standing right inside the door in the back entry. Johanna always wore a shawl over her head when outside and would gather the eggs in her apron. She never learned to speak English. One time she tried and someone laughed at her so she did not attempt it again.

Through the years after Gerrit moved to Maurice, three of his married children, Minnie, John, and Henry lived on the “home place” during different periods of time. Six grandchildren and two great grandchildren were born here. In 1951, a granddaughter, Imo, and her husband, William Mulder moved on the farm where they still reside. Today the place is owned by three grandchildren, Daryl Brink and wife Carol; Opal Brink Weaver; and Imo and husband Bill Mulder.

Bill and Imo received the “Century Farm” award in 1987, from the Iowa Department of Agriculture. The caption on the certificate states “This family, having owned, and been stewards of Iowa land for over 100 years, has significantly contributed to the growth and stability of Iowa Agriculture, truly making Iowa “A PLACE TO GROW”.

Narrative in the Maurice Centennial Book dedicated IN MEMORY OF Gerrit and Johanna Brink
by Gertie De Jong

RESEARCH Note: From a family report on Ancestry.com that was submitted by other than this submitter.

Gerrit Jan Brink was born 12 January 1858 at Wilp, Voorst, Gelderland, Netherlands and died 15 May 1938 Maurice Sioux Iowa. He was the son of Heimerik ‘Hendrik’ Brink 1816-1899 and Willemina Diks born 30 Jan 1817 Wilp Gelderland, Netherlands and died 19 Nov 1895 Maurice IA. He married Johanna Pennings 28 Oct 1880 Sioux County IA.

Johanna Pennings was born 19 Feb 1861 Aalten, Gelderland, Netherlands and died 12 Nov 1937 Maurice IA. Her parents were Gerrit Jan Pennings born 16 Dec 1822 Aalten Gelderland Netherlands died 15 Dec 1893 Orange City IA and Gerritjen Pennings born 5 Sep 1830 Aalten and died 5 Dec 1866 Aalten Gelderland, Netherlands. Gerrit and Johanna’s children are described in above narrative of the Maurice book.

OBITUARY OF GERRIT BRINK
Sioux Center News, May 19, 1938
Maurice, Iowa: Gerrit Brink, Sr., passed away early Sunday morning at the home of his son Henry Brink, Jr., at the age of 79 years, 7 months and 3 days. He had not been in the best of health for the past few months but it was not until the last days that his condition became critical.
He was born in Gelderland, Netherlands, October 12, 1858. At the age of thirteen years he came to America with his parents and located on a farm at Greenleafton, MN, where he grew to manhood. In 1878, at the age of twenty, Mr. Brink accompanied by Mr. Mensink and Mr. J. Menning came to Sioux County in a covered wagon and took up homesteads. Mr. Brink began homesteading on the farm two miles east of Maurice, where his son Henry now lives, residing there until 1901 when he retired from the farm and moved to Maurice. He has resided in Maurice for the past 37 years until a few months ago, when his health was such that it was necessary for him to move to the home of his son Henry, where he died. He was united in marriage to Johanna Pennings, October 28, 1880, who preceded him in death on November 12, 1937.
He was the father of twelve children four of whom died in infancy and three others who preceded him in death. Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Raymond De Jong, Mrs. Henry Vogelaar of Maurice, and Mrs. John Peelen of Sheldon; and two sons: John & Henry of Maurice. He leaves eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
He was a charter member of the First Reformed Church of Maurice, and served on the Consistory of the church from the time the church was organized continuously up until eight years ago.
Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon from the home of his son Henry Brink Jr. at 1 o'clock and from the First Reformed Church at 1:30 o'clock, with Rev. John Roggen officiating. Burial was made in the Sherman Twp. cemetery.

OBITUARY OF JOHANNA BRINK
Sioux Center News of Nov 18, 1937
Mrs. Gerrit Brink Pioneer Mother in Maurice Passed Away
Mrs. Gerrit Brink Sr., resident here for many years passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ray De Jong, at the age of 76 Friday Nov 12, at 6:45 p.m. Mrs. Brink was suffering from a stomach malady for the past two months but was seriously ill only the last three weeks during which time her daughter cared for her. Cause of her death was the closing of the outlet of the stomach.
Mrs. Brink was born Johanna Pennings in Aalten Netherlands on Feb 19, 1861 and came to America at the age of 11, living first in Greenleafton MN and later moving to a farm south of Orange City where she married Gerrit Brink, at her parental home. The couple after their marriage Oct 128, 1880 started farming on the place 2 miles east of Maurice now occupied by the Henry Brink Jr. family, and two years later moved to the 30 acre place on the north edge of town, now owned by Gerrit Kots.. Later they built their new home in town where they retired.
They were the parents of 12 children, seven of whom preceded their mother in death. Survivors include the widower, 5 children: Willemina, Mrs. John Peelen, John A. Brink, Gertrude Mrs. Raymond De Jong: Henry Brink Jr., and Johanna Mrs. Henry Vogelaar; 11 grandchildren and 3 great grand daughters, all of Maurice.
Deceased was a loving mother, active member of the Ladies Missionary Society of the Frist Reformed Church, and a beloved reside of the community. Her presence will be sorely missed by the relatives as ell as her many friends.
Burial services ere at 1 o’clock p.m. at the John A. Brink home and 1:30 at the Frist Ref Church, Rev. Strakes of Sanborn and Rev. Roggen officiating. Interment was made in the family lor in the Maurice cemetery. Pallbearers included six nephews: Gerrit and John Ter Horst of Orange City, Henry and Will Pennings of Orange City and Henry W. and Gerrit W. Brink.

Picture of the Gerrit and Johanna Brink family found on page 287 of the Maurice Centennial book.

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