DeJager, Peter 1873-1960 & Nellie Swarts Family

DEJAGER, SWARTS, SWARTZ, VELLINGA, DYKSTRA

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 2/19/2024 at 19:52:07

DeJager, Peter 1873-1960 and Nellie Swarts Family

This story was taken from page 306 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. Spelling of names were left as they were in the source cited.

Peter De Jager and Nellie Swarts

Peter was the oldest son born to Mr. and Mrs. Hesel De Jager. Hesel De Jager came to the Alton area from Holland, as a boy 18 years of age in 1868, and later married Gysje Vellinga. Peter was born in a sod hut near the river by Alton, in 1873. Peter often talked about walking to church in Orange City with his parents. He also remembered some folks walking from the Sioux Center area to come to church in Orange City. Since there were no roads or bridges they had to cross the West Branch River by removing shoes and socks, going barefoot across. They brought their dinner along with them so they could stay all day for the services. Each man farmed only to raise enough to feed his own family. The crop was put in by using oxen power and harvesting was done with a sycthe to cut the grain (wheat). They took the wheat to Le Mars, going through the prairie to the waterwheel mill to be made into flour. In the 1920’s, Peter still had the wooden yoke his father had used when ploughing with the oxen. When Peter was a boy he helped his father with corn planting. They made a sled device, which was pulled by the horses across the fields to mark the rows. Then his father drove the horses planting lengthwise and Peter sat on the planter to trip the planter on each row, so the corn could be planted on check. The first school Peter attended was taught by Merrit Hawkin’s mother.

In 1893, Peter De Jager married Nellie Swarts from Maurice. Nellie Swarts came from Holland to Maurice, as a young 11 year old girl with her parents, Albert Swarts and Seitske (Dykstra) Swarts in 1886. They made their home where the Jim Vlieger house now stands. The Swarts family were poor and Nellie had to go to work at the hotel in Maurice. Not being able to speak or understand the English language was a problem for her. The lady she worked for sent her to the store to buy some bacon, and not knowing what bacon was, she remembered by repeating all the way to the store, “bacon, bacon, bacon”, only to find out that all they gave her was a piece of speck.

Mr. and Mrs. Peter De Jager at first lived on the farm homesteaded by his father southwest of Orange City. Then they moved to the Maurice area on the place where Wayne Brink now lives. When they lived there the railroad was put in and the railroad workers camped in their pasture. They moved from there to the former George De Groot place. The older kids attended the Maurice school. Later they moved back to the homestead farm near Orange City. In 1913, they moved to the Maurice area on the Vander Brake place one mile west of the Million Dollar Corner. In 1919, they moved northeast of Ireton, and lived there for many years, before retiring in Maurice, around 1942.

Children born to Mr. and Mrs. Peter De Jager: March 9, 1894 – Harry (married Eunice Vander Berg); October 16, 1895 – Albert I; May 16, 1897 – Albert (married Henrietta Van Peursem); September 16, 1899 – Sadie (married Irvin Hooks); May 28-1901 – Edward (married Bea Kluter); May 2, 1903 – Andrew (married Marie Schouten); August 28, 1905 – William (married Leona Vander Hamm); September 26, 1907 – Grace (married Fred Weibersch); January 31, 1910 – Martin (married Gertrude Moss); March 20, 1913 – Raymond (married Elsie Popma); September 23, 1915 – Harriet (married Gary Spenkeling); June 5, 1918 – Elmer (married Grace Van Whye); and June 5, 1921 – Esther.

Above narrative was IN MEMORY OF Peter De Jager Family by Raymond De Jager

RESEARCH Notes – Taken from a report on ancestry.com public member trees submitted by other than this submitter.

Peter Hessel De Jager was born 10 May 1873 Alton Iowa and died 27 Mar 1960 Sioux Center IA. He was the son of Hessel Pieters De Jager 1844-1891 and Gijsje ‘Grace’ Evertje Vellinga 1844-1926. See the Hesel De Jager and Gysje Vellinga biography also on this web page. Peter De Jager married Tietje ‘Nellie’ Swarts 8 Nov 1893 Sioux County IA.

Tietje ‘Nellie’ Swartz was born 22 Aug 1876 Franekeradeel, Friesland, Netherlands and died 16 Jun 1945 Le Mars Iowa. She was the daughter of Albert Swartz 1854-1936 and Sijtske ‘Saddie’ Dykstra 1857-1913. Peter and Nellie De Jager had the following children:

CHILDREN: Although the children are listed in the Maurice book narrative above they are listed here with a bit more information on their families. Some obits of the children were found on this web page, however accurate information on some of them was hard to obtain in the records. In Nellie’s obit it also mentioned an infant Albert who died in infancy that would have been a total of 13 children. Pardon for any inadvertent errors. Corrections can be directed to the web page coordinator.

1. Harry De Jager born 9 Mar 1894 Maurice IA and died Jan 1964 Maurice IA. He married Eunice Vander Berg. Children Mrs. Fred Fisher of Pittsburg CA and Mrs. John Harskamp of Boyden.
2. Albert De Jager born May 16, 1897 Maurice IA died 21 Sep 1990 . He married Henrietta Van Peursum. Children Mrs. Leona Peter Van Maasdam and Paul DeJager.
3. Sadie Lore De Jager was born Sep 16, 1899 died 12 Mar 1975 Sioux City IA. She married Irvin C. Hooks 1896-1971 married 15 Jan 1917 at Berrien, Michigan. Children: Garnet Hooks Mrs. Lorance De Vries, Robert Leslie Hooks 1926-2013, Le Nelle Beulah Hooks 1919-1989, Dermet Luciel Hooks, Everett LeRoy Hooks 1923-2005, possibly one other child not named. Children were gathered from several source so not sure of accuracy.
4. Edward De Jager born May 28, 1901 died 25 Feb 2004 He married Bea Kluter. They had one son Donald De Jager.
5. Andrew De Jager born 2 May 1903 Maurice IA died 14 May 1981 Rock Valley IA. He married Marie Schouten. Children - Vern of Rock Valley, Andrew of Yankton SD, Mrs. Paul Cooper of Sioux City, Mrs. Arthur Gerritson of Rock Valley and Mrs. Clifford Van Berkum of Sioux City.
6. William De Jager born Aug 28, 1905 died 11 Oct 1989 Orange Co. CA He married Leona Vander Hamm. One child listed as Barbara Leona DeJager 1936-2012
7. Grace De Jager born 26 Sep 1907 Maurice IA died 18 Oct 1935 Le Mars Iowa She married Fred Weibersch. Children – Fred Jr. Weibersch, and Donna Mae.
8. Martin De Jager born 31 Jan 1910 Maurice IA died 7 Oct 1967 Sioux City IA. He married Gertrude Moss. Children – Marvin of Rock Rapids and wife Jennie, five daughters Lavonne and Bill Riphagen of Sioux Center, Darlene and John Van Holland of Rock Valley, Elaine and Harvey Kragt of Colfax, Washington, Dianne Winters of Sheldon and Gloria and Jay Jackson of Zion, Illinois;
9. Raymond De Jager born 20 Mar 1912 died 25 Feb 2004 Hull IA Lived at Maurice . He married Elsie Popma. Children - Ronald and Marlene De Jager of Maurice; a daughter and her husband, Neva Jean and Milo De Jong of Colfax, Wash.
10. Harriet De Jager born 23 Sep 1915 Maurice IA She married Garrit ‘Gary’ Spinkelink 1914-1987 died Denver CO. One child found – Gary J. Spenkelink 1939-2008
11. Elmer De Jager born 5 Jun 1918 Maurice IA died 11 Nov 1995 Artesia California. He married Grace Van Wyhe. No children found
12. Esther De Jager born 5 Jun 1921 Maurice IA died 27 Jun 1921 Sioux City Hospital

OBITUARY OF PETER DE JAGER
Source: Sioux City News (4-7-1960)
Peter DeJager Dies at Age 86
Funeral services for Peter De Jager,86, long time resident of Sioux county who died at a nursing home in Sioux Center Sunday of last week, were held last Thursday at the Maurice Reformed church. Rev. Donald Blom, assisted by Rev. John Roggen, conducting the services. Interment was in Pleasant Hill cemetery at Ireton.
Mr. De Jager was born at Alton, Iowa May 10, 1873. He married Nellie Swartz in November of 1894 and they farmed in the Ireton-Maurice vicinity for many years. Mrs. DeJager preceded him in death in 1945. Also preceding him in death were two daughters and a son.
Survivors include eight sons, Harry, Albert and Raymond of Maurice, Edward of Le Mars ,Andrew of Hudson, William of Buena Park, Calif., Martin of Rock Valley and Elmer of Norwalk, Calif.; two daughters, Mrs. Sadie Hooks and Mrs. Harriet Spankerlink, both of Sioux City; two brothers, Martin and Ring of Orange City; 38 grandchildren and 48 great-great grandchildren.

OBITUARY OF NELLIE DE JAGER
Sioux County Capital June 21, 1945
MRS. PETER DE JAGER (Nellie Swarts/Swartz Sioux Center:
Mrs. Peter DeJager passed away at the Le Mars Hospital on Saturday, June 16, at the age of 68 years. She suffered a stroke at her home in Maurice, Monday. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at the home and at the First Reformed Church at Maurice, with Rev.J. A. Roggen officiating. Burial was at Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Ireton. Vander Ploegs of Sioux Center were in charge.
Surviving are her husband and ten children, Harry and Albert of Maurice, Mrs. Sadie Hook of Sioux City, Edward of Le Mars, Andrew of Rock Valley, William of Norwalk, Calif., Martin of Orange City, Raymond of Ireton, Mrs. Bernard Spenkelink of Bronson, and Elmer in the Army at Maryland. There are 32 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are one sister, Mrs. Abel Popma of Sioux Center, and a brother, Tom Swarts of Maurice. She was preceded in death by three children, Albert who died in infancy, Mrs. Grace Wieberschof Le Mars who passed away in 1935, and Esther, who also died in infancy. A grandson, Norman Dale De Jager, died in the Philippines on April 14, 1945.Three other grandchildren are in the service, Donald De Jager, Everett Hook, and Robert Hook.
(According to the 1925 census of Iowa, Center Tsp, Sioux county, Nellie Swarts was born about 1878, in the Netherlands to Albert Swarts and Sadie Dykstra. They had children Edward, Andrew, William, Grace, Martin, Raymond, Harriet, Elmer and Beatrice.

Picture is from page 306 of the Maurice Centennial book

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