Mieras, Jacobus 1871-1953 amd Rose Knippel Family

MIERAS, KNIPPEL, DEGROENE, SMID

Posted By: Wilma J. VandeBerg (email)
Date: 3/25/2024 at 16:28:57

Mieras, Jacobus 1871-1953 & Rose Knippel Family

This story was taken from pages 431-432 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.

The following is a history of the Jacobus (Coe) Mieras family as recollected by Edward Mieras.

Jacobus Mieras was born in 1871, in the town of Wemeldinge, Netherlands. The community is located on the island of Goes in the Province of Zeeland.

In the year 1887, at the age of 19, Jacobus along with his parents and other members of his family left the Netherlands, and came to the USA. They traveled by steamship and the voyage was long and treacherous. After passing through Ellis Island, they landed in New York City.

The Mieras family journeyed from the east coast to Maurice, Iowa, and purchased land outside the town. Here they took up farming.

Rose Knippel, wife of Jacobus, was born in 1878. Rose was born in the city of Ruinen, Netherlands, in the Province of Drenthe. When she was five years old, she along with her family also migrated to America. They settled first in Chicago, Illinois. Living there briefly, they then came to LeMars, Iowa. The family moved to Maurice for a short time, then moved back to LeMars to settle.

In 1898, Jacobus and Rose were married in LeMars, Iowa. Their first child, Dena, was born in 1899 on a farm one mile north of Struble, Iowa. The young family moved from there to Culligan’s farm one mile west and ½ north of Maurice. It was there that Gertie, Ruth, Ada, Lewis and Dingenus were born. They lived on that farm for twelve or thirteen years, then moved to a farm ½ mile north of Maurice, where I was born in 1914. A year later the family moved to a farm near Shindler, South Dakota. Virginia, the youngest, was born in 1918. They lived on two more farms in South Dakota, and then in 1926 moved back to Maurice, and farmed on their grandparent’s land ½ mile north of town.

During the depression of the 30’s, the Mieras’ left the farm in 1934, and moved to Sioux City, Iowa. Jacobus and Rose lived in Sioux City, until their deaths, Jacobus in 1953, and Rose in 1956.

On August 13, 1932, I married Lois Van Peursem, daughter of Peter and Jessie Van Peursem, long time residents of Maurice. We lived in Maurice, for three years before moving to Sioux City. On August 13, 1982, Lois and I celebrated our 50th (golden) wedding anniversary.

Our children are Bud and Delores Pedersen of Richardson, Texas; Russell and Vikki Mieras of Lancaster, Texas; and Lance and Linda Larson of Omaha, Nebraska. We have seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

(End of the Maurice book family story.)

RESEARCH Notes: From a family report on Ancestry.com public member trees submitted by other than this submitter , and from local archive on this web page.
Jacobus Adriaansz Mieras was born 25 Feb 1871 Wemeldinge, Kapelle, Zeeland, Netherlands and died 18 Mar 1953 Sioux City IA. He was the son of Adriaan Mieras 1834-1899 and Dina de Groene 1835-1915. He married Rose Knippel 15 Oct 1898 Le Mars, IA.

Roelfje Rose Knippel born 19 Mar 1879 Ruinen, De Wolden, Drenthe, Netherlands and died 25 Sep 1956 Sioux City IA. Her parents were Roelof Knippel 1845-1908 and Grietien Smid 1859-1894. Jacobus and Rose had seven children.

CHILDREN: From Ancestry.com’s birth marriages and deaths, and from local obituaries on this web page.

1 Dena Mieras Taylor born 11 Jun 1899 Maurice IA died 15 Jun 1989 Akron IA. Husband Victor Elkanah Taylor 1896 – 1975 lived in Preston Twp. Plymouth Co. IA . Children listed in her obit that was in the Hawarden Independent of Jun 22, 1989 lists Ralph and Maryilyn Taylor of Akron, W. Robert Taylor of Boone; and a daughter in law.

2 Gertrude Mieras born about 1900 Maurice IA married 14 Dec 1920 Sioux County, IA and died 23, Nov 1988 Grand Rapids MI Husband Arie Sluiter. Their children were Elizabeth Rose and Art Heyboer of Lowell MI; Arie Jr. and Jena Sluiter of Grand Rapids Mi; Elvina Slot, James and Coral Sluiter all of Cutlerville MI; Philip and Maisie Longstree of Alto MI, Raymond and Sandra Sluiter of Sparta MI.

3 Ada Mieras Dykstra born Feb 25, 1904 Maurice IA and died 23 Feb 1993 Orange City IA, formerly of Hospers IA. She married Herman Dykstra of Maurice. a son George and his wife Shirley Dykstra of Sgt. Bluff; a daughter, Joan and her husband John Oldenkamp Jr. of Hospers . See Ada’s obit on this web page.

4 Ruth Mieras Visser born 13 May 1906 Maurice IA died 21 Apr 2000 Hawarden IA. She married Tony Visser. Their children were  Evelyn Huenink and her husband Henry of Hawarden; Jean Wiseman and her husband John of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Helen Nobel and husband Bernie of LaBelle, Fla.; Art Visser of Soledad, Calif.; Bill Visser and his wife Christy of Orange City; and Betty Jakes and her husband Tim of Omaha, Neb. See Ruth’s obit on this web page.

5 Lewis E. Mieras born 1 Dec 1907 Maurice IA. He married Lilly Hamel, They had two sons and a daughter, Larry and Gregory and Carol Mrs. Richard Butler. See his obituary on this web page.

6. Dingenis 'Dennis' Mieras born 1910 died May 1921 at age 11 after and operation in Sioux City. See his obituary on this web page.

7 Edward William Mieras born 13 Oct 1914 Maurice IA died 12 Apr 2006 Sioux City IA married 13 Aug 1932 to Lois Van Peursem. One child was listed on Find A Grave as Russell Eugene Mieras.

8. Virginia Mieras Robertson born 9 May 1918 Harrisburg SD and died 15 June 2009 Hawarden IA. Her husband was Paul E. Robertson. She married Ralph Bruget 1993. Robertson children were - Dennis Robertson and his wife, Susan of Hawarden, Judy and her husband, Bill Brady of Alcester, S.D., Sylvia Kallsen and Duane Schwada of Naples, Fla., Tyleen and her husband, Richard Montgomery of Harlingen, Texas, and Trenna and her husband, Rob Wunder of Worthing, S.D. See Virginia’s obit on this web page.

OBITUARY OF JACOBUS MIERAS
Obituary for Jacobus Mieras in the Hawarden Independent, March 26, 1953, page 1:
JACOBUS MIERAS DIES AT AGE 82
Jacobus Mieras, who came to Sioux County in 1888 and at one time operated a farm near Hawarden, died in Sioux City, March 18 after a long illness. Funeral services were held Saturday in Sioux City with burial at Maurice where Mr. Mieras first farmed when he came to Sioux County. Rev. Harvey Throop of the First Presbyterian Church of Sioux City officiated.
Mr. Mieras was born February 25, 1871, in Wemeldinge, Zeeland, The Netherlands. He also farmed near Sioux Falls before going to Sioux City where he was in the real estate business. He married Rose Knipples at LeMars in 1898. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Sioux City.
Survivors in addition to the widow are two sons, Lewis E. and Edward W., both of Sioux City; five daughters, Mrs. Dena Taylor of Akron, Mrs. Gertrude Sluiter of Grand Rapids, Mich., Mrs. Ada Dykstra of Orange City, and Mrs. Ruth Visser and Mrs. Virginia Robertson, both of Hawarden; a brother, Johannes, of Tucson, Ariz., 24 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

OBITUARY OF ROSE MIERAS
Source: Hawarden Independent (10-4-1956)
Born: March 17, 1879
Died: September 25, 1956
Rites Held For Mrs. Mieras, 77
Funeral services for Mrs. Rose Mieras, 77, of Sioux City, former Hawarden resident, were held at 1:30 Friday afternoon in Sioux City with Reverend LuVerne Clark of the First Presbyterian Church officiating. Burial was in the Maurice Cemetery.
Rose "Roeloffien" Knippel was born in The Netherlands March 17, 1879. She came to the United States with her parents when she was five years old and settled in Chicago. Two years later the family moved to Maurice, Iowa, where she attended school.
On October, 15, 1898, she married Jacobus Mieras in Le Mars. The couple farmed near Maurice for about 15 years when they moved to a farm near Hawarden. They resided here for about 10 years before moving to Sioux City in 1934.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1934 and a son Dingenis, who died at the age of 11. Survivors include two sons, Lewis M. and Edward, both of Sioux City; five daughters, Mrs. Arie Sluiter of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mrs. Herman Dykstra of Orange City, Mrs. Victor Taylor of Akron and Mrs. Tony Visser and Mrs. Paul Robertson, both of Hawarden; two sisters, Mrs. August Peck of Sioux City and Mrs. Gertrude Baurely of Brunsville; 25 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren.