Brink, John A. 1890-1955 & Gert Kuiken Family

BRINK, KUIKEN, PENNINGS, PORTE

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 5/25/2024 at 20:36:17

Brink, John A. 1890-1955 and Gert Kuiken Family

This story was taken from pages 292-293 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.

John Brink was born June 29, 1890, in Maurice, Iowa. he was the sixth of twelve children born to Gerrit and Johanna (Pennings) Brink. He attended a country school southeast of Maurice. He often told the story of what a mean teacher he had. When he was in the third grade, he decided one day to run home. The teacher came after him on his bicycle, but John outsmarted him by going through the cornfield. Later he attended the school in Maurice, and found that his “mean” teacher from the country school had been made the principal of the town school. After finishing school, John helped his father on the farm, worked in a store and did various other jobs.

On January 10, 1912, he married Gert (Griet) Kuiken. John and Gerts’ parents were all born in the Netherlands. Gert was the fifth of seven children born to Douwe and Gepke (Porte) Kuiken. She was born and attended school in the Orange City area and went out doing housework in various homes. Later her parents moved into a small house in Maurice. When wedding bells came into the picture, they were married in the Brink home, because the bride’s home was too small.

The young couple started farming on Johns’ fathers’ farm located 2¼ miles east of Maurice. Later they moved to another of the family farms one mile north and ½ mile east of Maurice. This was their home until they retired from farming and moved to Orange City in 1943. John was also an electrician and continued that work after retiring from farming.

Six children were born into their family – one son and five daughters.

Edwin was born January 31, 1913. He married Minnie (Dee) De Vries, who was a school teacher in Maurice. They had a trucking and shelling business for some time, farmed on the home place, and had a hardware business in Maurice, and later in Paullina, Iowa. They had two children, Robert and Ruth. Edwin died July 1, 1982.

Dorothy was born May 8, 1914. She married Lester De Kock, a farmer. They had one son, Wesley. After Lesters’ death, she married Arnold De Jong, a garageman. They had one daughter, Jean, and are now retired in Orange City.

Caroline was born June 23, 1916. She married a farmer, Wm. (Smoky) Smits. They had six children – Darlene, Gerald (Jerry), Karen, Bruce, Jim and Barbara. “Smoky” died September 12, 1985.

Esther was born June 29, 1918. She also married a Maurice school teacher, Freeman Reppe. They have two sons, Larry and Ron, and are now retired in Davenport, Iowa.

Arloa was born October 8, 1921. She married a farmer, Pierce Jansma. They had three children, Sheryl, Ken and Mark. Pierce died January 30, 1984.

Audrey was born August 7, 1932. She married a furniture store manager, Cornelius Siebersma Jr. They are the parents of six children – Nancy, Jim, Charlotte, Janice, Donna and Jeffrey, and reside in Orange City, Iowa.

The family has many fond memories of life on the farm. With only one boy, the girls were called on to help with many of the farm jobs. Among them were milking by hand, slopping the hogs, picking corn by hand, feeding chickens, etc. The younger ones were expected to fill up the cob and wood box for fuel for the cook stove. If fuel was scarce, the cobs had to be picked up out of the hog yard after the pigs had eaten off the corn – not a very pleasant job.

Butchering time was also a family project. This was usually a two day job. After coming home from school, jobs were waiting to turn the meat grinder to grind the fat which was rendered into lard and making baloney and twisting it into jars for steaming.

One of the luxuries enjoyed by the family was electricity, when most all the other farm homes depended on kerosene lamps. A Delco light plant and a large set of batteries were in the cellar of the home.

The batteries were charged up by running the engine periodically. This supplied the energy for lights and a few appliances.

Mr. and Mrs. Brink were both very active in church and community affairs.

John died very suddenly of a heart attack at age 65 on September 16, 1955. Mrs. Brink lived to be almost 89 years and died on November 14, 1980, of acute leukemia.

(End of the story in the Maurice book – done IN MEMORY OF Mr. and Mrs. John A. Brink by Mrs. Arloa Jansma)

RESEARCH Notes: From a report on ancestry.com public member trees submitted by other than this submitter.

John A. Brink was born 29 Jun 1890 Maurice IA and died 16 Sep 1955 Maurice IA. His parents were Gerrit Brink 1858-1938 and Johanna Pennings 1861-1937. He married Gertie Kuiken 10 Jan 1912 at Maurice IA.

Gertie Kuiken was born 30 Dec 1891 Orange City IA died 14 Nov 1980 Orange City IA. Her parents were Douwe Folkerts Kuiken 1849-1914 and Gepkje Jacobs Porte 1881-1954. John and Gertie had six children.

CHILDREN - They are identified in the narrative from the Maurice book above, as well as in John and Gertie’s obituaries that follow.

OBITUARY OF JOHN A. BRINK
Source: Sioux County Capital (9-22-1955) Birth: June 29, 1890 Death: September 16, 1955
John A. Brink Heart Attack Victim Friday
Spent Most of Life Farming in Maurice Vicinity
John A. Brink, a life-long resident of Maurice and Orange City died Friday, September 16, at the age of 65 years, two months and 18 days. Mr. Brink succumbed suddenly to a severe heart attack as he was preparing for the day's work.
Funeral services were held Monday with Reverend Henry Colenbrander and Reverend John Straks officiating. Burial was at the Sherman Township cemetery at Maurice. Pallbearers were Ring De Jager, Paul Mouw, Harry Ver Hoeven, Abe Van Peursem, John Van Peursem and Donald Jurriaans. Van Etten Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
John Brink was born on a farm near Maurice on June 29, 1890, the son of Gerrit Brink and Johanna Pennings. He spent most of his life farming in the Maurice vicinity.
On January 10, 1912, he was united in marriage to Gertie Kuiken. Six children were born to this union.
He served as a deacon in the First Reformed Church of Maurice for a number of years. In September of 1943 the family moved to Orange City and he was a member of the First Reformed Church here at the time of his death.
He was engaged in electrical work and worked with his son, Edwin, who operates a hardware store in Maurice.
He is survived by his widow, and the six children; Edwin of Maurice; (Dorothy) Mrs. Arnold De Jong of Orange City; (Caroline) Mrs. William Smits of Maurice; (Esther) Mrs. Freeman Reppe of New London, Iowa; (Arloa) Mrs. Pierce Jansma of Maurice; and (Audrey) Mrs. Cornelius Siebersma of Orange City. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren, and two sisters, (Minnie) Mrs. John Peelen of Sheldon and (Gertie) Mrs. Raymond De Jong of Maurice: and one brother, Henry of Bellflower, California.

OBITUARY OF GERT BRINK Mrs. John Brink 1891-1980
GERTIE BRINK
BORN: December 30, 1891, Maurice, Iowa PASSED AWAY: November 14, 1980, Orange City, Iowa. Age: 88 years, 10 months, 14 days•
FUNERAL SERVICE: Monday, November 17, 1980, 1:30 p.m. First Reformed Church Orange City, Iowa CLERGYMAN: The Rev. Frank Snuttjer The Rev. William B. Kolenbrander
INTERMENT: Sherman Township Cemetery, Maurice, Iowa
ARRANGEMENTS: Van Etten~Oo1man Funeral Home, Orange City, IA
Gertie was the daughter of Douwe Kuiken and Gepke Porte Kuiken.
On January 10, 1912. she married John A. Brink, at Maurice. They farmed near Maurice until October of 1943, when they moved into Orange City. Mr. Brink passed away September 16, 1955.
Mrs. Brink was a member of the First Reformed Church and its Dorcas Circle. She was a former member of Ladies Zangkor.
Survivors include one son, Edwin, of Paullina; five daughters, Mrs. Arnold (Dorothy) De Jong, of Orange City; Mrs. William (Caroline) Smits, of Maurice; Mrs. Freeman (Esther) Reppe, of Davenport, Iowa; Mrs. Pierce (Arloa) Jansma, of Maurice; and Mrs. Cornelius (Audrey) Siebersma, Jr., of Orange City; 21 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Martin Kuiken, of Orange City.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Brink was preceded in death by two sisters and three brothers.
Source: Van Etten-Oolman Funeral Home, Orange City, IA.obit.

Picture taken from page 292 of the Maurice Book.

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