VanderMeer, Leendert 1830-1918

VANDERMEER, VANDENBOS, VANDENBOSCH, VANDERMAREL

Posted By: Wilma J. VandeBerg -volunteer (email)
Date: 1/31/2025 at 09:33:42

Vander Meer, Leendert 1830-1918 & Antje ‘Anna’ Vanden Bos Family

This biography of the Leendert Vander Meer family was composed by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. The narrative was made from various sources including records from the web site www.iagenweb.org/sioux ; family reports and vitals collected from ancestry.com records and public member trees, Find A Grave index and various local archives, books and publications.

Disclaimer: Names, dates and places may very form one source to another, but have been stated in this biography as presented in the source. Family data taken from ancestry.com public member trees is subject to the submitter of data to ancestry.com and was not verified by this submitter. Information was cross checked from sources where possible. Sometimes facts may get clouded as information passes down the generations. The sources for information on the Oregon Wagon Train was passed on to the author of the book ‘Story of Sioux County’ by Charles Dyke in personal interviews with grandchildren of the some of the families in the movement, in about 1939, published in 1942.

Leendert Vander Meer’s family may have been involved in a Wagon Train that left Pella Iowa in 1864 and six months later arrived in Oregon after a grueling over land trip enduring many hardships. Our web page www.iagenweb.org/sioux has set up a page with accounts of that journey. See ‘Onsite Resources’ go to Biographies ‘Wagons Ho’ the 1864-1870 Oregon Trail, to read about this family who may have and others who experienced the wagon trip as well as the later ongoing migration that led to Sioux County Iowa. In the book Sioux County History, there are actual transcriptions of vivid accounts of the Oregon Trail experience on pages 402-414 and pages 429-430. In the page 429-430 it mentions “in the group were families of Leendert Vander Meer”…. and more (so it has been assumed that Leendert’s family traveled with the Wagon Train along with his brother Dirk Vander Meer).

HOWEVER, upon acquiring information on the children of Leendert Vander Meer, as is later pointed out in this narrative, claims that children were all born in Iowa during the period 1864-1870. Was that a later assumption by the family? Find a Grave Index also claims children in that period were born in IA. Also, upon searching the 1880 census of Sioux County the children that were born in that time period indicate born in Iowa. The fact that possibly the whole Leendert Vander Meer family did not go with the Wagon Train does exist; or did the family get to Oregon, were disenchanted and returned to Iowa shortly after arriving in Oregon, by railroads having been newly built during that time.

If anyone reading this BIOS has family record that can substantiate and reveal the true story of involvement of Leender Vander Meer’s family in the Oregon Trail experience, please contact our page coordinator to add the information. www.iagenweb.org/sioux

RESEARCH Notes:
Leendert Vander Meer arrived at Philadelphia on 19 Jun 1849 having departed from Rotterdam, Netherlands. He accompanied the Cornelis Vanden Bos family. His brother Johannes 1822-1849 died at sea on the trip to America. Leendert later married Cornelis Vanden Bos’s daughter Antje.

Leendert ‘Leonard’ Vander Meer born 27 Aug 1830 Overschie, Zuid Holland, Netherlands died 28 Dec 1918 Alton, Sioux, Iowa He was the son of Izaak ‘Isaac’ Vander Meer 1801-1886 and Aaltje ‘Alida’ Van Den Bosch 1801-1881. He married Antje ‘Anna’ Alida Van Den Bos 1838-1902, she was the mother of his children. In 1904 he married widow Diederika VandenBurg, Mrs. W. K. Scholten

Antje ‘Anna’ Alida Van Den Bos was born 15 Apr 1838 Zoetermeer, Zuid Holland, Netherlands died 12 Apr 1902 Harrison, Douglas County, SD. She was the daughter of Cornelis Van Den Bos 1790-1860 and Adriana Vander Marel 1803-1884. Leendert Vander Meer and Anna were the parents of the following children:

CHILDREN: Most of the children moved to Douglas County SD. Obituaries were not readily available for some of them, some family data was found through ancestry.com reports on ancestry’s public member trees and Find a Grave index.

1. Isaac Van Der Meer born Dec 1858 Marion County IA died 3 Feb 1889 Douglas County SD. No further information found.

2. Pieter Van Der Meer born 3 Jan 1880 no further information found.

3. Adrianna Elizabeth Van Der Meer born 10 Mar 1860 Pella Marion County IA died 18 Jul 1930 Harrison, Douglas County, SD. She married Abraham Johannes Brink 1857-1942. Their children were: Mary Brink 1879-1895, Leendert Brink 1881-1956, Anna Brink Beukelman 1884-1969, Cornelia Cora Sebia Brink Brent Brines 1885-1986, John Albertus Brink 1887-1960, Isaac Brink 1890-1890, Harm Hermanus Brink 1892-1959, Maria Brink Plooster 1895-1989, Cornelius Brink 1897-1903, Alida ‘Allie’ Brink Versteeg 1900-1992, Adriana ‘Jennie’ Elizabeth Brink 1902-1993, Sarah Rozina Brink DeHarri 1904-1993

4. Alida Vander Meer Vanden Berge born 22 Feb 1864 Pella, IA died 9 Oct 1941 Corsica, Douglas County SD. She married Arie Vanden Berge 1865-1944. They had children Adrian Michael Vanden Berge 1891-1964, Anne Vanden Berge 1893-1969, Elizabeth A. Vanden Berge 1894-1933, Leendert A Vanden Berg 1896-1988, Leona M. Van Den Berge 1897, John I. Vanden Berge 1898-1971, Adriana VandenBerge 1899-1992, Isaac Vanden Berge 1902-1989, Nellie Gertrude Vanden Berg Noteboom 1905-1985

5. Maria Cornella Vander Meer Vander Linden born 1 Sep 1866 Marion county Iowa died 16 Jul 1949 Corsica SD. She married Herman Vander Linden 1865-1942. Children – Gerrit Hermanus Vander Linden 1888-1978, Anthony Vander Linden 1889, Anna Vander Linden 1889-1972, Leonard Vander Linden 1890-1890, Leonard Vander Linden 1892-1965, Antonette J. Vander Linden 1895-1930, Sarah Vander Linden 1897-1980, Andrew Vander Linden 1899-1917, Marie Vander Linden 1901-1992, Ada Nellie Vander Linden 1903-2002, Charles Everett Vander Linden 1905-1973, Clifford Vander Linden 1907-1958, Evelyn V. Vander Linden Sketchley1909-1974, and Elmer Vander Linden 1910-1996.

6. Cornelis Vander Meer born abt 1869 IA died 1931 Lakeview Todd, SD. No further information found.

7. John Vander Meer born 4 Mar 1872 Orange City IA died 25 Sep 1931 Lakeview, Todd Co. SD. From public member trees on ancestry. He married Maragret Elizabeth Vander Linden 1878-1967. Children - Leonard Vander Meer 1904-1992, Anna Marie Jenkins 1914-2007,

8. Cornelia Vander Meer born 31 Mar 1874 IA died 1923 Corsica SD. She married James K, Vanden Berge 1870-1953. No further information found.

9. Antje Anna Vander Meer born 4 Aug 1876 IA No further information found.

10. Dirk Vander Meer born 9 Dec 1879 Orange City IA died 1961

11. Leendert Frans ‘Frank’ Vander Meer born 18 Nov 1883 Douglas Co. SD died 1962. No further information found.

OBITUARY of Leendert Vander Meer 1830-1918
VanderMeer, Leendert born 27 Aug 1830 Overschie, Zuid Holland, Netherlands, immigration June 25 1849, died 29 Dec 1918 Alton IA. His first wife died Apr 12, 1902 at Harrison South Dakota. Wife Antje ‘Anna’ Alida Vanden Bos. Born 11 Jan 1856
De Volksvriend of Thursday Jan 2, 1919 Translated reads:
My aged friend, Mr. L. Van Der Meer at Alton, was relieved yesterday from his post, and is now with his Lord and Savior. Our good Correspondent at Alton reports this death in a few words only: he knows that we are going to press a day earlier than usual this time. But I expect that for the next number we will have a sketch this week (whether from the pen of the Corr or from that of the Teacher), a sketch of the life and aspirations of the worthy old man.
He was so well known, so highly respected, he is so worthy that the Volksvriend, the magazine by the departed, since its creation, so faithfully read, dedicates an essay to his memory. Mr. Leendert Van der Meer was among us one of the oldest and most worthy. May his name and his work live on among us! All the mourners please count on our deepest sympathy in this very sensitive loss.

De Volksvriend of Thursday Jan 9, 1919 page 3
Translated reads:
Cornelius Vander Meer accompanied the Vander Meer family with the body of their family member L. Vander Meer to Sioux City. Mr. J. J. Van de Waa of Orange City helped the Corr. to give a description of Mr. L. Vander Meer, Thanks, The information given by him is as follows Leendert Vander Meer came from the Netherlands in 1849 with his parents. They settled in Pella. In the spring of 1852 he went with others to seek his fortune in California. In 1855 he returned and there in 1856 married Antje Van den Bos. They were blessed with 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls, all alive except the eldest son.
The names of those children are Mrs. A. J. Brink, Mrs. Arie Vander Berge, Mrs. James Vander Berge, Mrs. H. J. Vander Linden, Jan Vander Meer, Dirk, Cornelis, Frank and Annie, there are 40 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. The name of the late eldest son is missing from this list, submitted to us by Rev. J.. P. De Jong. In 1869 he was appointed as one of the committee to select a place for a colony. The choice of that committee was Sioux County. Vander Meer arrived in Sioux County with his family in 1870 arrived in Sioux County.
Leendert Vander Meer made a confession of his faith in Jesus at the age of 19. In Orange City he united with the First Reformed Church, and was elected as an elder and remained so until he moved to Harrison, South Dakota in 1885. There he served the Reformed Church as an elder. There his wife and eldest son were taken from him by death. From there he moved here again and settled in Alton. Fourteen years ago he married for the second time, namely with the widow W. K. Scholten.
Mr. Vander Waa was also at the funeral. As far as I know, he is the only one of the first pioneers who is still alive.
Rev. and Mrs. D. Scholten of Valley Springs SD, were here on the occasion of the funeral of Mr. L. Vander Meer and immediately paid the family a visit.

Alton Democrat of Saturday Jan 4, 1919 (question the name and place of his first marriage)
On Sunday Dec 29 at 2:30 o’clock occurred the death of Leendert Vandermeer at his home here. He had been ailing for some time owing to his old age, which was 88 years and 4 months.
He was born in Netherlands Aug. 27, 1830, and came to Sioux County in 1904. When the discovery of gold in California drew many young men to that place he also went and it was there that he met his first wife. After some time she passed away and in Dec 1904 he was married to Mrs. W. K. Scholten of Alton and has been a resident of his place ever since.
He was a very active church member and was at the time of this death one of the elders of the Ref. Church of which he was a member. The funeral services were held on Dec 31, at the house at 1 p.m. and at the church at 1:30, Rev. J. P. De Jong having charge of the ceremony. The remains were taken te Harrison So. Dak where interment was made. His children from Harrison SD who were present for the funeral were: Mrs. A. J. Brink, Mrs. Arie Vander Berge and Mrs. James Vander Berge. Another Mrs. Neuwendorf of Orange City was also present. He is survived by 40 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. He leaves to mourn his death his wife and the following children: Mrs. J. J. Vander Linden of Corsica SD, John, Dirk, Cornelius, Frank and Miss Anna Vander Meer all of Todd Co. So. Dakota.

This picture was taken from the back of the book picture pages, page 2, of the Story of Sioux County by Charles Dyke published in 1942.

Sioux Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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