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This is the fourth of twelve articles about the early immigrants to Pella that Kor Postma contributed and Thys de Jong has now translated for us.
Tjebbe Meinderts Beintema was born on March 2, 1795 in Wouterswoude (baptized on March 22, 1795 in Driesum. The pastor seems to have made a mistake in recording Tjebbe's birth as February 30). He was the son of Meindert Alberts and Grietje Tjebbes or Geertje Tjibbes (the baptismal record reads Grietje Tjebbes as does their marriage record). He married Akke Dirks Bloemberg in the municipality of Kollumerland and Nieuwkruisland on May 18, 1819. Akke was a daughter of Durk Douwes Bloemberg and Lijsbert Allardes Nicolai; she was born on April 12, 1797 (baptized June 5, 1797 in the Reformed church) at Hardegarijp (Tietjerksteradeel). The family had 8 children of whom 4 died young: Meindert born September 22, 1820 at Westergeest (Kollumerland c.a.); Lijsbert born on December 20, 1824 and died on July 28, 1828 in Wouterswoude; Gertje born November 2, 1827 and died on November 30, 1828 in Wouterswoude; Durk born January 27, 1830 in Wouterswoude; Albert born June 29, 1833 and died July 5 1833 in Wouterswoude; Liebbe born September 20 in Wouterswoude; Gertje born October 28, 1837 in Wouterswoude; and Douwe born June 19, 1843 and died on July 9, 1844 in Wouterswoude. In April 1847 Tjebbe, whose occupation was that of "cow milker," and Akke along with their 3 youngest children Durk, Liebbe and Gertje left Dantumadeel and boarded the Pieter Floris to go to America, that gigantic magnet that sucked [author's word] the people away from their homes in Europe. Around 55 million Europeans crossed the ocean between 1821 and 1924, 33 million to the United States. From 1820 to 1900 around 340,000 Dutch people emigrated to the United States.
After World War II the Netherlands had one of the highest population densities on earth and the government stimulated the people to move to the United States, as well as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. The cost of emigrating was often paid for by the sale of movable goods and animals. Often there was no money left (after paying passage) for unexpected expenses. In 1847 passage cost an average of 45 guildres per person, augmented by 35 guildres per person for food aboard ship. Those amounts were substantial for the time when one realizes a laborer earned around 6 guildres a week. (Other sources I've read state that children between 2 and 12 paid half price and that children below the age of 2 did not have to pay for passage. The wage of 6 guildres a week seems a little high. High school history teacher Dirk Corporaal writing about wages in Dantumadeel around the year 1900 makes clear that 6 guildres a week at that time was more than many people earned.) At present there are around 8 million Americans of Dutch descent in the United States. [According to a Wikipedia article on President Obama's mother she also had Dutch ancestors. Does that mean we can claim President Obama as a Dutchman?]
Tjebbe died a few months after arriving in November 1847 in Pella, He was buried in a simple ship's crate in Strooijstadt (?) in or near Pella; later that burial site would be named Oakwood Cemetery. Akke continued living in Pella and died there many years later on March 21, 1888. She was also buried at Oakwood.
Son Meindert did not come along to America. He had married the previous year on May 14, 1846 in the municipality of Dantumadeel Antje Edzes van der Veen, daughter of Edze Gerbens van der Veen and Foekje Pieters Dantuma. Antje was born on October 25, 1820 in Wouterswoude. The family had 5 children all born in Wouterswoude, Dantumadeel: Tjebbe (January 5, 1847-1929) married Elizabeth Bloem (1850-1919), Foekje (December 15, 1850-1938) married Johannes Bloem (1846-1922), Edze (February 7, 1854-July 27, 1937) married Freerkje Bruining (1856-1946), Akke (September 10, 1857-January 19, 1947 in Stedum) married Jan van der Laan (1857-1929 in Stedum) and Gerben (December 11, 1861-1868). Meindert, his spouse Antje and 3 children boarded the SS W. A. Scholten on May 5, 1883 in Rotterdam bound for New York, and also settled in Pella where the rest of the Beintema family was already living. Meindert died on December 12, 1909 in Pella and his wife Antje died there on April 16, 1914.
Durk Tjebbes Beintema married Trijntje Douwes Douma on June 4, 1880 in Pella. Trijntje was born in Ee (Oostdongeradeel) on July 8, 1863. Trijntje was a daughter of Douwe Jans Douma and Bontje Jogchums Algra. The couple left 2 children: Bontje (18811950) who married Govert van Zee (1876-1958) on February 28, 1900; and Tjebbe (18831968) who married Anneke Kooyman (1891-1983) on November 2, 1910 . Durk Beintema and his brother Levi (Liebbe) began a pottery bakery. The made pots, crocks, bottles, kettles, bowls and frying pans. Many later immigrants were their customers. Durk died at Pella on June 12, 1894 and Trijntje died there on August 14, 1884.
Levi (Liebbe Tjebbes) Beintema married on October 31, 1856 in Pella with Maria Christina Roelofsz. Maria was a daughter of the well known Dr. Joost Roelofsz en Mietje (Maria?) Lindeloof, whose daughter married Auke Heerkes Viersen [See Greetings from America 3]. Maria Christina was born on February 27, 1836 in Amsterdam and came with her parents to America in 1847. They were aboard the ship the Nagasaki which landed in Baltimore. Beside the pottery business that he owned with his brother, Levi was also a taxidermist. The family had 12 children, all born at Pella: Libbie born in 1857 died at Pella in 1859, Joost born in 1858 also died in Pella in 1859. How many tears must have been shed that year in that young family! Fortunately in May 1859 a third child was born: Joost Levi (May 14, 1859November 16, 1928 in Pella). He married on May 31, 1883 Jennie VanderMeiden (March 27, 1861-December 21, 1926). Joost was the custodian in a public school. They had 4 children: Levi, Bessie, Mattie and Harold.
Child 4 was Elizabeth (Libbie?), born June 1, 1861 and June 1, 1909. She remained a spinster and died in Cherokee, Iowa.
Child 5 was Andrew (July 13, 1864January 22, 1926), who married Susan Stavast (1870 after 1926) on March 25, 1885. Andrew was barber and giropracticus [chiropractor?]. The family lived in Davenport where he was "giropracticus" for more than 15 years. Andrew died from a heart attack in the home, also in Davenport, of his son Leo; Andrew was on the way one evening after supper to see a patient and stopped for a few minutes at Leo's home. The two were sitting talking in the dining room when Andrew suddenly fell unconscious to the floor. A quickly summoned doctor was, alas, too late. Andrew had already had trouble with his heart for quite some time. He was buried in the Oakdale Cemetery, Scott County, Iowa. The family had 5 children: Hilda, Leo, Maria, Etta and Josephine.
Child 6: Maria Christina (April 11, 1867October 22, 1933) married George William Flickenger (May 1863-1927) in 1890. George William was a barber and his wife Maria Christina a tailor. Maria Christina died of a heart attack and was also buried in the Oakdale Cemetery. The family had 2 daughters: Ruth and Beatrice.
Child 7: Dirk Levi (March 16, 1869May 3, 1943) married on November 6, 1900 in Rock Island Dorabelle Elsa Frieda Beselin (January 24, 1879-February 18, 1936). Dirk Levi was a machine worker at first and later worked in the textile industry. He was the only one in the family named after the father's side: Dirk after an uncle and Levi after his father. He was buried at the Chippiannock Cemetery in Rock Island. The family had 3 children: Leo, Walter and Dorothy.
Child 8: Henry Philip (February 20, 1871May 18, 1937) married Martha Ellen Looyer (1856- after 1930). From her first marriage Martha Ellen a son Burt. No other children are known. Henry regularly changed occupations. He died in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa.
Child 9: Johanna Amelia (January 31, 1873January 24, 1953) married Philip Landry (April 29, 1868-April 15, 1933). Johanna died in Ventura, California.
Child 10: Harriet? Hattie? (March 23, 1874-August 14, 1929) smarried John I. Yoakum. About John we have unfortuntely found no further information. Harriet died in Monroe, Iowa.
Child 11: Edward Jerome (April 30, 1878-December 29, 1941) married Alice Fischer (December 6, 1876-September 1918). He died in Davenport, Scott County, Iowa.
Child 12: Julia (March16, 1880-February 19, 1940) married around 1922 Lambert H. Crowles or Cowles (1873-1940). Julia also died in Davenport.
A celebration was organized to mark the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Pella colony on July 27, 1872. The organizing committee was made up of 24 men including Levi Beintema, Pieter Oebeles Viersen and Auke Heerkes Viersen. all known from this series of Greetings from America. Levi Beintema died on October 30, 1902 in Davenport, his wife Maria Christina on January 17, 1899 at Pella. They are both buried at Graceland Cemetery in Pella.
Gertje Tjebbes Beintema married on October 28, 1857 in Pella Hendrik or Henry Bensink. Hendrik Bensink was a son of Gerrit Jan Bensink and Beike Stegeman, who was born in Zuthpen (Gelderland) on November 27, 1830. The couple left 3 children: Gradus (November 19, 1858-May 16, 1942) who married Dina Bogaard (December 20, 1863-November 2, 1897) on December 18, 1882 in Pella; Elizabeth (January 19, 1861-May 1, 1880) who married John Grandia (October 3, 1854-February 2, 1902); and Bijke or Rebecca (1865-1936) who married Johannes van Zee (1861-1932). Henry (1874) married Maggie Dereus (1877).
Gertje Tjebbes Beintema died on March 20, 1907 in Pella; her spouse Henry Bensink had previously died on March 29, also in Pella.
If you have additions or corrections I would like to hear them.
Kor Postma
van Aernsmastraat 14
9104 HG Damwoude
Tel: 0511-422640