Jan van der Sluis left Heerenveen for the USA

Jan van der Sluis was born on 18 November 1841 in Heerenveen, Friesland, The Netherlands, as the eldest child of Geert Andries van der Sluis (1819-1890) and Elisabeth Halbes de Vrieze (1820-1886). Jan was named after his paternal grandfather, an earlier Jan van der Sluis (1784-1862) who had been an alderman.

Jan, aged 24, married 21-year-old Jacobina Alma on 12 July 1866 in Menaldumadeel, Friesland. She was born in Menaldumadeel on 4 March 1845. Her parents are Tjeerd Alma (1806-1867) and Geertje Adama (1809-1870).

Jacobina gave birth to her first son, Tjeerd, on 23 June 1867 in Haskerland, Friesland. Two sons named Geert Andries died young, the first as a baby in 1868, the second at the age of 3 on 15 February 1874 in Nijehaske. The couple's fourth son was Hendrik Willem, born in Haskerland on 3 May 1872.

Jan van der Sluis left for the US on 28 June 1877. He settled in St. Paul, Minnesota. On 13 May 1880 he (bigamously) married Elisabeth van Hoven. She gave birth to his child in 1881.
Jacobina Alma acquired a divorce at a district court in Frisia on 20 December 1882. Her son Hendrik Willem became a a pupil at the Military School in Nieuwersluis, and lived with his uncle Hermanu Alma (1839-1915) and his wife^*. Hendrik Willem died at the age of 13 on 11 July 1885 in Ferweradeel, Friesland.

Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad, 29-8-1895

At the age of 150, Jacobina Alma died in Leeuwarden, Friesland, on 18 Augustus 1895.

^* Hermanus Alma and his wife Margrieta Maas (1842-1916) had a daughter Clasina Cornelia Alma (1871-1938) who married Nollius Hajonides van der Meulen who drowned in 1907 when steamship "Berlin" went down.

Sources: WieWasWie.nl, Delpher.nl, AlleFriezen.nl, D. de Vries: "Genealogie Alma, Frysk Genealogysk JIerboekje" 1970, p. 70-97.
For more information on the Alma family, see also: DocPlayer.nl.

Longevity ~ Arie Monster (91) of Pella

The Dutch Monster surname can be either a topographic surname, derived from a place name in South-Holland, or it might refer to a monstrosity.

Arie Monster was born on 17 December 1890 in Pella, Iowa, USA. His parents are Jacob Monster (1853-1899) and his wife Adriana “Jana” Klijn^*, daughter of Arie Klijn and Neeltje Klein. Jacob Monster had always had poor health and died at the age of 45, when Arie was 8 years old.

Registration Card of Arie Monster of Pella

Arie Monster was tall and stout with grey eyes and light blond hair. He married on 19 December 1912 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Gezenna Schakel, born on 18 August 1889 in Bussey, Iowa. She died, aged 85, on 26 October 1974 in Pella, and was buried at the Oack Wood Cemetery. Arie Monster died on 3 November 1892 at Pella Community Hospital. He was 91 years old. He left no issue.

^* The birth of Adriana “Jana” Klijn is registered at OpenArchieven.nl, FindAGrave.com and WikiTree.com as 11 March 1854 in Nieuwland. However, I've looked up the birth records of March 1854 in Nieuwland at the FamilySearch.org website, and there is no record for Adriana's birth at that date at that place. Neither in Leerdam, nor in Lexmond.

Sources: FindAGrave.com, WieWasWie.nl, FamilySearch.org.

Johannes Boeser (1799-1872) married Maria Sutherland (1793-1842)

Daniel Boeser (1757-1812) and his wife Sijgje Paardekooper (1769-1836) had a younger son Johannes, born on 19 May 1799, and baptised in Rotterdam on 9 June. Johannes had several surviving siblings including Wouter Boeser (1785-1859), Gerrit Boeser (1786-1848), Jan Martinus Boeser (1796-1851) and Hendrik Daniel Boeser (1801-1842).
At the age of 13, in 1812, Johannes lost his father Daniel. He had been a painter, and his first 6 children were born in Beverwijk, although Daniel originated in Dirksland. By 1812, Johannes' elder brother Gerrit had already married his first wife.
Johannes Boeser had a height of about 149½ cm. His face was oval with a round chin. His eyes were blue, and his hair and eyebrows had a light brown colour. By profession he was a dyer of textiles.

Description of Johannes Boeser in 1818

On 10 August 1825 blue-eyed Johannes Boeser, aged 26, married 32-year-old Maria Sutherland. Maria was born on 23 July 1793 in Leeuwarden in the North of The Netherlands, and baptised there on 9 August. Her parents are Elizabeth Lieuwes and corporal Willem Sutherland (“Sutterland”) who wasn't in The Netherlands at the time of his daughter's marriage. After Maria's birth, her parents were married on 3 November 1793 in Leeuwarden.

Johannes Boeser and Maria Sutherland had the following children:

1. Daniel Hendrik and his twin sister were born in Rotterdam on 8-6-1826. Daniel Hendrik earned a living making cigars. On 30-6-1854 in Hoorn he married Cornelia Hegeman (1832-1894). The marriage ended in a divorce on 17-6-1863 in Amsterdam. Cornelia married widower Jan Hendrik Schophuijs on 9-9-1864. At the age of 49, Daniel Hendrik Boezer died on 25 February 1876 around 8:00 AM in Gouda.
2. Sijchie Cornelia Boeser and her twin brother were born on 8-6-1826 in Rotterdam. She died there on 3-7-1826.
3. Elizabeth was born on 12-11-1828 in Rotterdam. She married there on 28-6-1854. The groom was Frans van Vugt, illegitimate son of Klazina van Vugt. They had issue. Elizabeth Boeser died in Rotterdam on 29-3-1909 at the age of 80. Her widower, Frans van Vugt, died at the age of 92 on 3-2-1917 in Rotterdam.
4. Sijtje Maria was born on 23-7-1831, and died on 8-12-1832, both in Rotterdam.
5. Willem Boeser was born on 14-12-1833 in Rotterdam. He died there on 16 September 1846 at the age of 12 years, 9 months and 8 days.
6. Sijchie Cornelia Maria was born on 8-12-1836, and died on 29-5-1860, both in Rotterdam.

Maria Sutherland died on 13 October 1842 in Rotterdam at the age of 49 years, 2 months and 20 days. Johannes Boeser survived her for 30 years. He died on 29 December 1872 in Rotterdam at the age of 73 years and 7 months.

Sources: WieWasWie.nl, StadsArchief.Rotterdam.nl, AlleFriezen.nl.

Short-lived Marriage ~ Jacob Monster & Neeltje Bomgaars

The Dutch Monster surname can be either a topographic surname, derived from a place name in South-Holland, or it might refer to a monstrosity.

Description of Jacob Monster

Jacob Monster was born on 26 September 1823 in Sint-Anthoniepolder, Holland, and baptised there on 19 October. His parents are Arie Monster (1790-1846) and Maria Jacobs in't Veld (1798-1835). Jacob and Arie are descendants of my double ancestors Adriaen (“Arie Jacobs”) Monster and his first wife Teuntie Barendregt who were married in Sint-Anthoniepolder on 25 April 1694.
At the age of 12, Jacob lost his mother. On 5 February 1837 in Maasdam, Holland, his father married his young second wife Maaike Barendrecht (1812-1847).

Jacob's elder siblings Pieter Monster (1818-1906) and Neeltje Monster (1821-1885) were both married by 1846. On 21 May 1846 in nearby Westmaas 22-year-old Jacob married Neeltje Bomgaars. She was born on 20 November 1822 in Westmaas as younger daughter of Margaretha (“Grietje”) Huijzer (1785-1824) and Willem Bomgaars (1784-1846). Willem Bomgaars had died just 3 days before Neeltje's Wedding ceremony. Neeltje must have been pregnant, because their son Arij was born within half a year on 10 November 1846 in Westmaas.
At the time of his marriage, Jacob Monster was doing his military service in an infantry regiment, and acquired permission to attend his wedding. Jacob is described as having blond hair and blue eyes.

The marriage of Jacob Monster and his first wife Neeltje Bomgaars lasted for 20 months. Neeltje died in Westmaas on 24 January 1848 at the age of 25. Jacob was a widower at the age of 24.

On 4 May 1855 in Westmaas, at the age of 31, Jacob Monster married his second wife Anna Korpel (1829-1898), daughter of Kornelis Klaasse Korpel (17986-1848) and his first wife Maria Hendriks in't Veld (1798-1835)^*. Anna gave birth to 9 additional children, including Cornelis, Maria, Geertrui, Pieter, Cornelia and Willempje.

Jacob's son from his first marriage, Arij Monster, married Cornelia van Setten (1851-1931) on 2 April 1874 in Westmaas. They had several children. Arij Monster died, aged 70, on 22 December 1916 in nearby Klaaswaal.
Jacob lost his second wife Anna Korpel on 28 December 1898 in Westmaas. She was 69 years old. Jacob was 75. He died at the age of 78 in Westmaas on 13 July 1902.

^{*  Maria Hendriks in't Veld (1798-1835) and Maria Jacobs in't Veld (1798-1835) are both descendants of my ancestors Dirk Aerde in't Veld and his wife Jaapje Huigen Snaijer (1683-1737).}

Sources: WieWasWie.nl, FamilySearch.org, Families of South Holland ("Klappers").