William Marius Branderhorst (1898-1976) travelled to Pella

William Marius Branderhorst of Pella, Iowa, was born on 17 December 1863 in Genderen, Brabant, The Netherlands as Willem Marius, younger son of Gerrit Branderhorst (1826-1911) and his first wife Peterke van Gammeren (1823-1866). Peterke died on 30 July 1866 at the age of 43, leaving 6 young children.
Widower Gerrit Branderhorst, aged 49, was married secondly on 15 March 1876 to 23-year-old Pieternella van Wijk (1852-1924). They had at least 4 additional children.
William Marinus and his father Gerrit are male-line descendants of an earlier Gerrit Branderhorst (1680-±1749) who is also my ancestor. The area where this line of the Branderhorst lived was dotted with 3 villages: Heesbeen, Eethen and Genderen.

At the age of 24, William Marius was married on 2 August 1888 to Maria Johanna van Beek. She was born on 30 April 1869 in Genderen as daughter of Gijsbert van Beek (1827-1900) and Emmeke Bax (1835-1904. Her brother Lambert Gijsbert (1867-1941) had earlier married Hester Margaretha Branderhorst (1861-1942), a full sister of William Marius.
Soon, approximately every 1½ year Maria Johanna gave birth to a new child. One of their children, Gijsbert, had died in 1898 at the age of 6.
After the birth of their 14th child, Lambert, William Marius and his wife and 13 children left The Netherlands on the S.S. Rotterdam. William Marius was already fluent in English, and travelled second class. On board he made acquaintance of the novelist Newton Booth Tarkington (1869–1946). Their ship with its 1,243 passengers arrived in the U.S.A. in 1908.

Dagblad van Noord-Brabant (newspaper), 16-9-1908

De Volksvriend (newspaper), 10-9-1908

 

De Grondwet (newspaper), 15-9-1908

William Marius and his wife settled in Pella, Iowa. There they had 2 additional daughters: Johanna and Hester Margaret. Three of their elder children, Gerrit, Maria Wilhelmina and Nellie, married children of Dirk Jan van Ryswyk (1861-1952) and his wife Dena Evelena Bierma (1864-1937).
William Marius Branderhorst died on 10 January 1944 in Pella. His widow died in 1957, and was buried with her husband in Pella.

De Volksvriend (newspaper), 27-1-1944

William Marius Branderhorst (1898-1976)'s 16 children are:

Cora & husband

1. Petertje Gerritje (Pearl) was born on 23 January 1889 in Genderen. Pearl married Henry J. Blacquiere (1885-1974). She die don 13 February 1933. 
2. Emma Gijsbertha was born on 14 April 1890 in Genderen. Emma married Willem van Dort (1882-1971). Emma died on  5 April 1985 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, aged 94. 
3. Gerritje Petertje (Gertie) was born on 1 July 1891 in Genderen. She married John de Boef (1883-1962) who was born in Pella as son of Hendrick de Boef and Areke Kuijntjes. Gertie died on 28 February 1975 in Mahaska County, Iowa, aged 83.
4. Gijsbert was born on 7 October 1892 in Genderen, and died on 8 October 1898, aged 6. 
5. Gerrit was born on 13 January 1894 in Genderen. Gerrit married Evelena van Ryswyk (1897-1983). Evelena is a daughter of Dirk Jan van Ryswyk (1861-1952) and his wife. He died on 4 January 1975 in Prairie City, Iowa.
6. Maria Wilhelmina was born on  23 July 1895 in Genderen. She married Hessel D. van Ryswyk (1889-1985). Hessel is a son of Dirk Jan van Ryswyk (1861-1952) and his wife. Maria Wilhelmina died on 24-6-1993 in Pella, Iowa, aged 97. 
7. Pietronella Cornelia (Nellie) was born on 18 October 1896 in Genderen. Nellie married Peter van Ryswyk (1895-1967). Peter is a son of Dirk Jan van Ryswyk (1861-1952) and his wife. Nellie die don 26 December 1895 in Prairie City, Iowa.
8. Willem Marius (William) was born on 4 March 1898. William married Mildred M. Harvey (1905-2002). William died in 1976. He was buried in Marion County, Iowa, USA.
9. Gijsbertha Emma (Bertha) was born on 16 September 1899 in Genderen. Bertha married Peter R. Meyer (1897-1984). Bertha die don 24 May 1997 in Prairie City, Iowa. 
10. Maaike Gerdina (Maggie) was born on 10 June 1901 in Genderen. Maggie married John Schut (1900-1997). Maggie died in 1995. She is buried in Pella.
11. Johanna Hester was born on 13 July 1903 in Genderen. She may have died around 1909. 
12. Gijsbert Cornelis was born on 13 June 1905 in Genderen. He married Gertrude Wilma van Zee (1904-1989) on 25 February 1931 in Prairie City and had a son named Ronald. Gijsbert died, aged 70, on 19 January 1976 in Newton, Jasper County, Iowa.
13. Cornelia Hendrina (Cora) was born on 22 November 1906 in Genderen. Cora married Elco Herman Oostendorp (1911-2008, see picture). Cora died on 16 September 1991 in Hudsonville, Ottowa County, Michigan. She was buried in Zeeland, Ottowa County, Michigan.
14. Lambert Marius was born on 13 May 1908 in Genderen. Lambert married Hendreen Veldhuizen (1909-2003). He died in 1991 and was buried in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
15. Johanna was born in 1909 in the USA. She married John Monsma (1900-1962). Johanna died in 1973, and is buried in Pella. 
16. Hester Margaret was born on  21 March 1912 in Prairie City, Iowa, USA. She married Lambert Veenstra (1910-1978) in 1935. Hester died on 20 November 1972 in Tracy, Marion County, Iowa, aged 60.

Sources: Delpher.nl, WieWasWie.nl, FindAGrave.com, Salha.nl.