Julius Zevenbergen (1861-1948) in Iowa

Julius Zevenbergen was born on 3 March 1861 in Barendrecht, Holland, as Jillis Koedood, the illegitimate son of 23-year-old Ida Koedood. Ida was born in Rhoon, Holland, on 20 December 1827 as Ida Cornelia, daughter of Jillis Koedood (1804-1850) and his wife Pietertje van 't Hof. Hence, Ida had named her son after her father.

Jillis was born on 3-3-1861 in Barendrecht as illegitimate son of Ida Koedood.

Ida Koedood, aged 25, was married on 28 May 1863 in Barendrecht to Pieter Zevenbergen, aged 26. They claimed Jillis was their son, and thus he acquired the surname Zevenbergen. It is, however, not likely that Ida's spouse was also the natural father of Jillis.
Pieter Zevenbergen was born on 26 January 1837 in Charlois (now part of Rotterdam). His parents are Arij Zevenbergen (1797-1851) and Pleuntje Lems (1799-1874).
Within her marriage Ida Koedood was 9 more times pregnant. In 1877 there was a stillborn son. Two other children died before the age of 2. Arie (1864-1928), Pietertje (1865-1919), Pleun (1867-1943), Lena (1872-1918) and Pieter (1880-1963) all survived, and remained in The Netherlands. Another son, Jan Zevenbergen (1869-1958), was to follow his brother Jilles to the USA.

On 13 May 1886 in Barendrecht, at the age of 25, Jilles Zevenbergen married Adriaantje de Zeeuw. She was born in nearby Heerjansdam on 5 April 1863. Her parents are the late Jan de Zeeuw (1828-1881) and his wife Aagje Hartman.
Jilles’ eldest son, Arie Zevenbergen, was born on 22 November 1892 in Barendrecht.

Jilles traveled to the USA with his wife and son and took the name “Julius”. His son Ike was born on 21 January 1897 in Middelburg, Sioux County, Iowa, USA. His daughter Agnes Edith was born there on 24 February 1899. They had a total of 10 children. In 1914 the family moved to the vicinity of Ocheyedan, Osceola County, Iowa.

On 15 February 1922 Julius’ daughter Agnes Edith married Tunis Bras, born on 25 January 1895 in South Holland, Cook County, Illinois, as son of Arie Bras (1865-1959) who originated in Almkerk, Brabant, The Netherlands. Tunis' mother was Helena (“Helen”) van der Heijden (1868-1944). Mrs. Helen Bras was killed in the afternoon of March 28, 1944, when the car driven by her husband, Arie Bras, was struck by the southbound Dixie Limited on the C&EI crossing one and a half miles south of Kinney's Corner.
Julius’ son Ike married Jannetje Sara (“Jennie”) Monster (1904-2006). She was a daughter of Dina Hendrina (“Dena”) Verhoek (1879-1968) and her husband Arie Monster (1877-1948). Arie is a male-line descendant of an earlier Arie Monster who lived around 1700 in Sint Anthoniepolder, Holland.

Julius' wife, Adriaantje de Zeeuw, died in Ocheyedan on 28 March 1925, aged 62.
Julius Zevenbergen died at the Hull Hospital, Saturday evening, 24 April 1948, at the age of 87 years. He had been in good health - until a few weeks ago when he was taken to the hospital for an emergency operation, from which he never recovered.

Julius had a son of the same name, born on 25 September 1903 in Middleburg, Sioux County, Iowa. With his wife Ethel Runia (1910-2005), Julius jr. had 2 children. He died on 2 December 2002 in Harris, Osceola County, Iowa, aged 99.

De Volksvriend, 30-10-1947

Julius' younger brother John Zevenbergen had followed him to the USA in 1920.

Sources: FindAGrave.com (Julius Zevenbergen), FindAGrave.com (Tunis Bras), WieWasWie.nl, StadsArchief.Rotterdam.nl, Delpher.nl.