Arie Bras was born on 11 July 1865 in Almkerk, Brabant, The Netherlands. His parents are Arie Bras (1822-1901) and Wilhelmina Kamerman (1826-1892). His grandfather Leendert Bras (1793-1862) was a labourer, miller and innkeeper in Almkerk. Leendert's wife, Sijke van Drunen (1797-1874), is a direct-line descendant of my ancestor Michiel Hendrikse van Drunen, who lived around 1700 in Giessen in Brabant.
Arie Bras had many siblings, but several of them died young. Arie's elder brother Teunis Bras died on 11 February 1884, aged 24. Their siblings Sijke, Willemina and Leendert reached adulthood, too.
On 9 May 1890 in Almkerk, Arie Bras married Helena van der Heijden. She was born in Dussen in Brabant on 23 October 1868 as a younger daughter of Jan van der Heijden and his wife Cornelia Verhoeven. Arie's daughter Cornelia Bras was born on 9 February 1891 in Almkerk. She may have died young.
Arie Bras and Helena van der Heijden had further children in the USA: Cornelia Wilhelmina (1892-1873), Tunis (1895-1989), Wilhelmena Gertrude (1896-1980), Harry (1900-1974), John (1901-1993) and Helena (1908-1994). Arie's eldest son was born in South Holland, Cook County, Illinois, on 25 January 1895, and he seems to have named him Tunis after his elder brother who had died at the age of 24.
Arie's wife, Helena, died at the age of 75 on 28 March 1944 in Ganeer Township, Kankakee County, Illinois. Her widower Arie Bras died there on 19 June 1959 at the age of 93. He had survived his wife by 15 years. Arie was buried at the Kankakee Memorial Gardens. Arie's son Tunis Bras was born on 25 January 1895 in South Holland, Cook County, Illinois. He was 94 years old when he died on 28 July 1989 in Sibley, Osceola County, Iowa.
