Surname Saturday - Muijs

Johann Muijs(en) originated in Duisburg in Germany. In The Netherlands he was known as Johan or Jan. He was living near the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe-Kerk, the largest church of Dordrecht in Holland. On May 10, 1637, Johan married Geertruijt Jans van der Gront, a young girl born in Dordrecht.

Jan Muijs and Geertruijt van der Gront were married on 10 May 1737 in Dordrecht.

Dordrecht, den 19 Aprilis 1637: 

- Jan Muijs, j.m. van Duijsburg, w. bij de Groote Kerck; 

- Geertruijt Jans van der Gront, j.d. van Dordregt, w. bij de Vleeshouwers Straet. 

Getrouwt d& 10 maij.

The couple had at least 7 children baptised in Dordrecht in the period 1638-1653: Johannes (2x), Anna, Pieter, Levina, Geertruid and Jacobus.
The burial of Johan Muijs was registered in Dordrecht on 18 December 1684. On 9-5-1685 in Dordrecht, a house and yard in the Vleeshouwersstraat, formerly owned by Johan Muijs, were sold to Lijsbeth Dominicus for ƒ670. Johan's heirs were mentioned: notary Pieter Muijs, Catharina Bongaert, widow Anna Muijs (1642-1689), Jacobus Hopman and Levina Muijs. Geertruijt Muijs and Anna's husband Hendrick van der Snouck were no longer alive. Jan's son Johannes Muijs boarded a ship in 1688 and travelled to Indonesia, where he died in 1693.

Jacobus Muijs, Johan's youngest son, was baptised in Dordrecht on 17 January 1653. He was married on 29 January 1679 in Rijswijk, Holland. His bride was Clara Buijster (±1655-1738). They had 11 children, but some of them died young. On March 27, 1697, Jacobus Muijs took out a mortgage of ƒ700 on a house and yard in the Wijnstraat in Dordrecht. Pieter Muijs provided the money. The burial of Jacobus Muijs was registered on 10 April 1703 in Dordrecht.

View of Dordrecht

Sources: FamilySearch.org, RegionaalArchiefDordrecht.nl, StadsArchiefDelft.nl.

Longevity ~ Leendert Monster (1827-1918) in Pella

Leendert Monster was born on 24 June 1827 in Strijen, Holland, as a younger son of Jacob Monster (1785-1873) and his second wife Neeltje Noorlander (1789-1859). She is a daughter of Eldert Noorlander (1753-1794) and his wife Leentje Jabaaij (1761-1822). Leendert's paternal grandfather, Pieter Monster, originated in Sint-Anthoniepolder, Holland, and moved to Strijen, where he died on 29 December 1819, aged 77½.

At the age of 22, Leendert Monster married 26-year-old Lena Kamp on 27 March 1850 in Westmaas. Lena was born on 7 February 1824 in Westmaas. Her parents are Willem Willems Kampen and Grietje Brusse. Lena had first married Cornelis van der Hoek on 26 April 1847 in Westmaas. They had a daughter Grietje and a postumous son Cornelis jr. who both died at the age of 1. Cornelis sr. was born on 15 November 1824 and died on 18 May 1849, both in Westmaas. Ten months after his death, Lena had a new husband.
On 11 August 1850, 4½ months after her second marriage, Lena Kamp gave birth to another daughter named Grietje. A son Jacob died after 6 months in 1852. A second son named Jacob, born on 24 February 1853 in Westmaas, survived infancy.
Shortly after the birth of their son Willem on 14 May 1854 in Westmaas, the family left for the USA where they arrived later that year. The next year Leendert's elder brother Eldert Monster, a widower, arrived in the USA with his sons Jacob (10) and Anthonie (7).

Pella, Iowa

In Pella, Iowa, Leendert and Lena had additional children: Abraham Monster (1859-1839), Maggie Akkerman-Monster (1860-1946) and Mary Duinink-Monster (1869-1951). Abraham married Allie van den Baart in 1883 and had a son William Monster (1889-1970). Leendert's elder son Jacob Monster (1853-1899) married Adriana Klijn in 1876, and had several children, including a son Arie Monster (1890-1982).

Lena Kamp died at the age of 76 on 8 March 1900 in Pella, Iowa. Her husband, Leendert Monster, survived her for nearly 18 years. At the end of his live, Leendert lived with his daughter Maggie Monster and her husband John Akkerman (1856-1927). Leendert Monster died in Pella on 2 March 1918, aged 90 years and 8 months.

Het Oosten (Hollandsch Nieuwsblad voor algemeen belang), 22-3-1918

Sources: WieWasWie.nl, FindAGrave.com, Delpher.nl, FamilySearch.org. See also: Terlouw.voorouders.net, ErfskipTerpdoarpen.nl.