VIERSTRA HISTORY

Meinte Gerben Vierstra was born on August 7, 1863 in the town of Sneek, Friesland, the Netherlands. He migrated to Kathaus (Koontz) Germany. This is a small town near the city of Trier on the Mouselle River. From Germany, he came to Canonsburg, PA United States of America. He died in Whitinsville (Northbridge), Massachusetts on January 4, 1937.

His parents were Gerben Meinte Vierstra and Jikke (Ringnalda) Vierstra. He was he eldest son (all eldest sons were named after the paternal grandfathers). His brothers and sisters were Julian, Martin, Rickel, Anna, Trijntje and Jikke.

Gerben, his father, was born January 23, 1838 and died January 4, 1897. Jikke his mother was born on April 23, 1840 and died on March 3, 1909. They interred in Sneek, Friesland, Holland.

Meinte was married twice. His first wife was Daiwke Postma who was born on June 30, 1860 (in the lakeside town of Makkum, located in the extreme western part of the norther province of Friesland, daughter of Pierter Jelles Postma a butcher and Klaaske Douses Reitsma. Meinte and Daiwke married in the city of Sneek, located in the mid southwestern part of the province of Friesland.) She died on November 12, 1892 at the age of 32, (six days after the birth of Gerben in the small country village of Allingawier, located in the western part of Friesland). Out of this marriage was born three children. Margaret was born on March 16, 1890 and died in Pittsburg of appendicitis on February 22, 1916. She is buried in Canonsburg, PA. Clara Vierstra Dykstra was their second child born on April 6, 1891, and at the age of 96 is the matriarch of this family: Gerben Meinte Vierstra was the third child born November -2, 1892 (Daiwke died giving birth to him).

Meinte (age 35) then married Anna Boersma, (daughter of Doede Boersma and Lolkje Dijkstrta). She was born in a small town outside of Sneek, and died in Whitinsville on September 1955. She bore him seven children – Andrew, Julius, Louis, Martin, Jennie, Dora and Mary. Dora died at the age of 11 months and lies in Germany. Martin, Dora and Jennie all born in Koontz, Germany and Mary the only one born in the United States.

Meinte came from a family that belonged to the aristocracy of Holland. The picture of his parents Gerben and Jikke shows the cap (ourizer) and the ornaments that she wore were embroidered in gold. This was the symbol of wealth. The wealth was lost. The story goes that four men, including Gerben, owned a large farm (a type of co-operative) and one of the men some way swindled the others out of it. Meinte was then in his early twenties and had to fend for himself.’ About 1901, he migrated to Germany to become a herdsman. The farm was on top of a mountain and had bars in the windows (reason being, it was once a fort). His first boss was Mr. Stromeyer. They stayed in Koontz for several years. 

Meinte then saw an advertisement in the German papers for a herdsman in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He answered the ad and was given passage for his whole family to come to America in 1907. This must have been a big undertaking to leave everything and come to the “Promised Land”. The Cruthers Farm was his destination, and Mr. Coldike was his new boss.

In 1920, Meinte made his final move to Whitinsville, Massachusetts. He Left behind in Pennsylvania, his son, Gerben who married Lucy Wieser, his daughter Clara who married Ralph Dykstra, his daughter Margaret who was buried there and Martin who was in jail at the time, but followed later. 

All the other children married in Whitinsville. Andrew married Katherine Oppewal. Julius married Mildred Dakin. Louis married Lena Lanting. Martin married Clara Kooistra. Jennie married Joseph Scott and Mary married Klaus Dykstra.

Louis and Jennie migrated to California. Mary wet to Stoneham, MA but has returned to Whitinsville for her later years. Clara also came back to this area, Sutton, and still resides here.

The children’s children of Meinte – where have they scattered to?  Maybe we can find out through this, our second, VIERSTRA REUINION – a reunion to get reacquainted with relatives we haven’t seen in years, and some we have never met. To remember the good memories of all those we will never see again and to make new memories.

Oh what did Meinte Gerben Vierstra start? I believe a beautiful and fantastic family.

Credit: Aunt Clara Dykstra was the GREATEST help for supplying the information. written for the Vierstra family reunion about 1984 held in Lakewood, CA.

NOTE: THE TYPIST IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MIS-SPELLING OF NAMES

Thank you.

Marjorie Vierstra Buma 

NOTE: phrases in italics were added by Jeannie Van Lew for more clarification.