The Antonie and Geertje De Jong Family

Name                   Occupation       Date of Birth      Birthplace         Date of Death     Notes                                                      

Antonie              Farmer                 Jan 14, 1869       Iowa                      Feb 8, 1936          6th grade education.

De Jong                                                                                                                                                          Buried in Black Oak Cemetery.

Geertje               Housekeeper   Dec 1, 1870                                           Sep 11, 1964       Buried in Black Oak

De Geus                                                                                                                                                         Cemetery

Magrieta            Daughter           Mar 18, 1893     Iowa                       Oct 21, 1982

Cornelius           Son                        Mar 18, 1893     Iowa                        Jun 19, 1893

Cornelius           Son                        Sep 6, 1894         Iowa                        Oct 1, 1894

Nellie                    Daughter           Sep 21, 1895      Iowa                        Mar 28, 1963

Martena              Daughter           Mar 5, 1897        Iowa                        Dec 25, 1984

Cornelius            Son                        Apr 5, 1898         Iowa                        Jul 16, 1976        Buried in Black Oak

(Neal)                                                                                                                                                               Cemetery

John William     Son                        Mar 12, 1899     Iowa                        Sep 7, 1971          Buried in Graceland Cemetery

Jozena                    Daughter          Mar 26, 1900     Iowa                        Jun 28, 1971        Buried in Black Oak Cemetery

Albertha                 Daughter          Sep 26, 1901      Iowa                       Nov 19, 1901

Albert                       Son                       Feb 2, 1903         Iowa                       Feb 23, 1981       Buried in Black Oak Cemetery

William                     Son                      Jan 29, 1905       Iowa                        Nov 4, 1973        Buried in Evergreen Cemetery

Gysbertha               Daughter         Mar 12, 1906     Iowa                        May 17, 1994

(Grace)

Antonie                     Son                      Oct 29, 1907      Iowa                        May 22, 1990

(Tony)

Gertrude                  Daughter          Oct 26, 1910      Iowa            

Anne Clara              Daughter          Nov 2, 1912        Iowa

Antonie and Geertje were married on March 1, 1892, by Rev. Peter De Pree, the pastor of First Reformed Church in Pella. The De Geus family were members of First Reformed Church. Antonie and Geertje’s oldest daughter, Margaret, was baptized there. However, there are no further entries in the records of First Reformed Church for this family. According to Josephine De Jong, a daughter-in-law, the De Jongs attended various Reformed and Christian Reformed Churches at one time or another.

Antonie and Geertje made their living by farming, making molasses, and had a smoke house. They smoked pork for added income. They grew mostly corn and some oats. They raised mostly hogs, some cattle and milk cows, chickens, and ducks. They also had a large garden and an orchard that contained apples, peaches, pears, and grapes.

The farm, approximately 100 acres, was originally purchased by Antonie and Geertje in 1900 for $50 per acre. It was purchased by his son and daughter-in-law, Tony and Josephine De Jong, in 1948 for $300 per acre. Today, it is worth approximately $3000 per acre and has been designated a Century Farm. There is a cemetery just north of the farm. At one time there was also a church/schoolhouse, known as Centennial School next to the farm. 

Records from the 1915 Iowa State Census give us some indication of their farming operation in 1914. Antonie owned the farm. It was valued at $17, 825, with debt of $4000. Antonie gave his religious affiliation as Christian Reformed.

Calves: 3       Milk Cows: 4        Horses: 3       Young pigs: 13       Hogs: 32       Chickens: 400

Antonie passed away suddenly of a heart attack at 5:00 PM on a Saturday. It had been a very cold winter day. He had just finished gathering the eggs, sat down to rest and was seized with a heart attack and died instantly.