The Gerrit and Maria Vander Haar Family

Name                Occupation       Date of Birth       Birthplace          Date of Death      Notes                                                        

Gerrit                Farmer                Dec 22, 1833      Netherlands      Dec 18, 1899          

VanDer Haar

Maria                 Housekeeper  Mar 7, 1849          Arkel                     Nov 20, 1888

De Jong

Elizabeth          Daughter           1869                         Iowa                      1926                                   

(Lizzie)

Arie                      Son                        Dec 24, 1871        Iowa                      Apr 2, 1935

Peter                    Son                        Jan 30, 1875        Iowa                      Mar 18, 1958

Gysbertha         Daughter          Sep 4, 1876           Iowa                       Mar 6, 1900      Died from measles and congestion of the lungs

Cornelius           Son                        1878                         Iowa                       1958

(Neal)

Everta                  Daughter            Mar 29, 1881      Iowa                       Jun 27, 1899

(Eva)

Dora                      Daughter            Oct 24, 1882       Iowa                       Feb 6, 1954

William                Son                         Sep 5, 1883          Iowa                       Jun 12, 1967

Martinus             Son                         Feb 27, 1886       Iowa                       Jun 19, 1964

Greta                     Daughter            1887                        Iowa                        1976

Gerrit and Maria were married on September 10,1868 by Rev. Egbert Winter, pastor of First Reformed Church in Pella. 

Over the years they lived on several farms in Black Oak Township. During the 1870’s, Gerrit and Maria farmed in Black Oak township (section 4) near her brother Martinus De Jong. 

Maria died in 1888 after the birth of her tenth child. 

Gerrit spelled his last name VanDer Haar. Later the family dropped the “r” and the spelling became Vande Haar.

Gerrit and Maria’s children were affiliated with the Reformed Church.

By 1900, Gerrit and Maria had passed away.  Arie was the head of the household at 18 years old and included Peter, Cornelius, Martin, Dora, and Greta.

Details about Gerrit and Maria's farming operation, from the 1870 and 1880 agricultural census, are provided below.

Farming Acreage

                   Total Acreage    Improved     Woodland     Other Unimproved

1870                  93                          30                      13                            50

                     Total Acreage        Tilled           Pasture            Woodland

1880                    240                      170                  70

Livestock

                  Horses       Milk Cows           Other Cattle        Swine         Barnyard Poultry        Other Poultry

1870

1880            6                       6                                  11                        100                          60                                  15

Produce

                   Wheat              Corn                      Oats                 Irish Potatoes         Butter          Cheese          Hay

1870                                                                                                   100 bushels            100 lbs.                                  25 tons

1880       440 bushels  4750 bushels  825 bushels   700 bushels            350 lbs.          100 lbs.       15 tons

                    Hops         Molasses         Eggs Produced        Peas/Beans        Apples

1870                             30 gallons                                                 1 bushel

1880                                                            400 dozen                                                     1 acre

The 1870 agricultural census did not ask as many questions about livestock and produce as did the 1880 census. Therefore some 1870 cells are blank. This does not mean they did not have this livestock or produce a particular crop. They simply were not asked to provide this information. For example, farmers were not asked about poultry in 1870.