The Gysbert and Adrianna De Jong Family

Name                          Occupation       Date of Birth         Birthplace     Date of Death       Notes

Gysbert P.                Farmer                 May 30, 1834       Arkel                 Sep 26, 1901         Buried in Black Oak 

(aka Steve)                                                                                                                                                          cemetery

Adrianna                  Housekeeper   Nov 6,1850            Iowa                   Sep 25, 1943         Buried in Black Oak 

Van Gorp                                                                                                                                                              cemetery

(aka Jane)

Gysbertje                Daughter             Dec 19, 1869       Iowa                    Aug 7, 1959           Buried in New Sharon

(aka Gusie)

Nellie                          Daughter            Jul 21, 1872          Iowa                    Oct 25, 1944         Buried in Peoria

Frank                           Son                         Oct 21,1875         Iowa                    Dec 2, 1934           Buried in Graceland                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                                     cemetery, Pella

Martin                        Son                          Feb 21, 1878        Iowa                    Apr 22, 1963         Buried in New Sharon

Peter                           Son                          Apr 30, 1882        Iowa                    Aug 15, 1973        Buried in Oakwood      

                                                                                                                                                                                     cemetery, Pella

Jacob Gysbert        Son                         Mar 29, 1884        Iowa                   Oct 1, 1963            Buried in Black Oak    

                                                                                                                                                                                     cemetery

 Marie                         Daughter             Apr 20, 1886         Iowa                    Dec 5, 1966          Buried in Evergreen

                                                                                                                                                                                     cemetery, Leighton

 Dirk                            Son                           Dec 28, 1887         Iowa                    ????                             Baptized May 6, 1888    

                                                                                                                                                                                      in Third Reformed                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                      Church  

Dirk (aka Dick)      Son                           Apr 13, 1892          Iowa                   Jan 11, 1973        Baptized July 3, 1892 

                                                                                                                                                                                      in Third Reformed                               

                                                                                                                                                                                      Church. Buried in 

                                                                                                                                                                                      Oakwood cemetery, 

                                                                                                                                                                                      Pella

Matthew                   Son                           Feb 20, 1895          Iowa                   Jun 16, 1978       Baptized April 21, 1895

                                                                                                                                                                                      in Third Reformed                               

                                                                                                                                                                                      Church. Buried in 

                                                                                                                                                                                      Oakwood cemetery, 

                                                                                                                                                                                      Pella

 John                            Son                           Aug 6, 1897             Iowa                   Dec 6, 1967         Baptized Sept 12, 1897

                                                                                                                                                                                      in Third Reformed                               

                                                                                                                                                                                      Church. Buried in 

                                                                                                                                                                                      Black Oak cemetery

Gysbert P. De Jong was a single man when he immigrated to the United Sates in 1865.

Rev. Antonie J. Betten Sr. married Gysbert and Adrianna on May 7, 1869.  At one time, Rev. Betten was a protégé of Rev. H. P. Scholte. However by 1869, he was no longer serving in the pulpit of any particular church in Pella.

For some reason neither Gysbert nor Adrianna used their given names. Gysbert went by Steve and Adrianna went by Jane.

Gysbert became a naturalized citizen on March 3, 1870.

Gysbert and Adrianna farmed in Black Oak Township; Mahaska County (Section 9) near his father Pieter Sr. The children all attended Wheat Grove school. 

The house and the buildings on the farm are all gone today. The road that ran in front of the farm is no longer maintained.

Several of their youngest children were baptized in Third Reformed Church in Pella. Gysbert’s children were affiliated with Third Reformed Church in Pella as adults.

Some farming statistics from the US censuses of 1870 and 1880 are provided below. They give some insight into Gysbert’s farming operation.

                       Total Acreage      Improved     Woodland     Other Unimproved

1870                   40                              35                      5

                        Total Acreage          Tilled            Pasture        Woodland

1880                    84                              29                    15                      40

Livestock

                    Horses         Milk Cows        Other Cattle      Swine      Barnyard Poultry      Other Poultry

1870             2                         2                                2                          5

1880             2                         3                                8                         25                       60

Produce

                 Wheat           Corn                  Oats              Irish Potatoes     Butter     Cheese     Hay      Hops     Molasses

1870    75 bushels   275 bushels  35 bushels   35 bushels           300 lbs.                        6 tons  6 lbs.

1880    75 bushels    600 bushels  95 bushels   220 bushels        300 lbs.   50 lbs.      4 tons                   15 gallons

                Eggs Produced     Wood

1870

1880     360 dozen              15 cords

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.