THE SJOERD VANDER SCHAAF AND MAAIKE Sytsma FAMILY

Sjoerd Floris van der Schaaf was born in Almenum on May 5, 1864. As a young boy, he lived with his family in the village of Midlum. After his father died in 1869, his mother remarried. The family continued to live in Midlum. His mother died in 1873. In May of 1875, he was moved to the armhuis (work house) in Tzum, with his brother Jan. 

At age 16, he left the armhuis and moved to house number 55. And later he moved again to house 122. While in Tzum, he achieved an eighth grade education.  At some point in these moves he became a carpenter’s apprentice, living with the carpenter’s family. 

Sjoerd moved to Dronrijp on October 22, 1887, after which he is no longer mentioned in Dutch records.  

Records from Castle Garden, the immigration processing center in New York City at that time, show that Sjoerd Vander Schaaf, age 24, arrived in this country on April 26, 1889 on the S S Rotterdam, from the port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The State of Iowa census records from 1915, show that Sjoerd stated he had lived in the US for 25 years, which approximates this date. 

He settled in Patterson,  New Jersey. He was sponsored by his future wife’s family, because he had a trade.....a carpenter.

Maggie Sytsma (Note: I have also seen it spelled Sietsma) lived with her family in Ferwerd, The Netherlands.  Her father, Fred, worked the land in the summer and was a flax comber in the winter.   He died at a rather young age, leaving his widow Lewkje Van Dyke Sytsma and six children; two sons (Sam and John) and four daughters (Maaike, Anna, Abeltje, and Duiweke.    Lewkje continued to work the land.  However, there were many times the family did not have enough to eat.  Sam and John preceded the rest of the family emigrating to the United States.  They sent money back to their mother so that the rest of the family could follow.   They settled in Paterson, NJ.  

Sjoerd and Maaike were married on November 7, 1891.

In 1909, he and Maaike would move the family out of New Jersey to the Peoria, IA area.  Family lore suggests its because their eldest son, Floris, was hanging around with a bad element.   Floris preceded the family, moving to the Pella area in 1907 or 1908 working on the farms of George and Gerrit Engbers in the Taintor, IA area.  

Sjoerd rented a small farm in the Peoria, IA area trying to make his living as a farmer.  He was, by all accounts, a very poor farmer.   He did not grow up on a farm.   Its any wonder he made a living at all.

Nobody seems to know why he tried his hand at farming. 

The State of Iowa census from 1915 shows his income from 1914 was $800.   His farming operation consisted of:

• 4 milk cows
• 2 non-milk cows
• 5 calves
• 6 horses
• 2 colts
• 12 swine
• 200 chickens

He kept his hand in the carpentry trade working on the construction of the Christian school in Peoria.

His obituary tells us that in the Spring of 1926, the family moved to Pella.  Note: a family entry in the "History of Pella 1847 - 1987" suggests the move was made in 1920.

The 1940 census shows him living with his eldest daughter, Lena, her children Janet and Martin, and his daughter Ella at 706 East First Street in Pella. He gave his occupation as church custodian. The 2nd Christian Reformed Church of Pella was the family's church.

At some point after moving to the United States, he chose to use the first name George. And Maaike was known as Maggie.

His grandchildren would later describe Sjoerd as having a wonderful sense of humor. 

In spite of his humble beginnings, he was bright and enjoyed reading.  He always went to church on Sundays, but he never "preached" about religion. 

Maaike died on July 10, 1931.   Sjoerd died in Mercy Hospital in Oskaloosa, IA, after suffering a stroke, on September 16, 1957 at the age of 93.