Jakob Scheeringa was born in February 1856 in the country village Sebaldeburen, located in the municipality Grootegast, in the western part of the Dutch northeastern province Groningen, the ninth of 12 children of the 44 years aged farmer Hemke Hotzes Scheeringa and Martje Willems Snip, 34 years old.

Jacob Scheeringa didn't have to serve in 1876 for five years in the Dutch army because of brotherly service. Source: scan of marriage appendix (huwelijksbijlage), Familysearch.

On Saturday 9 May 1885 farmer Jakob Scheeringa, born and living in Sebaldeburen, son of farmers Hemke Hotzes Scheeringa and Martje Willems Snip, married in Marum at the age of 29 years the eight years younger Grietje Heuker, born and living in Niebert, municipality Marum, daughter of late Egbert Roelfs Heuker and farmer Margaretha Paulus Datema.

They had the following ten children Scheeringa:
* Hemke (Henry), born 20 April 1887 in Sebaldeburen;
* Egbert (Edward), 9 June 1889, Sebaldeburen;
* Hotze, 30 November 1891, Sebaldeburen;
* Harm, 17 November 1893, Oldekerk;
* Martinus (Martin), 28 March 1896, Midwolde, municipality Leek;
* Roelf (Ralph), 22 April 1897, Midwolde;
* Margaretha (Margaret), 11 August 1898, Midwolde;
* Willem (William), 20 September 1901, Midwolde;
* Tonnis (Tony), 6 September 1903, Midwolde;
* Rensktje (Rena Kuiper[s]), 5 September 1905, Midwolde;

Father Jakob Scheeringa was in 1887, 1889 and 1891 a shopkeeper in his birthplace Sebaldeburen, in 1893 a laborer in Oldekerk, in 1896, 1897, 1898, 1905 a farmer and in 1901 and 1903 a laborer in the country village of Midwolde, in the southwestern part of province Groningen, municipality Leek.

On 9 May 1911 his sons Hemke Scheeringa (24, farmer, departed from Aduard) and Egbert Scheeringa (21, farmer, departed from Oldekerk) arrived on the SS Noordam at the port of New York, Ellis Island. Their destination was Hammond, Lake County, in the utter northwestern part of Indiana, where their friend J. van Til is residing.

On 20 March 1912 his son Hotse Scheeringa came to America by himself at the age of 20 years. Source: Sherry Scheeringa Kennedy, INGenWeb, Lake County, August 2015.

On 7 May 1912 Jacob Scheeringa (56, farm laborer), his wife Grietje (48) and their children Harm (18), Martinus (16), Roelt (15), Margaretha (13), Willem (10), Tonnis (8) and Renstja (6) arrived on the SS Noordam at the port of New York, Ellis Island. They departed from Leek, located in the southwestern part of province Groningen, and their destination was Hammond, Lake County, Indiana, where son Hemke E. Scheeringa is residing.

In 1917 his wife Grietje died at the age of about 54 years in Lake County, Indiana. He was then farming at Route B in Gary.

In 1920 Jacob Scheeringa (63 y, born in Holland, widower, immigrated in 1912) and his children Edward (30, Holland, immigrated in 1909, single), Margaret (21, Holland, immigrated in 1912), William (18, Holland, immigrated in 1912), Tony (16, Holland, immigrated in 1912) and Rena (14, Holland, immigrated in 1912) were living in Calumet Township, Lake County, in the utter northwestern part of Indiana.

In May 1940 Jacob Scheeringa (84, Netherlands, widower) was residing at Griffith, Calumet Township, Lake County, Indiana, at the own farm, worth $3500, of his son Ralph Scheeringa (42, Netherlands, truck farmer), his wife Julia (40, Illinois) and their children Jacob R (20, Indiana, truck farm laborer), Sylvia (18, Indiana, truck farm helper), George (17, Indiana, truck farm helper), Gertrude (16, Indiana), Marie (13, Indiana) and Lawrence (12, Indiana). They lived in 1935 in the same house.

Jakob Scheeringa died in 1941 at the age of about 85 years, very probably in Griffith, Lake County, Indiana.