Headstone photo and obituary are in photo section
Grietje was the daughter of Gerrit Hermanus Brouwer and Johanna Johannes Kats. She was born in the Netherlands and was the youngest of their 10 kids. In 1883 the family left the Netherlands and came to the USA, arriving on May 4 when Grietje was 17 years old. Two years later on 30 Oct 1885 she married her first husband, Albert Folmer, and they had a son named Gerrit (George) who was born 15 Jun 1887 in Grand Rapids, MI. Her husband died soon after, (records can't be found) and on 29 Nov 1888 she married Pieter Alders Piersma. That marriage produced 9 more children, however, when the youngest child Mint was only 3 months old, Pieter died at age 36, leaving Grietje with 9 children to raise. (Baby Herman died in 1894 at age 2 months). She would send her boys up the street pulling their wagon and they would get soiled clothing from the neighbors for her to wash so she could feed her family. Times were hard, but she raised her children to be hard workers, love God and country, and to make something out of their lives.
She was my great grandmother and I remember her being a very tiny woman, very short and very petite with snow white hair.
Her children were:
1. Gerrit (George) Folmer Piersma- never married
2. Johanna Piersma (Peter Walma)
3. Tietske (Tillie) Piersma (Simon Herrema) (my grandmother)
4. Aldert Piersma (wife Alice VanderLaan)
5. Herman Piersma (died at age 2 months)
6. Harriet Piersma (John Rinzema)
7. Anna Piersma (Louis Timmerman)
8. Martin Piersma (Wife Helen Rick)
9. Herman Piersma (Wife Grace Konyndyk)
10. Mint Piersma (Wife Lucille Brock)
Headstone photo and obituary are in photo section
Grietje was the daughter of Gerrit Hermanus Brouwer and Johanna Johannes Kats. She was born in the Netherlands and was the youngest of their 10 kids. In 1883 the family left the Netherlands and came to the USA, arriving on May 4 when Grietje was 17 years old. Two years later on 30 Oct 1885 she married her first husband, Albert Folmer, and they had a son named Gerrit (George) who was born 15 Jun 1887 in Grand Rapids, MI. Her husband died soon after, (records can't be found) and on 29 Nov 1888 she married Pieter Alders Piersma. That marriage produced 9 more children, however, when the youngest child Mint was only 3 months old, Pieter died at age 36, leaving Grietje with 9 children to raise. (Baby Herman died in 1894 at age 2 months). She would send her boys up the street pulling their wagon and they would get soiled clothing from the neighbors for her to wash so she could feed her family. Times were hard, but she raised her children to be hard workers, love God and country, and to make something out of their lives.
She was my great grandmother and I remember her being a very tiny woman, very short and very petite with snow white hair.
Her children were:
1. Gerrit (George) Folmer Piersma- never married
2. Johanna Piersma (Peter Walma)
3. Tietske (Tillie) Piersma (Simon Herrema) (my grandmother)
4. Aldert Piersma (wife Alice VanderLaan)
5. Herman Piersma (died at age 2 months)
6. Harriet Piersma (John Rinzema)
7. Anna Piersma (Louis Timmerman)
8. Martin Piersma (Wife Helen Rick)
9. Herman Piersma (Wife Grace Konyndyk)
10. Mint Piersma (Wife Lucille Brock)
Family Members
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Gerrit Albert "George" Folmer
1887–1964
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Johanna Piersma Walma
1890–1961
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Tietske "Tillie" Piersma Herrema
1891–1976
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Aldert "Albert" Piersma
1893–1975
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Herman Piersma
1894–1894
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Harriet Piersma Rinzema
1895–1950
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Anna Piersma Timmerman
1896–1973
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Martin J Piersma
1898–1944
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Herman Piersma
1899–1971
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Mint Piersma
1903–1968
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