Grundy County – Surnames of Hickman, Bootsmann, and Janssen 1.) Peter Janssen Ailts Hikmann / Hickman arrived in Grundy County, Iowa in 1855. See the book, The East Friesens in America by Schnucker and De Wall. He was born about 1810 in Oldersum, Ostfriesland (see Neermoor Ortssippenbuch, #2163). Peter and his two sons, Poppe and Jan / John Hickman arrived in the port of New York on May 31, 1854 on the ship Grosherzog in Von Oldenburg. Oral family history passed down through the generations said that Peter’s wife, Taalke Poppen Hikmann / Hickman, died in Germany while preparing to go to the United States. Taalke’s brother was Jelderk Poppen; he is buried in Stephenson County, Illinois. On October 15, 1855 Peter Hickman purchased 86.75 acres of land in Grundy County, German Township. Peter’s second wife was Gepke Janssen Bootsmann Hickman. They were married on October 27, 1861 in Grundy County. Peter died in 1863. This information came from the St. Peter’s Evangelical Church records. He is buried in the German Township Cemetery. 2. Poppe Hickman was born March 24, 1837 in Rorichmoorersiel and baptized in Neermoor. He married Siever Swidden on September 16, 1859 in Hardin County. Siever died of childbirth in 1860. On October 27, 1861 Poppe married Antje / Anna Bootsmann. Antje was born in Rorichmoor on November 20, 1845. She was the daughter of Gepke Janssen Bootsmann Hickman. Poppe and Antje were the parents of eight children: Peter, Menne, Dirk/Dick, Taalke/Tillie, Gebke/Hattie, Poppe Robert, Johann/Joe, and Christian/Chris. The Poppe Hickman family moved to Osceola County area in the early 1890s. Poppe died in 1917 and Antje died in 1918; they are buried in the Gilman Township Cemetery in Ashton, Iowa. Peter married Angelina Waterman on March 19, 1888 in Grundy County.

*Angelina and her family moved to Ackley around 1870. She was born in 1864 and went to school in Ackley. At the age of 17 Angelina began teaching school. She taught until she married Peter in 1888.

Menne married Frances/Fannie Reibke on June 23, 1887 in Grundy County. Dirk married Hannah Schutjer on January 14, 1891 in Grundy County. Taalke married John Lindaman on June 14, 1888 in Grundy County. Gebke married Louis Von Deest on February 14, 1899 in Osceola County. Poppe Robert married Flora Pommer on February 5, 1896 in Osceola County. Johann married Margaret Adden on October 31, 1900 in Nobles County, MN. Christian married Bertha DeGroot on June 16, 1907 in Osceola County. 3. Jan / John Hickman remained in Grundy County. His first wife was Maria DeVries (married November 18, 1874), and his second wife was Kea Deters

(married February 5, 1885). He is buried in the East Friesland Presbyterian Church Cemetery. John’s daughter from his first marriage was Taalke / Tillie. She was born on February 1, 1876 and Tillie married Richard J. Lindaman. Adale and Alena were John’s daughters from his second marriage. 4. Gepke Janssen Bootsmann Hickman: Gepke was born July 25, 1819 in Rorichmoor. Gepke died January 29, 1892 and she is buried in the East Friesland Cemetery. Her first husband was Dirk Mennen Bootsmann. Dirk and Gepke along with their five children (Menne, Jan, Antje, Dirk, Christian) arrived in the port of New York on June 23,1855 on the ship Bark Anna Delius. A few days after their arrival, Dirk Mennen Bootsmann became ill and died in New York City. He is buried on Staten Island. Also on the ship were Gepke’s parents, Jan and Antje Janssen, and her siblings, Geertje, Wiard, and Arie. The 1856 Census has the Jan/John Janssen/Johnson family living in Clay Township in Hardin County, and the1860 census shows them living in Orcutt Township, Grundy County. Orcutt Township later became German Township. Also Ackley was once called Fontain. Gepke’s son Menne died during the Civil War; Menne Bootsmann died of disease on November 2, 1862 at Camp Franklin, Dubuque, Iowa. Her other three sons were Jan or John, Dirk or Deark, and Christian. Later Jan, Dirk, and Christian moved to Sterling, Nebraska. Jan/John Bootsmann married Denia Menken in 1867 in Grundy County. Dirk/Deark married Margaret Menken in 1871 in Grundy County. Christian married Anna C. Geistfield in 1880 in Nebraska. 5. Jan Jurgens Janssen or John Johnson (see Neermoor Ortssippenbuch #2691) was born August 20, 1791 and died October 4, 1874. Jan is buried in Lot #36 at the Evangelical St. Peter’s Church in German Towship (also known as the Dekker Church). Jan married Antje Janssen on February 17, 1818 in Neermoor. Jan was 26 years old and Antje was 16 years old at the time of their marriage. Antje’s maiden name was also Janssen (see Neermoor Ortssippenbuch # 4711). She was born September 18, 1801 in Rorichmoor, and she died March 21, 1866. Antje is buried in the German Township Cemetery in Grundy County, Iowa. Mrs. Antje Janssen was one of the 25 charter members of the East Friesland Presbyterian Church. They came to Iowa July 30, 1855. a.) Daughter Gepke married D.M. Bootsmann and Peter Hickman. b.) Son Jan Ubben Janssen (see Neermoor Ortssippenbuch #2693) was born March 8, 1821 in Rorichmoor. He married Wupke Ehden Dirks.

c.) Jurgen Janssen was born May 11, 1827 in Rorichmoor and he died February 12, 1899. Jurgen is buried in the Helena Cemetery, Johnson County, Nebraska. Jurgen married Magreetje Habben. See Neermoor Ortssippenbuch #2703. By 1885 Jurgen and his family were living in Cook, Johnson County, Nebraska. Jurgen, Magreetje, and daughter arrived in Charleston, S.C. on May 22, 1857 (later information was corrected on ISTG site – arrival date to be August 1, 1857 at Norfolk, VA) on the ship JOHANNES / Schooner Johannes. d.) Ubbe Janssen, was born June 12, 1830 in Rorichmoor. Ubbe married Antjelena von Bockern on December 20, 1860 in Hardin County, Iowa. On October 13, 1863 Ubbe was elected Assessor for Orcutt Township, Grundy County. After Antjelina died, Ubbe married Mareka Buss in 1884. Mareka Buss was the daughter of Hinderks Buss and Fokkea Boekelmann; her first husband was Bregter Alberts. Later Ubbe and his family moved to Davis, Turner County, South Dakota. Ubbe died February 14, 1917. He is buried at Oakwood Cemetery, Osceola Township, Franklin Co., Iowa. e.) Geertje or Gertruid was born November 2, 1832 in Rorichmoor, and she married Heinrich / Henry Isebrands on August 21, 1858 in Hardin County. Gertruid died ?. She was living in Stemboat Rock, Iowa in 1905. Heinrich was born December 2, 1831, and he died February 17, 1887. They are buried at the East Friesland Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Grundy County, Iowa. f.) Wiard was born July 30, 1835 in Rorichmoor, and he died on March 31, 1881. Wiard is buried at the Sterling Cemetery, Sterling, Nebraska. Wiard married Almina Meinders on January 13, 1861 in Hardin County. Later they moved to Sterling, Johnson County, Nebraska. g.) Arie was born July 11, 1838 in Rorichmoor and died May 30, 1909. She married Heije Muller in Grundy County on November 15, 1859. She is buried in the East Friesland Cemetery in Grundy County, Iowa. Heije J. Muller was born April 13, 1830 in Uphusen and he died January 10, 1888. 6. Jan Jurgens Janssen (son of Jurgen Janssen Gortemaker – see Neermoor Ortssippenbuch #2882) had a brother named Weert Janssen Gortemaker; Weert was born in 1796 and died 1856. Weert had a son named Jan Weers Goertemaker (see Neermoor Ortsippenbuch #1653). Jan Weers Goertemaker / John Gortmaker was born June 3, 1836 in Warsingsfehn. He died January 19, 1916 in Oregon. Jan Weers Gortmaker and his wife Wilhelmina Buhs or Mina Buss arrived in New York on June 18, 1864. They lived in Iowa from 1864 - 1873. Then they moved to Monroe, South Dakota. *The original name for Goertemaker / Gortmaker was Grustzmacher.

*Information was compiled Barbara Patton (gbpatton@gmail.com). Poppe and Antje Hickman were great grandparents of Barbara’s husband, Gary. Gary’s grandfather was Johann/Joe (commonly known as JP Hickman).

Left to right: Ubbe Janssen, Arie Janssen Muller, Gebke Janssen Bootsmann Hickman, Jurgen Janssen.

Back row: left to right: Dirk, Poppe Robert, Taalke/Tillie, Gebke/Hattie, Christian, Johann. Front row: Peter, Poppe, Antje, Menne.