Dutch ancestors came to America for many reasons

It has been 10 years since my first book, “A Place of Refuge” was published. It, and its sequel, “A Place of New Beginnings,” tell the story of the people who settled in northwest Iowa.

I hadn’t intended to be an author, even though two of the common author characteristics are mine: reading is a favored pastime, and no one will discount my eccentricity.

From My Farmhouse Kitchen

The books came about in part due to the many hours spent reading books aloud almost every night when our children were young. While we enjoyed reading many different topics, a good majority of the books were on history — probably because it was and remains a favorite subject of mine.

By Renae B. Vander Schaaf

unkempt lawn. This is home, where once my children played; and now it’s my grandchildren and I who enjoy walking on the same paths to see the flowers blooming or to see who first spot the nuts on the butternut tree.

Something quite major had to occur to cause a mass migration from Europe to America. During the mid-1840’s, the ships were filled to the brim with passengers willing to go to a land where the language and customs were different. Many never again saw the family and friends they tenderly kissed goodbye on the day they boarded the ship.

became a place of refuge. It wasn’t always easy. The difficult hardships these people faced when they first came are not anything we should just brush over. These were real people with all the same desires, emotions and physical frailness we each deal with every day. They left comparatively easy lives in the city with stores just around the corner for a new beginning which sometimes brought them to the middle of nowhere.

It is no wonder I was fascinated by what I was discovering and wanted to record it for others to read.

Through their school projects and our own town’s celebration, when many of us will don our Dutch costumes and wooden shoes, my curiosity grew to wonder who William of Orange was. After all, our town in northwest Iowa must be named after him; because our climate certainly is not conducive to growing orange trees.

I began collecting scraps of history and sporadically doing the research. The more information acquired, the more fascinating the story became. What would be the driving force to cause people to leave their homeland?

Relocating is not an easy thing to do — although I know someday it will happen to me.

After living on this farm place for over 40 years, it brings tears to my thoughts and sometimes my eyes, when it becomes prudent to leave the farm to seek a smaller home in town.

It will not be easy to say goodbye to the trees we have planted and still hope to plant. I am accustomed to watching the sun rise through my kitchen windows; and later in the day, the ever-changing colors of the sunset on the corn field which borders the farm on three sides.

Just yesterday, a pair of geese flew overhead as I worked in the garden. I would probably even miss the rabbits who dart everywhere, and most certainly the partridges and mourning doves who enjoy my

Letters would take months of travel before they reached their destination. A tele phone? The word was more foreign than some of the new technological terms of today. It really was permanent parting for many.

Of course, while it’s never good to generalize, there appears to be three main causes for this mass emigration.

One was the persecu tion of the people who believed God’s word to be true and infallible. In The Netherlands, for instance, the gov ernment had taken over the church. It told the preachers what they could preach on and how.

The people who separated from the state church were fined, jailed and sometimes beaten. Fellow citizens were told not to conduct business with these ‘outlaws.’ America offered separation of state and government.

Economically, times were hard. More than a third of the Dutch were on the government dole — many of whom were fit and capable of working. Taxes were extremely high. Also, one needed a license or permit to do just about anything. Dishonesty was quite prevalent.

Then, too, the potato famine often associated with Ireland had spread throughout Europe. America, with its freedoms and opportunities,

When a person writes, there are many different avenues one can go down. I chose to focus on what was good and their trust in God, in hope my readers would sense a need to commune with their Maker, who holds all things in His hands — even the next breath that I take.

Sometimes though, doubts still do come. Did I do enough investigating to make sure what I wrote was fact and not a legend I wanted to believe was true because it fit the narrative. So when two different written histories were given to me last winter from two separate sources, they both provided unexpected reassurance — because these first-person narratives confirmed my research.

The first came from a friend who I think is a descendant of the writer, Carl Wissink. In his “Then and Now” memoir, he wrote that his parents granted him their permission and provided the money needed for him to come to America.

When he boarded the steamer Zaandam in 1884, there were many passengers of Dutch heritage aboard. Some of the passengers were returning to America after a visit to relatives in The Netherlands, others were emigrating as he was. He mentions several familiar names, but the one that really caught my attention were a Mr. and Mrs. Van der Schaaf.

Unfortunately he didn’t record their first name; but I do not believe they were close kinsman to my

May 27 — Master Gardener Plant Sale, Houston County — La Crescent, Minn. — The plant sale will be held at the La Crescent Community Building. Perennials, annual flowers, vegetable plants, houseplants and more will be available for purchase. Contact Katie Drewitz at wins0115@umn.edu or (507) 725-5807.

May 30 — Farmers Night Out: Calf Management — Albany, Minn. — The program will begin with a meal and then proceed to a farmer panel of calf managers. They will share successes they have had, areas of growth, and tips and tricks they have learned. Contact Dana Adams at adam1744@umn.edu or (320) 204-2968.

June 3 — Master Gardener Plant Sale, Benton County — Sauk Rapids, Minn. — The plant sale will be at Sauk Rapids Middle School Parking Lot. Individuals will be on hand to answer gardening questions. Contact Quincy Sadowski at quincy@umn.edu or (320) 255-6169.

June 6 — Preventative Healthcare in Organic Dairy Production — Online — This webinar will cover National Organic Program regulations related to dairy production, typical health problems and alternative approaches, and how healthy systems are created to prevent issues from arising, through building soil health and more. Contact Jennifer Ryan at jennifer. ryan2@usda.gov.

June 10 — Bumble Bee Identification Workshop — Faribault, Minn. — This workshop will provide training to ID common bumble bees, safely handle and photograph bees, and record data. After the workshop, you can adopt a