John Koster, I

Jan Koster (= Sexton, Verger) was born in 4 September 1858 in the Anna Paulownapolder, located in the northern part of the Dutch western province Noord-Holland, son of country man (landman) Jan Koster and Cornelia Ton. The Anna Paulownapolder was created in 1846 and became in 1870 a new, independent municipality, called Anna Paulowna, since 2012 a part of the new municipality Hollands Kroon (= Dutch Crown).

He had the following siblings:

• Maartje "Martha" Koster [Voss], born 13 August 1854 in Anna Paulownapolder, Noord-Holland, d. 14 March 1926 in the country village of St. Anne, located about 78 miles south of Chicago, Kankakee County, Ilinois. See Martha;
• Frederik "Fred" Koster, b. 3 April 1856, Anna Paulownapolder, Noord-Holland, d. 16 October 1941 in the community of Wichert, located about 76 miles south of Chicago and a few miles north of St. Anne, Kankakee County, Illinois. See Fred;
• Gerrit Koster, 10 February 1861, Anna Paulownapolder, Noord-Holland, d. 13 February 1934 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. See Gerrit;
• Pietertje "Nellie" Koster [De Groot], b. 28 April 1866, municipality Zijpe, Boschweg ['t Zand], Noord-Holland, d. 19 September 1942, St. Anne, Kankakee County, Illinois. See: Nellie.

About 1871 or 1881 Jan Koster emigrated to the USA.

On 7 May 1885 John Koster married at the age of 26 years the three years younger Alice Kroeze in the Dutch truck farmers settlement of South Holland, located just south of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois .

According to the internet site "Dutch families of Wichert, Illinois" they had the following children:

• Cora Koster, b. March 20, 1886, d. date unknown;
• Gariet Koster, b. September 23, 1887, d. 1961;
• Carrie Koster, b. January 07, 1889, d. date unknown;
• Mary Koster, b. May 18, 1891, d. date unknown;
• Jan Koster, b. November 17, 1893, d. date unknown;
• Delle Koster, b. August 20, 1894 or 1896 [has to be: ca. 1898], d. date unknown;
• Jennie Koster, b. June 25, 1890 [has to be: ca. 1900, d. date unknown;
• Alice Koster, b. February 07, 1892 [has to be: ca. 1902], d. date unknown.

On 22 April 1886 they had in Chicago or South Holland, Cook County, Illinois daughter Cornelia Koster. She married Ed Swart on 6 March 1904 in Kankakee County, Illinois. On 21 (or 23?) September 1887 John Koster (29 y) and his wife Aaltje Kroeze (26 y) had son Gerrit Koster in Fernwood, a western neighborhood of the former Dutch truck farmers settlement of Roseland, since 1892 a southern district of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

About 124 years ago several families living in Roseland, Illinois began looking for farmland suitable for raising vegetables. Fifty miles south near a railroad 'flag stop' called Palmer, in Kankakee County, they found sand loam soil that looked promising to them. John Koster and his family were among the first families to move there in 1891. They purchased property in the area and soon the railroad 'flag stop' was renamed Koster. On Sundays, these families would meet in different homes to worship. Their desire was to have a Reformed Church. By working with the Classis of Wisconsin, the Reformed Church of Koster was organized on January 20, 1893. There were 15 members; five came on confession of faith, and ten were received by letter from other churches. On February 21, 1893, Cornelius Voss and Gerrit Kroeze were installed as elders and John Koster and Cornelius Tallman were installed as deacons. The site of the first building of worship was located near Koster (9411 E. 2500 S. Rd). This shed-like building served a dual purpose. One end stabled their horses, while the other end served as a place for worship. Sometimes during the religious service, the restlessness of the horses could be a little distracting. The names of some church members near the turn of the century were Voss, Kroeze, Koster, Tallman, Poolman, Van Tongeren, Schaafsma, Westerhoff, Piersma, Brooksma, Slingerland, Hoekstra, and Pursma. Several family names of these early members are still in the church today. In 1895, the church was incorporated under the name of First Reformed Church of Koster. Worship services were held in the original barn-like structure until 1898. Two years after these first families moved to Koster, a retailer from Chicago by the name of Henry Wichert built a pickle factory three miles further to the south. In agreement the railroad established an office there and named it Wichert. The next year the government organized a post office to service in Wichert.

On 4 February 1898 John Koster had a daughter, Nellie, there in the Dutch truck farmers settlement of Wichert. It was located about 60 miles south of Chicago, in Kankakee County, Illinois. Nellie (Cook) died on 26 May 1942 in Chicago.

In May 1910 John Koster (who 52 years prior was born in Holland and immigrated in 1871, truck farmer), was with his wife Alice (49, Holland), their children Garret (22, Illinois, farm laborer), Mary (18, Illinois, farm laborer), John (16, Illinois, farm laborer), Della (11, Illinois), Nellie (10, Illinois), Jennie (9, Illinois) and Alice (7, Illinois) were living at their own farm in St Anne Township, Kankakee County, Illinois, very probably in the Dutch agrarian settlement of Wichert.

In 1920 John Koester Sr. (61, immigrated in 1881), his wife A Koester (58, immigrated in 1881), their daughters Dela (23), Nellie (21), Jennie (19), Alice (17) and Ruby (0, Illinois) were living in the Dutch truck farmers settlement of South Holland, located just south of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

In 1930 John Koster (71) and his wife Alice (68) were still living in South Holland, Cook County, Illinois.

In 1936 his wife Alice died at the age of 75 years, very probably in South Holland, Cook County, Illinois.

In April 1940 John Koster (81, widower) was still living in South Holland, Thornton Township, Cook County, Illinois, at the owned home of his daughter Mary Tapp (48, Illinois) and her husband Jacob Tapp (48, Holland, doing maintenance at a stone quarry). They all lived in 1935 in the same house.

John Koster died in May 1943 at the age of 84 years in the city of Harvey, located just south of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. His last known residence place was South Holland* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 17 2019, 2:28:44 UTC

• Reference: FamilySearch Record - SmartCopy: May 16 2020, 23:15:08 UTC
• Military_service: Zijpe, Noord-Holland, Nederland - 1878
• Residence: 158th Street, South Holland, Cook, Illinois
• Residence: Ganeer Township Momence city Ward 1, Kankakee, Illinois, United States - 1900
• Residence: St Anne, Kankakee, Illinois, United States - 1910
• Residence: South Holland, Cook, Illinois, United States - 1920
• Residence: South Holland, Cook, Illinois, United States - 1930
• Residence: S Holland, Thornton, Cook, Ill - 03 May 1943
  • Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Apr 19 2022, 14:43:40 UTC

Jan Koster (= Sexton, Verger) was born in 4 September 1858 in the Anna Paulownapolder, located in the northern part of the Dutch western province Noord-Holland, son of country man (landman) Jan Koster and Cornelia Ton.
The Anna Paulownapolder was created in 1846 and became in 1870 a new, independent municipality, called Anna Paulowna, since 2012 a part of the new municipality Hollands Kroon (= Dutch Crown).

He had the following siblings:

• Maartje "Martha" Koster [Voss], born 13 August 1854 in Anna Paulownapolder, Noord-Holland, d. 14 March 1926 in the country village of St. Anne, located about 78 miles south of Chicago, Kankakee County, Illinois. See Martha;
• Frederik "Fred" Koster, b. 3 April 1856, Anna Paulownapolder, Noord-Holland, d. 16 October 1941 in the community of Wichert, located about 76 miles south of Chicago and a few miles north of St. Anne, Kankakee County, Illinois. See Fred;
• Gerrit Koster, 10 February 1861, Anna Paulownapolder, Noord-Holland, d. 13 February 1934 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. See Gerrit;
• Pietertje "Nellie" Koster [De Groot], b. 28 April 1866, municipality Zijpe, Boschweg ['t Zand], Noord-Holland, d. 19 September 1942, St. Anne, Kankakee County, Illinois. See:

Nellie.

About 1871 or 1881 Jan Koster emigrated to the USA.

On 7 May 1885 John Koster married at the age of 26 years the three years younger Alice Kroeze in the Dutch truck farmers settlement of South Holland, located just south of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois .

According to the internet site "Dutch families of Wichert, Illinois" they had the following children:

• Cora Koster, b. March 20, 1886, d. date unknown;
• Gariet Koster, b. September 23, 1887, d. 1961;
• Carrie Koster, b. January 07, 1889, d. date unknown;
• Mary Koster, b. May 18, 1891, d. date unknown;
• Jan Koster, b. November 17, 1893, d. date unknown;
• Delle Koster, b. August 20, 1894 or 1896 [has to be: ca. 1898], d. date unknown;
• Jennie Koster, b. June 25, 1890 [has to be: ca. 1900, d. date unknown;
• Alice Koster, b. February 07, 1892 [has to be: ca. 1902], d. date unknown.

On 22 April 1886 they had in Chicago or South Holland, Cook County, Illinois daughter Cornelia Koster. She married Ed Swart on 6 March 1904 in Kankakee County, Illinois. On 21 (or 23?) September 1887 John Koster (29 y) and his wife Aaltje Kroeze (26 y) had son Gerrit Koster in Fernwood, a western neighborhood of the former Dutch truck farmers settlement of Roseland, since 1892 a southern district of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

About 124 years ago several families living in Roseland, Illinois began looking for farmland suitable for raising vegetables. Fifty miles south near a railroad 'flag stop' called Palmer, they found sand loam soil that looked promising to them. John Koster and his family were among the first families to move there in 1891. They purchased property in the area and soon the railroad 'flag stop' was renamed Koster.
On Sundays, these families would meet in different homes to worship. Their desire was to have a Reformed Church. By working with the Classis of Wisconsin, the Reformed Church of Koster was organized on January 20, 1893. There were 15 members; five came on confession of faith, and ten were received by letter from other churches.
On February 21, 1893 Cornelius Voss and Gerrit Kroeze were installed as elders and John Koster and Cornelius Tallman were installed as deacons. The site of the first building of worship was located ear Koster (9411 E. 2500 S. Rd). This shed-like building served a dual purpose. One end stabled horses, while the other end served as a place for worship. Sometimes during the service the restlessness of the horses could be a little distracting.
The names of some church members near the turn of the century were Voss, Kroeze, Koster, Tallman, Poolman, Van Tongeren, Schaafsma, Westerhoff, Piersma, Brooksma, Slingerland, Hoekstra, and Pursma. Several family names of these early members are still in our church today.
In 1895, the church was incorporated under the name of First Reformed Church of Koster. Worship services were held in the original barn-like structure until 1898.
Two years after these first families moved to Koster, a man from Chicago by the name of Henry Wichert built a pickle factory three miles to the south. The railroad established an office there and named it Wichert. The next year the government organized a post office in Wichert.

On 4 February 1898 John Koster had daughter Nellie in the Dutch truck farmers settlement of Wichert, located about 60 miles south of Chicago, Kankakee County, Illinois. Nellie Cook died on 26 May 1942 in Chicago.

In May 1910 John Koster (52 y, born in Holland, immigrated in 1871, truck farmer), his wife Alice (49, Holland), their children Garret (22, Illinois, farm laborer), Mary (18, Illinois, farm laborer), John (16, Illinois, farm laborer), Della (11, Illinois), Nellie (10, Illinois), Jennie (9, Illinois) and Alice (7, Illinois) were living at their own farm in St Anne Township, Kankakee County, Illinois, very probably in the Dutch agrarian settlement of Wichert.

In 1920 John Koester Sr. (61, immigrated in 1881), his wife A Koester (58, immigrated in 1881), their daughters Dela (23), Nellie (21), Jennie (19), Alice (17) and Ruby (0, Illinois) were living in the Dutch truck farmers settlement of South Holland, located just south of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

In 1930 John Koster (71) and his wife Alice (68) were still living in South Holland, Cook County, Illinois.

In 1936 his wife Alice died at the age of 75 years, very probably in South Holland, Cook County, Illinois.

In April 1940 John Koster (81, widower) was still living in South Holland, Thornton Township, Cook County, Illinois, at the owned home of his daughter Mary Tapp (48, Illinois) and her husband Jacob Tapp (48, Holland, doing maintenance at a stone quarry). They all lived in 1935 in the same house.

John Koster died in May 1943 at the age of 84 years in the city of Harvey, located just south of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. His last known residence place was South Holland.

• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Apr 19 2022, 14:54:42 UTC