Outagamie County, WI - Biography of George GEURTS, lived briefly in Little Chute *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives SUBJECT: Biography of George GEURTS SUBMITTER: County Coordinator EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com DATE SUBMITTED: 16 Feb 2000 SURNAMES: GEURTS, VANDERVOORT SOURCE: Commemorative Biographical Record of the Fox River Valley Counties of Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago, J.H. Beers & Co, p. 211, 1895 BIOGRAPHY: GEORGE GEURTS, one of the well-known farmer citizents of De Pere township, Brown coun- ty, is a native of Holland, born March 4, 1845, son of Arnold Geurts, who was also a farmer. In the spring of 1866 Arnold Geurts came to the United States, bringing his family, consisting of five children, all of whom are yet living. They sailed form Antwerp, landing in New York after a voyage of forty-five days, and, in three months from the time they leftt heir native land, arrived at their final destination, Brown county, Wis. They first went to Little Chute, where some rela- tives had previously located, and there remained four months, working at anything they could find to do. The family then came to De Pere township and purchased the forty acres where Martin Ver Straten now resides, and which at that time had no improvements whatever but a small log house. There they made their home for eight or nine years, all working together to clear and improve the land, which at the end of that time was divided. In July, 1872, George Geurts was united in marriage with Miss Harriet Vandervoort, who was born February 20, 1852, in Holland, daughter of Arnold and Mary (Barten) VanderVoort, who came to the United States in 1856. They made the voyage from Antwerp to New York in thirty- five days, and then proceeded by water to Green Bay, Wis. At that time Arnold VanderVoort was a poor man, and for a while supported his family by working as mason's assistant. He died in DePere township in 1871 on the farm now owned by our subject, with whom his widow, now aged seventy-two years, yet resides. After marriage Mr. Geurts immediately commenced farming on the place he now owns and resides upon, and which, at the present time, comprises 114 acres of excellent farming land, all taken from the woods. To Mr. and Mrs. Geurts were born children as follows: Mary, Arnold, Annie, John, Nellie, Delia, and Cornelius, all living, and four that died young. Mr. Geurts has resided on his present farm for over twenty yerrs, during which time, by industry and assiduous toil he has done much toward its improvement and made for himself a comfortable home. He is well known and highly respected in his township, where he is recognized as a thorough, hard-working agriculturist and a kind-hearted neighbor. In politics he is a Democrat. and, though not an office-seeker, he is at present serving as school treasurer in his district. He and his wife are members of St. Mary's Catholic Church at De Pere.