Sjoerd was born 1830 in Midlum. Due to an unknown cause he had a bit of a limp on both sides. With his parents he moved 1850 to the farm on the Âldyk in Pietersbierum.
In 1852, a group of farmers established the "Pietersbierumer Leesgezelschap" (Pietersbierum reading club). Sjoerd was 1853 to 1862 its treasurer. Because of his imminent marriage and his move to Midlum, his brother Klaas Ynses was his successor, from 1860 to 1891. *)

Sjoerd married 23-05-1861 at Pietersbierum Ybeltje Hiemstra. They lived in Midlum where Sjoerd had become flax trader and vegetable grower. In 1862 daughter Minke was born.

Ybeltje died 05-01-1868, in house Nr. 16 in Midlum. The estate at Ybeltjes death in 1868 gives insight in the limited amount of equipment a "koaltsjer" (vegetable grower) needs. Sjoerd has two sheep and a few chickens, as produce he has potatoes and flax, and especially potato baskets and garden frames. There is also a golden headdress, a golden lock and a watch with chain, the gold with a value of almost f 250 in a total estate value of f 1186.
Minke was subsequently raised by aunt Aafke and uncle Gerrit Y de Boer (with pake Ynze Sjoerd) on their farm on the Âldyk. Uncle Gerrit was the co-guardian. Minke married in 1889 Albert Beeksma.

Lieuwkje was born 1831 on the farm of her parents just outside Pietersbierum on the road to Wijnaldum (see map: S). Her mother died in 1836. She and her sisters must have been "independent" early.

Lieuwkje (ca 1870)

One year later, both couples got married, Lieuwkje to Pieter and Klaaske to Abel.

So Lieuwkje married 23-05-1852 Pieter Cornelis Lourensz and they move to Sexbierum. Pieter was the son of schoolmaster Folkert Ulriks Lourensz. (The familyname ends indeed with sz.)
Getting children was sorrow and grief: 1853 Folkert (died after 2 days), 1854 Folkert (died after half a year), 1856 Folkert (died after half a year), and then 20-04-1858 Folkert.

In the course of 1865, Lieuwkje saw the future of her marriage as grim. In September she submits a request for separation of the estate and she immediately makes a new will. The separation is pronunced by the court in November and this fact is mentioned several times in newspaper announcements (see clips and documents). The value of the estate is described. Lieuwkje now moves permanently to Pietersbierum, where she runs a shop at the square. In 1866 follows the separation documented by the notary public. She then lives in the house that had long been a Hibma posession. Son Folkert likely was often at his uncle Wynsen and aunt Reintje in the house next door to Lieuwkje.

Photo: The house where Lieuwkje lived from 1865 to 1871 stands on the north side of the "Breed Plak" in Pietersbierum. That house was in the possession of the Hibmas (see e.g. land register 1832; Hisgis). The photo is from approximately 1880, made by S.H. Sytstra, one of the masters of the elementary school. The houes at left belonged to the family Lourensz (and Faber), the family of the schoolmasters. At the time the photo was made master Wijnsen Faber lived there. It is unknown who are in the foreground. At far right is the horse stool of the blacksmith.

Pieter Cornelis Lourensz (labourer) died 21-03-1870; uncle Wynsen Faber and aunt Reintje Lourensz became guardians over Folkert.
[ This Folkert will live to be over 60. He also tried his luck in the U.S.A. but asked from there for money to return. He then became clerk in Langweer. Yet later he had a shop selling cigars in Utrecht. He married 1901 (at age 43) the 26 year old Christina Osinga. Folkert died childless (in Jelsum). His grave is in Pietersbierum, near that of his younger half brother Klaas S. de Boer. ]

Sjoerd ate regularly in the inn of Pietersbierum, where Theunis van der Mei (an ucle of Lieuwkje) was the inn owner. That inn was, coming from Wijnaldum, in the second house on the right in Pietersbierum (see photo). The sign reads "PAS VER EN RUST WAT" (walk far and rest a bit).
Sjoerd got intersted in the shop owner Lieuwkje Hibma, who lived seperate from her husband in Pietersbierum and who ran the shop on the "Breed Plak" (wide open area). Did she come often to her uncle the inn keeper? Lieuwkje had a son from her marriage, Sjoerd (widower) a daughter. Perhaps they also knew each other from church (the "menniste" community).

Sjoerd and Lieuwkje married in 1871 (Lieuwkjes former husband had just died, making Lieuwkje "free") and they settled in her parental farm just outside Pietersbierum, where Sjoerd became the farmer.
The farm had the classical shape: a barn with cowshed and in the extension the living quarters (see sketch). The rear side was at the road Pietersbierum-Wijnaldum. The windows of the living room were at the NNW, only in summer did the sun shine into the room. The entrance was at the side through the kitchen, but one could also come in from the barn.

Klaas and Ynze de Boer; photo from about 1875.

One slept in bedsteads.

Sjoerd and Lieuwkje (both older than 40) got two children:
1872 Ynze (+1898), 1873 Klaas (x Trijntje Gelske Hoogland).

Lieuwkjes father, Heerke, died in 1872 (5 days after the brth of Lieuwkjes son Ynze). Not long thereafter, Sjoerd organised a public sale of the movable goods (see legal documents). The three daughters of Heerke: Klaaske, Lieuwkje and Grietje, ware his heirs. But the true settlement of the estate came only a few years later.

Ynze and Klaas both went to school in Pietersbierum. For a sketch of Pietersbierum around 1880 see Ynze and Klaas to school.

Sjoerd was active in several boards.
He was for years in the board of the "waterschap Pietersbierumer Polder" (the organisation responsable for the waterworks and sea defence). And 1881-1888 he was in the charity board (see legal documents).

From the notes about Sjoerd Ynzes (made by SKdB): Sjoerd had on both sides a light limp. He smoked almost always a short pipe; he had two, when one was finished it then hung on a cord on his coat.
Sjoerd had/used also pasture rather far from the farm. SKdB: To milk the cows there he had to go over land (or through the canal) near Roosjestein to the Ried, then go with a boat up this water in the direction of Getswerderzijl to the cows, then the same route back, with the heavy large milk jars.... This parcel of land had come from the estate of Dirk van der Mei (see map, the parcel at mid bottom) and had been, at the final sale of Dirks farm, taken over by Doetje Dirks and Heerke Attes.  [Note, in rainy weather, roads were then soon impassable so to go milking by boat probably had been easier anyway (let alone because of the hauling of the large milk jars).]

Later, Lieuwkje was often not well and required much household help. Japke Braam-Norder was at that time the "faam" (main help) and the prop and stay. Much later, she told Lieuwkjes grandson, Sjoerd de Boer (*1909), some about these circumstances.   SKdB:
Anna Johannis Lettinga from the seadyke had a bicycle. Lieuwkje wanted to give it a trie, rode all by herself to Pietersbierum, where a man called Albert Nauta stood looking. She then dove in a ditch and she never cycled there after.
Lieuwkje later had a lame arm. That was most likely due to a cataract. And she had become incontinent; the advice given was to drink little. She had her own free standing bed in the kitchen room, where Jap could provide help easily, change diapers and such. She mostly lay there, or she sat in a chair with a shawl around her back.
On a Sunday, when Jap was attending, Lieuwkje wanted to again give walking a try, but she toppled. With great effort Jap got her back into her chair (with the help of a footstool). As reward Jap received a small gold ring, that Lieuwkje took from her own finger, and a golden "Willemke" (f 10).

In 1890, Lieuwkjes sister Klaaske needed money and one decided to come to a separation of the estate. In this manner, also the heirs of sister Grietje could receive their share. To that end, one planned to sell the farm in parts. The house across from the farm house was to stay in possession so that, when need would arise, Sjoerd and Lieuwkje could live there. The new owner of large portions was Haye Bruining from Wynaldum (see legal documents), an uncle in law of Sjoerd (Bruining was married to Aafke Klazes Postma). He left Sjoerd and Lieuwkje (as renters) on the farm.

Sjoerd died in 1895 and was burried in Midlum (next to his first wife, Ybeltje Hiemstra).
Lieuwkje stayed on the farm. To properly divide all the movable goods between her sons Ynze and Klaas (see photos from that time) a sale was held in 1898 (see newspaper). Sjoerd was to continue as renter. On that cold, windy day Ynze got ill and died not long thereafter (1898; or was it tbc?). Now son Klaas took over all.

In 1898, a house in Pietersbierum is sold, peceeded by the sale of movable goods. Is this the house at the Breed Plak?

Fire   December 1904 the farm burned down. Lieuwkje (in bed) and the goods (among it a piano) were saved.  The family of son Klaas (he, his son Ynze and his very pregnant wife Nynke Hoogland) as well as Lieuwkje stayed at first in the remains of the living quarters but they soon found shelter in Sexbierum at Nynke her foster parents, Aukom en Dim. For more about the fire see at son Klaas.

The farm was rebuilt by the achictect of Pietersbierum, Auke Lettinga, foster father of Nynke Hoogland. The farm, now in the form of a "stjelp" (all under one large roof) was built along the road, with the windows of the rooms to the SW.

Lieuwkje died September 1905. She was burried in Pietersbierum (next to her first husband Pieter Lourensz). This grave no longer exists.

SKdB = From the notes by Sjoerd de Boer, grandson of Sjoerd and Lieuwkje, which he made (much later) in conversations, a.o., with Japke Norder, "faam" on the farm from before 1900 until 1905.
KJvdA = K.J. van den Akker, "Van den Mond der oude Middelzee - Schetsen uit het oude boerenleven en -bedrijf", II; 1940, Friesche Maatschappij van Landbouw.
*)  About the "Pietersbierumer Leesgezelschap": Auke Lettinga was as of 1877 the secretary. In the Leeuwarder Courant of 1892 one finds a report on occasion of the imminent jubilee of the Pietersbierumer Leesgezelschap. This leesgezelschap continued to exist until well after 1950.

To ancestry with SYdB & LHH.