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Before Peter van der Sloot was taken out of the Registry of Boxtel (1901-1913 Folder 39 Folio 216), the family was listed at E 61. The five living children born to this family made the trip to America.

Besides these mentioned family members, the housemaid Johanna Maria Geerts (born 3 March 1884) was also listed at the same address. She worked for the family from 9 June 1902 until 30 August 1903, and then left for Schijndel. Wilhelmus de Bresser (born 7 February 1885) was listed as a farmhand with the Peter van der Sloot family from 8 March 1906 probably until the family departed for America. Finally, a housemaid, Johanna Maria van de Ven (born 20 January 1888) worked for the family from 24 August 1908 probably until the emigration date.

In this section, the Motivation to Emigrate and Travelogue explains how this family made its start in the USA. The accompanying pictures, taken at different stages of their lives, complete the “Pete VanderSloot” family sketch.

On the next two pages a document is printed in which Petrus, through Notary J.H. Nieman, appointed his brothers Cornelis and Antonius (on 15 August 1909) to manage his affairs, to look after his interests, to plead for his rights during his absence, and to represent him in this.

Petrus and Maria van der Sloot with the five children which were born in the Netherlands

Document Affairs Declaration of Peter van der Sloot

Before me Johannes Hendrikus Josephus Niemann, notary of the post of Boxtel, district of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in company of the later mentioned witnesses appeared:

Petrus van der Sloot, farmer living in the Hamlet Gemonde of Boxtel with on his one side Cornelis van der Sloot, merchant, living in Boxtel, and on his other side Antonius van der Sloot, merchant, living in Boxtel. The declarant on the one side declared that he, intending to reside abroad, gave the declarant on the other side the responsibility to and the upholding of that responsibility the second declarant on the other side the responsibility gave to manage his affairs, to look after his interests and to plead his cause and to represent him in this.

At that conclusion all

vicissitudes regarding and so on, declare taxes for the right of *** and of transition and the declaration to prepare and so forth.

And to do everything which can be in the interest of the principal, and to do all this with the authority to place another in his place.

The declarants on the other side declared that they accept the authority charged them. The declarants for deed of the law executed chose domicile at the office of the keeper of the minutes.

Declaration Continued

The declarants are known to me the notary. Of which certificate

Done and granted in Boxtel at the office of my notarial duties the fifteenth of August nineteen hundred nine in presence of Johannes Eijkemans and Cornelis van Kessel, shoemakers, both residing in Boxtel and both known to me as witnesses.

Immediately after the reading of this

certificate, the declarants signed with the witnesses and me, the notary.

Piet v d Sloot C v d Sloot A v d Sloot

J Eijkemans C v. Kessel JHJ. Niemann

In the service of Succession taxes distributed for laterally identical summary

J Niemann

Peter van der Sloot, around the 1930′s

Motivation to Emigrate and Travelogue

The Piet van der Sloot family left the Netherlands in 1909 under the auspices of the Dutch Colonization Group, which was formed with the help of Catholic priests to encourage emigration to the rural areas of America. The priests were very optimistic about the prospects the emigrants would find: Cheap Land! Incredible Opportunity! Free Education! Although milk and honey specifically was not promised, the promises made were sufficient to convince Piet and Maria van der Sloot to make the trip in the lower decks of the “Witte Ster” (White Star)

passenger boat whose destination was Canada. Neighbors supported them, and some of these emigrated some time later, among which the van der Voort and Willems families. The priests, who had offered to support and help with the booking of the trip, traveled along. However, they were a few decks above in first class accommodations. Five van der Sloot children made the journey with their parents: Bert (Lambertus), Tony (Antonius), Nell (Petronella), Gertrude (Geertruida), and Chet (Adrigaan). Chet learned to walk while aboard the ship. Maria was pregnant with their son Corry at the time of the journey. He was to be the first VanderSloot with American citizenship. Unfortunately, his birth date is unknown, as he did not live long. He was buried in an unmarked grave near their home in Hedgesville.

Harry (Hendrikus), Frank (Peter Francis), John, and Teen (Diana Maria) would follow Corry as American citizens in the family.

The VanderSloot family arrived on the American continent in Quebec, Canada and traveled from there to Chicago by train. Along the way, all their food ran out. Steerage passengers were not allowed to leave the train, for one reason or another. During a long stop, Piet ignored the rule because his large family was hungry. He snuck out of the train in order to find some food for his family. The only English this father knew at the time was the term “Son of a Bitch.” Piet wandered the streets until he met a German-speaking butcher who understood his plea, and out of pity accepted a Dutch Guilder as payment for some bread and bacon.

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The connecting trip by train took the family from Chicago to Bellfield, North Dakota, and subsequently to their final destination of Hedgesville, Montana (near Ryegate). The possessions of these van der Sloots consisted of a couple of changes of clothing, straw mattresses, and some pots and pans. They spent their first days on a farm (which Piet and his eldest son Lambertus and the other children in succession, eventually would be able to take over). After arriving at “Dutch Coulee” (named due to the large number of Dutch immigrants residing there), it became apparent that “the Promised Land” was not much of a promise. The parents and children were forced to work as cheap laborers at a nearby farm to provide a little money and food. Immigrants were misinformed (purposely) about land purchase prices in order to keep them as cheap laborers. They were informed that the land cost much more than they could afford. Therefore, the immigrants were unable to better their circumstances with the purchase of cheap land (which was abundantly available) to start their own farms. Indeed, historical sources report that Dutch families who started out with farmers in “Dutch Coulee” were duped through false promises to further public interests, and this in conspiracy with the Catholic Church. The immigrants had little choice but to work on the farms in the area in order to provide for their families.

On the bright side, some neighbors shared profits from the milk cow, or chickens, and even assisted in digging wells. Piet and Maria both worked, and the children worked and attended school. They saved their earnings and often shared some with the less fortunate. In 1919 they moved to the Hardin-area. After this they moved to St. Xavier, Wyoala, the Woodly Place, and finally to a place called “the Big Horn Wye,” or just “Y.”

They did well there. Piet and Maria returned to visit family in Holland several times, but no one recalls them ever expressing the desire to return to the Netherlands permanently. Everyone who has seen the original VanderSloot home in Holland (seemingly an ideal situation–a large brick farmhouse with attached barn, surrounded by green fields) wonders, “Why did they leave this

behind for Hedgesville?” The answer lies in the limited amount of fertile farmland available, the large number of children in the family, which had to be fed, high taxes on most everything, and fear of a future European war. These considerations led to the family leaving their lovely brick home with its abundance of water, to a sod roof cabin, with a view of the mountains and a shortage of water. However, largely due to their willingness to sacrifice, the current generations in America live in prosperity.

Peter and Maria

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Peter and Mieke (Maria) in front of their farmhouse in America

Peter’s sons

Back Row: Hendricus (Harry) and John Andrew
Front Row: Peter Francis (Frank), Adrigaan (Chet), and Lambertus (Bert)

Family Photograph taken at a family reunion in 1964

Standing from left to right: Bert, Nell (Petronella), Tony (Antonius), Chet, Harry, Gertrude, Frank, Teen (Diana Marie), John

Maria with two of her granddaughters: the twins Louise and Madelle

Picture of the van Oirschot family

Map of area where the Peter van der Sloot family settled in Montana, USA

1. Hedgesville, the first homestead of Peter and his family
2. Billings
3. Hardin, the hometown of many former and current VanderSloot generations

Landscape in Montana—Peter and his family lived in such an area

The Antonius van der Sloot family had several listed addresses. However, according to the Registry of Boxtel (1913-1922, Folio 232) the family was in itially registered at B 275. All of the children lived at this address. The housemaid Johanna Maria van der Sande (born 5 June 1882 in Liempde) was registered with the family until 22 December 1905 when she was replaced by another housemaid Christina van Dijk (born 28 December 1885, in Deil, Gelderland). In addition, a manservant by the name of Marinus van Hemmen (born 8 October 1882 in Boxtel) lived with them.

From a brief biography, one learns that before Antonius moved to “The Armhoef” in Mijlstraat, he resided at Breukelen 199 (as a salesman). There he managed an oil business from his home and peddled groceries. He was involved with butchering as well as running his own café. Unfortunately, his home/store burned down completely and the family was forced to move to Mijlstraat in Lennisheuvel, which farm home later acquired the name of “The Armhoef.” This move required a change of profession for Antonius, from salesman to farmer. His children walked to school from Lennisheuvel to Boxtel. The motto Antonius taught his children well was “‘t Schuim van den handel is altijd beter dan het vet van den arbeid.” (The froth from trade is always better than the grease from labor.) [In other words, the small portion of profit Antonius received as a salesman was better than the small portion of profit he received with hard labor as a farmer.] He should know, for he was forced to trade his entrepreneurial spirit for hard labor as a farmer.

Antonius van der Sloot Family portrait around 1920, taken during a visit of his brother Peter van der Sloot from America

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“The Armhoef” Farm

“The Armhoef” was a special farmhouse which was shown by the attention given it by the Brabant Heem (a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to Brabant farms and their architectural history) when it was featured in the January/February issue of 1964. “The Armhoef” was described in the magazine as a hoekgevel type (corner- gable-roof style) from the year 1646, in which the “gebind” in the front was preserved, but the partition-wall above the “gebind” beam had been replaced with brick. This type of farmhouse was rare. Antonius van der Sloot and his family began living in “The Armhoef” in 1916.

Translation Key for the layout:

keuken kitchen
opk. (opkamer) up-room
slaap.k. (slaapkamer) bedroom
stal barn
voork. (voorkamer) front room
w.k. (woonkamer) livingroom

“The Armhoeve” in Lennisheuvel

Two pictures of the Antonius van der Sloot family in honor of his 90th birthday in 1957