By Gerrit W. Sheeres, 2011
Collection Overview
Title: Peter Verwolf Collection, 1899-1903
ID: COLL/510
Creator: Verwolf, Peter (1848-1922)
Extent: 0.5 Cubic Feet. More info below.
Arrangement: Folder level description
Abstract
The collection includes personal correspondence with back up documents. The letters are written in Dutch by Peter (Pieter) Verwolf from the South Dakota Penitentiary, Sioux Falls, South Dakota to his wife Mary (Merrigje) van den Berg Verwolf and their two children in Harrison, Douglas County, South Dakota. The letters were translated by Gerrit W. Sheeres.
Biographical Note
Peter (Pieter) Verwold was born 25 September 1848 in Ameide, the Netherlands to Joris Verwolf and Leentje van Es. He married Marry (Merrigje) Vanden Berg ( 1849-1922) on 5 Aug 1869 in Tienhoven. She was the daughter of Thomas van den Berg and Maagje de Jongh. They had six children: Joseph (1870-1954), Maagje (1871-1876), Leentje (1872-1873), Thomas (1874-1875), Peter (1875-1950), and Leentje (1876-1876). In 1881 Verwolf emigrated to the United States to begin farming, his wife and children followed the next year.
He was convicted in 1899 and sentenced to the South Dakota State Penitentiary for four years years. His crime is not revealed but it seems to have involved the theft of money when he deserted his wife in Sioux County and left with a divorced woman for Yankton. The two later were arrested in Galveston, Texas. While he was in prison, he and his wife were divorced. After prison he moved to Yakima, Washington for a time before returning to farming in South Dakota. He died 5 May 1922 in Oral, South Dakota. After the divorce, his former wife worked as a nurse. She died 18 December 1922 in Corsica, South Dakota.
Box and Folder Listing
- Series 1: Letters from prison, with translation
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Letters from prison --- March-May 1899
- Folder 2: Letters from prison --- June-July 1899
- Folder 3: Letters from prison --- August-September 1899
- Folder 4: Letters from prison --- October 1899-January 1900
- Folder 5: Letters from prison --- February-March 1900
- Folder 6: Letters from prison --- April-May 1900
- Folder 7: Letters from prison --- September 1900
- Series 2: Letters from Yakima, with translation
- Box 1
- Folder 8: Letters from Yakima (Washington) --- June 1903
- Series 3: Letters from prison, with translation
- Box 1
- Folder 9: Letters from prison --- February 17, 189[?]
- Folder 10: Letters from prison --- undated
- Folder 11: Letters from prison --- undated
- Folder 12: Letters from prison --- undated
- Series 4: Letters to Mary Verwolf, with translation
- Box 1
- Folder 13: Letters from T. E. Price, re: money owed; and letter to Mary Verwolf (mother) from Joe and Bet --- undated
- Series 5: Back up documents, with translation
- Box 1
- Folder 14: Census, article from Sioux County Herald, family tree, and genealogy information --- 1898-1996