Peter Evers

Born in Hollandtown, Wisconsin, on October 29, 1851
Died in Verboort, Oregon, on April 7, 1937 at age 85

Parents:  John Evers and Petronella VanAert Evers 

Peter Evers married Antonia Vandehey on May 29, 1876, in Wisconsin
They moved to Verboort in 1877, and together they had seven children:
Petronella
John
Annie
Allegonda (Alice)
Antone
Albert
William

     Antonia died when William was 2 days old, from complications of childbirth. She was 33 years old. After Antonia's death, Peter raised his family in a farm house directly south of Visitation Cemetery while farming days and working evenings in his shoe shop. He sewed his shoes with pig bristle  instead of a needle.  For soles and heels, he used only wooden pegs, never using nails.  He got the leather from Portland to make his fine handmade boots.  In 1930, when he was 79, he made his last pair of shoes for his sister, Meika (Mary).  Meika had been blind since 1919 following eye surgery and lived all her life with Peter, and later with his son, Albert.  Although Peter semi-retired in 1910, when his sons took over his 80 acres of farm land, he was never idle.  His spare moments were spent in prayer, a rosary always in his gnarled hands.