Both Gerrit and Gertrude were born on their families' farms (map of Mulder farm, map of Arens farm). In 1903 Gertrude saw her brother Herman killed in front of her in a well explosion, which may have contributed to her mental illness.

After marrying in 1911, they lived on the Mulder farm, which in 1920 consisted of 100 acres, five horses, nine cows, and within the next five years, their first Ford. Also in 1911 the white house was built, into which Jacob and Mary Mulder moved.

Gerrit inherited the farm with the provisions that he pay his sisters a certain amount of money, and that the farm would support his retarded sister Allie for as long as she lived. During these years Gerrit was well-known in the community, a church elder who prayed in Dutch and was soft and kind to others. Later, when his son Marvin worked at General Motors, he ran the farm with his grandchildren.

Gertrude's mental illness worsened around 1930, when her personality started to change and her house lost its characteristic neatness. Before her illness she was well-respected, involved in the church, and physically strong, often helping out with much of the farm work. Starting in 1935 she spent five years in Pine Rest Hospital and Kalamazoo State Hospital, and 15 years later she returned to both institutions. When older, she once walked about ten miles at night in her nightgown to stand behind the pulpit of their church; she also had numerous violent spells.

As Gerrit aged he grew more senile, and after living with Marvin and Henrietta Mulder for some months, he moved into an old home in Zeeland, MI, where he worsened, and then finally moved into a nursing home.

Gerrit is buried in North Holland Cemetery (R14 B2 L5), with Gertrude beside him (R14 B2 L4).

View Gerrit's draft registration card (1917-18)