Steven Evert Kluvers was born in the Netherlands in 1859. Both parents died soon thereafter and he was raised in an orphanage.

In 1877 he emigrated to South Africa, working there in the building trade. Not being completely satisfied with conditions there he returned to Holland in 18 months. At that time his orphanage was promoting settlement in Orange City, Iowa. Steven soon joined this movement and arrived in Orange City in 1880. He soon decided to make the United States his new home and made plans to bring his sweetheart at the orphanage, Petronella VanDer Wal here; they were married in 1884. Again he was in the building trade. (In 1974 there were still sidewalks with his stamp in the concrete in Orange City).

To this union five children were born. Bernard, Ralph, Petronella, Gertrude and Ralphine. Being a typical frugal immigrant he managed to save some money, and seeing that banks were very unstable in those days, he decided to invest in land. Having heard accounts of wheat crops in North Dakota, being as good as in Iowa, (yes, Iowa grew wheat in those years) he joined with a friend and bought the Northwest ¼ of Section 22, Rosebud Twp., Barnes County in 1908. Both boys were out of school and working on farms by now, and Steven decided to buy his own farm for them to work. In 1909 he and the same friend bought the East ½ of Section 30, Springcreek Township and the family moved to North Dakota. There were no usable buildings so the first winter was spent in the Eilts building on the next quarter south.

Ralph married Bess Verduin in 1918 and left home. Ben married Nellie Biesheuvel the same year and took over the farm. Steven built a retirement home on the farm yard. Petronella, his wife, died in 1940. Steven passed away in 1948. Petronella (Neil) married Peter Verduin, Jr.; Gertrude married Sam Sortland and Ralphine married Henry Verduin.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 127