Arie was born to Martinus and Griertje (van Rooden) deJong in Marion County Iowa. His parents had immigrated from the Netherlands 1865 and settled in the Black Oak area near Pella IA. He had six siblings - Pieter Jakob and Arie born in the Netherlands. Arie stayed in the Netherlands with family when Martinus and Griertje came to the US and started a year later with other family members. There was an outbreak of cholera on that ship and 1 1/2 year old Arie died. Therefore the next son to be born was also named Arie with Cornelius as his middle name. Other siblings were Albert, Antonie, Gysbertje, and John.

After Arie's father passed away, his mother's brother lived with her and the youngest children. Arie lived with neighbors the Lambert Overbergen family and worked for his room and board. When the brothers were older, they all moved back home and ran the farm themselves.

March 6, 1888 Arie and Jaantje (Jane) de Bruin were married by the Rev. Jan Smit, pastor of Third Reformed Church in Pella. They had 12 children - Mary, John, Martin, Richard, Margaret, Jacob, Peter, Wilma, William, Gerrit, Herman, and Anne.

After renting farms in Prairie and Richland townships in Mahaska County, they purchased their own farm in 1914 in an area known as Lower Grove south of Peoria.

Arie and Jane were one of 17 families who founded the Peoria Christian Reformed Church. It was made up of some from the Reformed Church and some from the Christian Reformed Church. The first service was held April 11, 1894 and son, Richard, was the first one baptized in this new church. The church did not have a piano or organ, so Arie was the one with the strongest voice and he was the "voorzinger" (led the singing).

Arie died of a stroke in the family home. He had eaten a hearty supper and shortly afterward was stricken with paralysis. He died an hour later.