Back in October I mentioned that thanks to meeting Adri van Gessel, an amateur genealogist who lives in the Netherlands, through this blog, I learned of an astonishing connection or coincidence in my family. Adri first read my post, “Another Sailor in the Family,” about my father’s uncle, Frank Klein.
I have been concentrating on my mother’s relatives on this blog. They are primarily of Dutch ancestry, mainly from Goes, a city in Zeeland, or the surrounding area. Before you read this blog, had you heard of Goes? Probably not, unless you’re Dutch. My mother’s father grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and her mother in Caledonia, Michigan. Kalamazoo and Caledonia are in different counties. It was quite the coincidence to learn that their relatives came from the same place in Europe. Last spring I discovered that my grandparents, in fact, had an ancestor in common.
But my father’s family was in the Chicago area, and they weren’t Dutch, and there should have been no connections. My father and mother met when my father chose to attend Western Michigan University, which is located in Kalamazoo.
Imagine my surprise when Adri contacted me, and I learned that I have another connection to Goes through my father’s aunt, Elizabeth Klein. The grandfather of her husband, Peter Van Gessel, came to the United States (Grand Rapids, Michigan–same county as Caledonia!) from a little village near Goes!
Is that not the wildest coincidence?!
Elizabeth was the oldest of my great-grandparents’ five children. She was born in 1891 in Budesheim, Germany, outside of Bingen on the Rhine. Elizabeth married Peter Van Gessel, and they had seven children. Unfortunately, Elizabeth passed away in 1926 of “Edema of lungs due acute debilitative heart. CONTRIBUTORY: Chronic myocarditis under my [doctor’s] care for 2 years.”
Elizabeth was about 34 when she passed away in 1926. Her youngest child was born in 1923, and according to the death certificate, she had been treated for myocarditis since her youngest was a baby. Since myocarditis typically is caused by bacteria or a virus, I wonder if his birth had anything to do with it.
I have photos of Peter and the Van Gessel children, but I wasn’t sure which woman in the family photos was Elizabeth. Nobody who knew her in person is still alive. But after studying the photographs and the contexts and ages of the children, and then asking my father and my uncle what they thought, it seems clear which woman is Elizabeth.
In the photo above, Elizabeth is the woman in the back, not the woman in front. That one is Aunt Anna, the sister one year younger than my grandmother–the 3rd sister. The two or three of the children belong to Elizabeth. Notice how Elizabeth’s daughter, probably Colleta (maybe Josephine), has the same haircut as her mother.
Here is the same photo focusing on Elizabeth.
This photo was probably taken at the same time. Seated, holding the little boys, are Helen, my grandmother’s youngest sister, and an unidentified woman, probably a friend or neighbor. Anna is most likely taking the photo. Nobody looks very happy in this one!
Does Colleta look about 11 or 12? If so, these boys would have to be either Robert and Laurence, the two youngest, or Robert (on Helen’s lap) and a child of the other woman. The thing with Robert is that he, unfortunately, passed away just short of 3 years old–of acute bronchitis. He was treated by the doctor for five days before he passed away.
Two years after her little boy died, Elizabeth also passed away.
So who is in the photo above and what year might this be? The back row is Helen, Marie (my grandmother), Elizabeth, Margarethe (their mother), Peter Van Gessel. In the front row is Frank (their father) and the Van Gessel children–Frank and Margarethe’s grandchildren. Anna, the other sister, is probably taking this photo.
Notice Peter: he had quite a sense of fun and joking. Here’s another:
That’s Anna holding the baby. Peter (the oldest son of Elizabeth and Peter) is the boy standing, wearing glasses.
I am having a difficult time dating the photos based on the ages of the children.
Here is a photo where I feel confident, and so does Adri. It shows the 4 oldest Van Gessel children: Colleta, Josephine, Peter, and Elizabeth. Grace is probably the baby in the carriage. I’m actually not sure if the woman is Elizabeth or my grandmother. This photo would have been taken somewhere between 1917 and 1920. I think Elizabeth would have still had long hair at this early date.
Here is a photo of the four oldest children when they are older than the above photo: Colleta, Josephine, Peter, and Elizabeth. I’m guessing this one to be around 1922.
The Family Kalamazoo 
You have quite a few photos of this family – how wonderful!
I know! Amberly, I never knew these photos existed until a few years ago. And at first, I didn’t pay them that much attention, but then I started getting interested. The more I study them, the more I learn!
Very interesting. Re: myocarditis, I knew a woman who was diagnosed with it at age 62. She had to take very good care of herself for about a year. This included rest and diet, focusing on omitting foods that caused inflammation in her body.
Myocarditis is the most common cause of sudden death among people in their 30s.
The physical strain of giving birth to another baby and caring for a large family might very likely have been the end of Elizabeth.
From a myocarditis website: “the term ‘chronic myocarditis’ is used if acute myocarditis does not disappear quickly or if myocarditis symptoms reappear later after an episode of acute myocarditis.” And “Many different environmental agents can trigger myocarditis including viral or bacterial infections, toxins, and drugs. The reasons why some persons recover and others do not is an area of active investigation.” And “In most cases, chronic myocarditis involves [autoimmune diseases such as such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus].” Here’s the site: http://www.myocarditisfoundation.org/
Great info here, WJ. I had no idea about the autoimmune connection. It does make you wonder with a woman that young, although 1926 was a long time ago . . . . I can’t imagine how she took care of that large family being sick, and I wonder how much of the time she was out at her mother’s in Elmhurst when the kids must have gone to school in Chicago.
Thank you cousin Luanne. Your blogs wouldn’t exist without a genuine love of family. I am loving all those wonderful pictures. Having lost my father at such a young age (his and mine), it is great to reconnect with family that has been lost for so long. Finding we have much in common is a plus 🙂 I owe a great debt of gratitude to Adri for his endless efforts to bring us all together.
J, I’m so glad that wonderful Adri introduced us! And I’m so glad we can share photos and stories. It fills in a lot of missing pieces for both of us, I think. I keep wondering how it feels for you to see a photo of your pretty grandmother here! She also was lost far too early. xoxo
Amazing story, Luanne! Hey, Colleta appears to have the haircut I’m trying to achieve! 🙂
It’s a cute haircut! I wish I had thick enough hair for it.
The Goes Coincidence is amazing!! The pictures are fabulous – as always. I love old pictures so much!!
It’s such a coincidence that it almost seems impossible! Thanks, Sheila!
Great story and wonderful photos. These are the moments that give me so much pleasure in doing genealogy—finding the missing pieces, the surprises!
I agree with you, Amy! It’s so exciting! Like Nancy Drew fitting together the clues!
I have been doing the Roy Lawrence genealogy for years but just recently was checking my mother’s side of the family. I was born in Three Rivers, Mi and raised in Beloit WI. I was told the Henry Waruf Park was named after my mother’s Aunt Carrie so only today put the name Waruf in Google and wonderfully discovered this site. My mother passed away 1973, My dad Roy Lawrence’s ancestors came from Wissett, England in 1632.
My mother’s father was George Joseph Pake ( Paak) whose father and children came from Lexmount, Netherlands on the ship Stella. Wow, how wonderful to make this connection. Alice Paak married Richard DeKorn. and I remember my mother talking about Dick DeKorn.
I do not have my Tree on the internet but I do use Ancestry.com
Do you have a complete family tree of the Paak’s or whatever. You can email me or contact me to reply.
Thanks, Edgar Dean Lawrence, son of Theresa Mary Pake (Paak). I am 81 years old and a retired college professor.
Edgar, what exciting news this is! Be sure to search my blog for all the posts about the Paaks (Peeks etc) and Richard DeKorn, too! In fact, the current post–“Who Is This?”– is a photograph that I haven’t been able to identify. I suddenly wondered if it could be a photograph of George Paak, born 1850. I have questions for you! I will email you; I hope I can find your email address! (Did you “follow” this blog?) And please take a look at the photograph and see if you think it could be George. He looks stunningly like Alice and then also Annie and the other sisters (I have photos of the girls). https://thefamilykalamazoo.wordpress.com/2014/03/28/who-is-this/
P.S. I can’t figure out how to find your email address, so please email me at luannecastle[at]gmail.com. Looking forward to comparing notes with you!
Oh, wow! How exciting! Glad you two found each other.
It’s so exciting!