One of the branches of my family from the Netherlands was the Reminse branch.
On 26 August 1810, my 4th great-grandfather, Dirk Reminse, a bread baker, married Adriana Kriger (Krijger) in Kapelle, Zeeland, the Netherlands. Dirk was born 22 November 1786 in Kruiningen, Zeeland, Netherlands. At some point before his marriage he must have relocated to Kapelle, but Adriana also came from a different town. She was born 11 June 1787 in Biggekerke, Zeeland, Netherlands.
Houses on the Kerkplein (church square), Kapelle, Netherlands
The couple had the following children:
Gillis Remijinse 1811–1868
Jan Remijinse 1813–1837
Hendrika Remijinse 1814–1893
Johanna Remijinse 1817–1864
Johannis Remijinse 1819–1846
Adriaan Remijinse 1821–1849
Pieter Remijinse 1822–1830
Frans Remijinse 1823–1860
Gerard Remynse 1825–1910
Marinus Remijinse 1826–1863
Note the difference in the spelling of the surname. It is seen both ways. In this country it became REMINE.
Their daughter Johanna was born 15 July 1817 in Kapelle. She married Boudewijn DeKorne 21 May 1847 in Kapelle. Boudewijn had been born in Kapelle on 11 June 1816.
The couple had one daughter who died as an infant, then a son Richard and daughter Maria were born. Richard, my great-great grandfather, would end up being a well-known brick mason and contractor in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but first the family had to immigrate to the United States.
Johanna’s parents had both died. Dirk died 9 September 1840 in Kapelle. On 14 April 1845, Adriana passed away.
Boudewijn and Johanna arrived in this country in 1856 and first settled in Zeeland, Michigan. The following year their 4th and last child, Jennie was born. Jennie eventually became Jennie Culver who divorced her husband and moved to Seattle with her two teen daughters. I have posted about the magnificent photo album that belonged to one of Jennie’s daughters that a blog reader mailed to me.
Johanna Remijinse DeKorne was my last direct ancestor in the Remine line, although my grandfather stayed close to the family that continued that surname in Michigan.
I found a photograph of this branch of the family in the Netherlands. The photograph is not marked with a photography studio or any other identifying information. Someone, possibly my grandmother, wrote on the back “Remine family in Holland.” In order to figure out who is in the photograph I would need to know the approximate date of the photo. Since Johanna immigrated in 1857, this must be from a line of the family that ran parallel to her line. Would it be the family of one of her siblings?
I went back and examined the other Remine cousins in the United States. They stem from Johanna’s brother Gerard. He seems to have immigrated to the United States between 1855 and 1857. Maybe he and his family even came over with his sister and hers? NOTE TO SELF: CHECK INTO THIS.
Why did the families remain close? Johanna’s son Richard’s wife Alice’s sister Mary married Richard Remine, son of Johanna’s brother Gerard! What does that make them? First cousin’s by marriage?
So the photo can’t be of Gerard’s family. That leaves eight other siblings to check into. And the children of all these siblings . . . . NOTE TO SELF: MORE WORK NEEDED HERE
CAN YOU GUESS A TIME PERIOD FOR THIS PHOTO?
The Family Kalamazoo 
What a great photo. Best bet for dating it might be a clothing expert, as they look like they’re dressed in their best clothes. As for why the families remained close, probably the same as now. Emigration was often driven by financial necessity, so probably some reluctance. If they were successful, probably sent money home, or helped others to follow them.
I’m going to have to set aside a few of these photos that need help dating and use the services of an expert, I think. In this case it’s a little rare that you can see their full outfits (whereas most of my photos are head and shoulders) and I think that will help to date, don’t you? They may have sent money home, but I can’t see that they would have had enough to send to SO many relatives.
There may be an inline archive you can compare clothes with. Maybe the Smithsonian? Just guessing. Old people tended to stick with styles so youngsters would be more useful for dates. As for helping each other emigrate, just having some support on arrival probably helped. And hey, maybe they all got on well.
I had to laugh at the long string of connections! Do you use Ancestry or Family Tree Maker? They’d help sort out that relationship with the Relationship Calculator.
Is New Zealand also named for Zeeland in Holland (as, I assume, was Zeeland, Michigan)?
As for dating the photo, it looks Edwardian to me—early 20th century. But what do I know?
I thought that was pretty hilarious! It seems like a close relation, but there are a lot of words in that string! I use Ancestry. Is there a way to show relation between two people other than between the home person and one other person?
I think New Zealand was “discovered” by a Dutch explorer, hence the name. And, yes, those rebels from the Dutch Reformed Church started Zeeland, Michigan :)! Maybe you are right about Edwardian. There IS something Sister Carrie-ish about it.
Does Zeeland mean Sea land?
I take it you don’t use Family Tree Maker software to back up your tree on your computer. On FTM you can check the relationship between any two people.
On Ancestry, it only shows the relationship to the Home person. So I guess you could temporarily designate someone in that chain as your Home person and then switch it back to yourself when done.
Sister Carrie! I read the book—but never saw a picture of her clothing. 🙂
I thought I responded to this the other day! Yes, it means Sea Land, basically. No, I don’t use Family Tree Maker. Is that the one that interacts with Ancestry? I bought it years ago, if that’s the one, and it was too cumbersome. I felt as if i was doing everything twice. That’s an idea about changing the setting temporarily though.
I love Sister Carrie. It captures the time and place so well (I imagine).
Yes, FTM interacts with Ancestry. I don’t know how long ago you tried it, but the current version allows you to sync from Ancestry to FTM, thus creating a copy of your tree on your computer’s hard drive as a backup. Some people do their research through FTM, but I prefer to use Ancestry and then sync for a backup. FTM is useful not only as a backup, but to create reports such as the one used to calculate a relationship between any two people in your tree.
Do I order it through Ancestry?
Ah, that’s a good question. Ancestry no longer sells it. MacKiev is now selling it and promises to continue the syncing feature with Ancestry. Right now I have the Ancestry version which Ancestry is supporting until January 2017. Then MacKiev will be in charge of support across the board. http://www.mackiev.com/ftm/
Any idea who the parents of Adriana Kriger were? She is a dead end in my research.
Joel, that is is far back as I have for her. I looked at her actual death certificate and both her parents are listed as N.N. (Nomen nescio or unknown person). However, that doesn’t mean it’s a dead end. It just means a lot more work needs to be done. Have you looked on WieWasWie website?
Have you found my tree on Ancestry? I have been getting hints from yours recently.
no, can you share a link
I think I need your email address. Can you give me that? or else email me at mlmmcastle[at]gmail[dot]com. Did you read my post about Bessie Klosterman? There is mention of Peter Newhouse on there. I see that he is related to your family. https://thefamilykalamazoo.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/what-happened-to-mrs-klosterman/
I have been using both WieWasWie and http://aschulte.nl/Genea/list.php
I haven’t tried the 2nd one yet. Thanks for the tip!
joel.e.reeves at gmail dot com (interested in both deKorn and deSmit as a descendent of Charles A Reeves and Francis deSmit)
I have Pieter Nienhuis 1839-1920 using the dutch spelling
Cool photo! I love the details of the loveseat? the couple is sitting on in the front right.
Is that a love seat? I cannot figure out the shape of what she is sitting on at all and yet there is no other arm between the two of them.
I think so…
Like a settee? Haha I saw one yesterday and that’s what it was labelled. It’s really hard to tell her. I wonder if there is only one arm to it!
It’s amazing how the expressions and the hairstyles of the mother and daughter are so similar. The daughter’s white dress immediately drew my attention to her. She almost seems to jump off the page.
Sheryl, do you think that IS her mother? I felt as if she was an older sister because she seems a little flirty for a mom and because she’s standing in the back. I felt that if she was the mother, she would be seated front center OR if a couple of commenters here are correct and it’s a wedding photo, she would be seated up front next to the dad.
Great photo! I I use a number of photo dating books which are a great help…perhaps your library has some? Definitely focus on the younger ones. Perhaps they sent the image home so family could see how successful they were.
@cassmob from
Family History Across The Seas
That’s a good idea about focusing on the younger ones! Which ones do you think are the oldest?
Could it be a wedding photo so you think?
I think it’s really possible, but I never thought of it until you and Nancy below suggested it. It seems likely that the couple in front right are the wedding couple and the other seated man is her father. What do you think?
Luanne, I have pictures of my family and according to the clothing and the picture, its self would make me believe the picture is from around 1800 to 1850. I have a beautiful photograph , and it is dated 1848 and another dated 1850. The clothing styles are alot alike. Hope that helps some. Paula
Thank you so much, Paula! So wonderful that you have such old photos with DATES on them! That makes it so much easier!
I think it may be a wedding picture. Lady in white the bride, the man on the right the groom. He has a lace handkerchief in his pocket – no one else has one. Also hand fans and hydrangia flower pinned to her waist would indicate a late summer season. All the men and the bride have wide set eyes – the groom has close set eyes. It’s a great picture! The man on the right has a light color bowler hat – it has a definite time frame – check this site: http://www.thehathouse.net/2013/07/the-history-of-bowler-hat-or-derby-hat.html
I think this is a brilliant idea. You are such a whiz with the details!! I really love what you say here. I was thinking that the other seated man then must be the father and that his wife must be deceased. What do you think about that?
I would assume that is correct – mom is deceased. As for details – zoom in on the men’s hands – The man second from the right and the man with the hat seem to be wearing a rectangle stone(?) ring, and dad a ring on his right pinky. The lady in back also has a ring on her right ring finger…does that mean something? (Instead of traditional left ring finger)
I’d had another look at the photo before reading this, and I agree. The father, who might be a minister, is seated on the left. I would suggest that the other woman is likely to be an older sister and acting as her attendant. I think it’s possible that the young men (not the boy) are his brothers…perhaps the ones on the far left and far right. Not convinced they’re her family.
I think I’m wrong, guy on left looks too much like older man. Try focusing on their ears..might help link them.
Not sure you can see my reply below?
The Older man seems the father of most of these people, but it’s unclear to me if the bride or bridegroom belongs to this family. Yes, the boy looks a lot like the dad. Although the head shape and eye placement of the male seems wrong I feel as if the bride is not of the family. Isn’t it odd how some people are looking in one direction and some in another?