In the 1970s, Grandpa identified some of the old photographs as members of the Ebelink family–from Kalamazoo, of course. He didn’t mention just who they were, but I wrote down the names on the back of the photos. I’ve labelled the photos as my grandfather told them to me and corrected them if I found an error.
Anna Ebelink Fisher Fletcher 1891
Ann Ebelink Myers
John Ebelink: 1891
The father (Benjamin Ebelink) and stepmother (Van de Giessen) of John Ebelink
So who were these people? According to the 1880 census, Benjamin and Wilhelmina, both born in Holland (the Netherlands), had three children: Frederich (age 6), John (age 5), and Joanna (age 2). Since there is no existing 1890 census for Michigan, I had to skip ahead to 1900, where I found John married for four years to Jennie, with one child, Wilhelmina, age 3. A quick search for the death of John’s father Benjamin and I find the year 1916 in Ottawa, Michigan. He was a widower, so he must have already buried at least two wives.
But who were Anna and Ann? I can see Joanna being one of them. Are these two different sisters? And were they really married to Fisher and Myers?
It appears Anna married a Fletcher, not a Fisher. Could have been Grandpa’s memory–or my hearing.
| Name: | Anna Ebelink |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Female |
| Race: | White |
| Birth Year: | abt 1878 |
| Birth Place: | Kalamazoo, Michigan |
| Marriage Date: | 12 Jul 1900 |
| Marriage Place: | Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA |
| Age: | 22 |
| Residence Place: | Kalamazoo, Michigan |
| Father: | Barend Ebelink |
| Mother: | Wilhelmina Stroup |
| Spouse: | Claude H Fletcher |
| Record Number: | 5305 |
| Film: | 68 |
| Film Description: | 1900 Delta – 1900 Mackinac |
Benjamin was also Barend, a Dutch male given name, and it looks like John and Anna’s mother’s maiden name was Stroup. A bit curious about Anna’s photo is she appears to be in mourning, doesn’t she? I wonder when their mother died.
I can’t find Ann Ebelink Myers. Was she Anna or a different child?
I didn’t want to go too far down this tangent without knowing how these people are connected to my family. I found it by looking at the 1940 census. John and his family lived on Balch Street, right near my family. I would think that my mother and uncle must have known the family.
The Family Kalamazoo 
beautiful photos. I love the black dress that Ann is wearing – so elegant, fitted and just beautiful. Do you believe that this is a mourning dress?
I do think it was a mourning dress because none of the other photos from this era and this city (Kalamazoo) are of black dresses.
That makes sense!
John Ebelink lived on Emerson and was about your dad’s age. He was a very nice guy and taught me to shoot baskets. Dont know much more about his family. Uncle Don
So this John in the photo is the father of the John you knew. I wonder how Grandpa got their family photos.
Wonderful photo’s. I love her puffy sleeve dress.
Me too. I wish I knew why my grandfather had the neighbor’s photos!
What gorgeous photos, and such strikingly good looking people. Glad you figured out how your family knew them all. But how did they get these photos? Did people just go around trading portrait photos of each other back then?
That is what I can’t figure out. How did my grandfather come to have them. When he told me who they were it was no different than when he told me the names for family photos so I assumed they must be somehow related. But it looks like they were “just” neighbors.
You may be right that she was in mourning – but it sure is a beautiful dress. I really like the mutton sleeves.
The dress is so lovely and so different from the dresses in all my other photos (which are not mourning dresses).
Gorgeous photos! The one of Ann Eberlink Myers looks like a kind of a cut-out doll with a generic body and dress and Ann’s head pasted on.
LOL, how will I ever look at it the same now?!
John Ebelink was my father’s grandfather.
Wilhelmena was his mother (my grandmother).
Oh, that is wonderful. Did you have all these photos? Please correct me if I’ve made any mistakes and let me know if you want to add anything to the post.