Grandpa’s Girlfriend

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Grandpa’s Girlfriend

June 15, 2017 by Luanne

Almost two years ago, I posted photos of my grandfather as a very young man with an unidentified female. I hypothesized that she was his girlfriend before my grandmother.

Here they are together–looks like a couple to me.

I was going through some papers and found memory books my grandparents had prepared (one of his memories and one of hers) for the grandchildren. Inside Grandpa’s memory book, the question is asked: WHO IS THE GIRL YOU REMEMBER THE MOST?

This was his answer: (2) Vander Weele and Garthe: Don’t remember first names

So I did a little research on these names. I figured out who I believe at least one of the girls is, based on the census reports and other documents.

Garthe turned out to be Margaret Christine Garthe, born 11 days after my grandfather in 1908. She wasn’t from Kalamazoo, but from northern Michigan. She had come to Kalamazoo to attend Western. I found her in the 1928 Western State Teacher’s College yearbook.

Tell me if this isn’t the girl my grandfather is seen with above. Back row, 3rd from left.

From Ancestry it looks as if Margaret married Hans James Knutson. She passed away in 1997 in Muskegon, Michigan. Grandpa lived until 2000, happily married to the end to Grandma.

Posted in Adrian Zuidweg, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Photography early 20th century, Zuidweg | Tagged Adrian Zuidweg, antique photo, Dutch Genealogy, family history, genealogy, history of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo history, Margaret Christine Garthe Knutson, Michigan history, old photographs, vintage photo, Zuidweg surname | 39 Comments

39 Responses

on June 15, 2017 at 5:50 am | Reply Amy

Sure looks like the same person to me—great snooping! I wonder why they broke up?!
- on June 15, 2017 at 6:17 am | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  Now it’s snooping! Hahahahaha. 😉 I know. I wonder too. I guess I will never know unless I was to track down her family and they happened to know. My guess is they would love the pix–and I have more!
  - on June 28, 2017 at 1:15 pm | Reply preciousthreads
    
    I would track them down!
    
    I have pictures of my paternal grandmother as a teenager with her boyfriend. Seeing her so happy in those photos, I always wondered if she regretted her choice in my grandfather, who was extremely abusive. I tracked down her ex-boyfriend’s family. They hadn’t known about my grandma, but it turns out that the ex-boyfriend was also abusive and his wife left him for it. So much for happy endings!
    - on June 28, 2017 at 2:11 pm Luanne @ TFK
      
      Oh, wow, what a sad story! That is probably one of the hardest things to see in the stories of our ancestors: regret.
    - on June 28, 2017 at 2:52 pm preciousthreads
      
      I agree with you there, Luanne. Having heard the stories, I definitely wanted better for her and her children. However, I also feel that the more that we learn about our ancestor’s lives, the more opportunities we have to learn lessons from them. In this case, the grass definitely wasn’t greener on the other side!
      
      I can’t wait to hear if you find Ms. VanderWeele!
on June 15, 2017 at 6:56 am | Reply chmjr2

Now that would be the rest of the story as Paul Harvey use to say. Her family may have pictures of your grandfather also. Try ancestry.com they may have a family tree posted. I have so many family pictures that I will never know who is who, it is nice to see you were able to figure this one out.
- on June 15, 2017 at 7:08 am | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  I need to follow Margaret’s story a little deeper into Ancestry for sure. Still looking for VanderWeele ;).
on June 15, 2017 at 7:40 am | Reply marilynyung

So interesting! I think it’s so revelatory to figure out that your grandparents, parents, etc. had lives and loves before they married. Awesome post.
- on June 15, 2017 at 9:02 am | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  Thanks, Marilyn! It’s so amazing because my grandparents were such a close couple. But he was looking for grandma, I’m sure :).
on June 15, 2017 at 8:11 am | Reply mionsiog

Wonderful story. The memory book for the grandchildren is a treasure and one we all should prepare for future generations.
- on June 15, 2017 at 9:03 am | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  You are so right! These were little booklets Grandma had found somewhere and they have a great assortment of questions or prompts. I ought to post all of them so that people can get an idea of what to write down for their grandkids.
on June 15, 2017 at 10:47 am | Reply Sheila Morris

Looks like you are right to me, Luanne! Great pictures and stories regardless!!
Thanks for the post…
- on June 17, 2017 at 8:25 am | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  I love these hunts! Thanks, Sheila! Keep your fingers crossed that we don’t lose power from all the ACs going full blast this week!
on June 15, 2017 at 2:45 pm | Reply Su Leslie

I’m with the others; it certainly looks like the same girl. Can’t wait for “the rest of the story ..” if it can be learned and told.
- on June 17, 2017 at 8:25 am | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  I hope I can find more eventually, but I also hope to find Ms. VanderWeele!
  - on June 18, 2017 at 2:10 pm | Reply Su Leslie
    
    Wouldn’t that be great. It’s a name that could have many variations, so that will be a test of patience and ingenuity. 🙂
    - on June 20, 2017 at 3:10 pm Luanne @ TFK
      
      So many ways to spell it, you mean? I agree, especially in a sea of Dutch names in Kalamazoo ;).
    - on June 20, 2017 at 7:54 pm Su Leslie
      
      Yes; sorry that wasn’t clear in my comment 🙂
    - on June 21, 2017 at 9:26 am Luanne @ TFK
      
      I guess it was clear because I knew what you meant!
on June 15, 2017 at 4:33 pm | Reply deborahlbryner

How cool! Thanks for sharing this. It’s entirely possible that this woman was just a before-Grandma-girlfriend, like my dad’s German girlfriend (when he was young, single, in the Air Force and in Korean War-era Germany).
- on June 17, 2017 at 8:27 am | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  Definitely a before Grandma girlfriend, Deborah! Isn’t it fun to find these people?! Thanks so much for stopping by!
on June 16, 2017 at 4:56 am | Reply Maryann Barnes

Same girl and I love the fashions from the yearbook photo. Great sleuthing 😀
- on June 17, 2017 at 8:30 am | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  Thanks so much, Maryann. I love the fashions, too! I wondered if anybody would pick up on that haha. Did you notice that both Margaret and one other girl were wearing “men’s” ties? And then a few wore largish neck scarves/blouse ties also so obviously these accessories were in style at the time! This photo is around the same time as my grandmother’s high school graduation photos in other posts, and I think these older young ladies in Kalamazoo were probably more fashionably dressed than Grandma and their friends at the more rural high school she attended.
on June 17, 2017 at 8:09 am | Reply Spyro

Nice to see a whole life of our grandparents, beyond their (and our’s) family ties and life. Thank you.
- on June 17, 2017 at 8:31 am | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  Yes, it really makes them even more interesting people and, in fact, people in their own right and not just “grandpa” and “aunt so and so.”
on June 18, 2017 at 6:50 am | Reply pattimoed

I love these family mysteries, Luanne. You’re a great detective!
- on June 20, 2017 at 3:07 pm | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  I don’t know about “great” haha, but I sure do love to hunt for answers to the questions!
on June 18, 2017 at 10:55 am | Reply Beaton

Quite the mystery and Kudos for the detective work you have excellent stalking erm i mean research skills…. That could have been your Gran OMG!!!!
~B
- on June 20, 2017 at 3:08 pm | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  Thanks, Beaton. Hahaha, yup, that is what I was thinking about WHAT IF. Stalking is about right . . . .
on June 19, 2017 at 1:31 pm | Reply thegenealogygirl

Ooooh! It looks like you figured it out. How fun!! I kind of love that he couldn’t remember their first names, a tribute to your Grandma for sure.
- on June 20, 2017 at 3:09 pm | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  Right?! So cute that he couldn’t remember! Although I notice that I already mixed up a first name of a boyfriend I had in high school. Kind of embarrassing.
  - on June 23, 2017 at 10:06 am | Reply thegenealogygirl
    
    Haha!
on June 28, 2017 at 1:07 pm | Reply Roger W. Smith

charming post, Luanne … nice photos … those fleeting family memories can be precious, can’t they?
- on June 28, 2017 at 1:08 pm | Reply Luanne @ TFK
  
  Thanks, Roger. Yes, I couldn’t believe my good fortune to find the album with so many photos like this in there! So precious.
on July 9, 2017 at 7:18 am | Reply Roger W. Smith

Luanne – can you email me please … brandeis106@gmail.com …. can’t reach you … am changing my blog URL … thanks, Roger
on July 13, 2017 at 5:23 am | Reply Grandpa’s Best Friend | The Family Kalamazoo

[…] might remember reading a post about Grandpa’s girlfriend before Grandma in “Grandpa’s Girlfriend.” I noticed a later entry in the Memory Book where he was asked if his mother liked Grandma. […]
on December 23, 2018 at 8:18 am | Reply Alyssa

That’s my grandmother! I just happened to stumble upon this site. I’ve never seen these photos before, but it is definitely her- Margaret Christine Garthe Knutson!
- on December 24, 2018 at 2:42 pm | Reply Luanne
  
  Hi Alyssa, how cool is that! Thank you so much for identifying her for sure! Did you know she had a boyfriend named Adrian in Kalamazoo? I have more pix of her! Send me an email at luanne[dot]castle[at]gmail.com and I will send them to you! Best wishes, Luanne
on December 27, 2018 at 6:22 am | Reply New Info Makes Me Smile | The Family Kalamazoo

[…] Do you remember me writing about my grandfather’s girlfriend before Grandma? Check this post out: Grandpa’s Girlfriend. […]