Before I get started, just wanted to remind you that I now have a second family history blog called Entering the Pale. As I said last week: If you have any interest in following another part of our family, please head over there and follow. Also, you might want to follow if you have interest in history in general or history of the Pale of Settlement (Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, etc.) or Jewish history. Besides, I need more followers :).
Another photograph in the beautiful antique photo album was taken in the Netherlands, but unlike most of the portraits, this one is labeled on the back.
I had to ask a Facebook group for help with this, and then I also wrote to Adri van Gessel who has been so wonderfully helpful in all matters of Dutch genealogy.
The town is Gorinchem (none of my relatives seem to be from Gorinchem, so that was confusing), and the lady’s name is Annigje Haag.
It’s very confusing to see that an American family member has a 19th-century photograph possibly given by a woman in a town there doesn’t seem to be a connection to. I also couldn’t place her surname.
But eventually the truth revealed itself, thanks to these other people and a trip to wiewaswie.
Annigje Haag was born on 3 February 1858, in Nieuwland. She died on 2 December 1921, in Meerkerk.
On 15 January 1882, in Nieuwland, Annigje married Dirk Boer, who was born on 29 March 1854 in Meerkerk. By the way, he died on 27 September 1923 in Meerkerk. This means that the portrait was taken before 15 January 1882.
Who was Dirk? He was the son of Willem Boer and Teuntje Bassa. Bassa is a surname I know.
Teuntje Bassa, born on 20 November 1816 in Lexmond (a town I know), is the sister of Jacoba Bassa, the wife of Teunis Peek and the mother of Alice Peek/Paak DeKorn (the woman who grabbed the burning stove to remove it from the neighbor’s house). Therefore, Dirk, Annigje’s fiance or new husband, was Alice’s first cousin. They would have known each other.
For location, note that Meerkerk and Nieuwland are between Lexmond and Gorinchem.
Here’s an interesting little tidbit. Notice her belt? There is a woman in an old photograph on a website wearing the exact same belt! Go here. Isn’t that wild?
The Family Kalamazoo 
How interesting with the belt. Thanks for sharing the other site, just followed.
Who would think that a belt would be something would be produced in those days for “mass consumption”? Otherwise it’s an extreme coincidence.
Thanks for the follow, James!
I’m always happy when I find a photo with the name on the back. It is so frustrating when there is none. Congratulations on puzzling out who she was, and for starting a new blog.
And most of them have none! This was definitely a windfall. And since she was so far removed from the family as I know of it I would never have figured it out without the name.
And thank you for the congrats on the new blog and for following it!!!
Great sleuthing, Luanne! She sure looks older than she would have been in that photo. Must be those uncomfortable looking clothes.
BTW, have you posted your other blog in Tracing the Tribe on Facebook? Or in the Genealogy Bloggers group?
Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. (I thought that was a good expression for genealogy haha). I didn’t know about these blogger groups! I just found “Genealogy Bloggers” and “We are Genealogy Bloggers.” Are there any others I should know about? What do people talk about in them? Thanks, Amy! And I didn’t know if I should post in Tracing the Tribe since I’m just starting out and everyone knows more than me. What do you think?
Re Annigje, I agree that the clothes certainly made her look stiff. I think at first glance she looks older, but when you look really closely at her face, around her eyes and nose, there is that very fresh, new dough look of a young person ;). No hints of wrinkles yet, etc.
For TTT, I’d say just that: I am new at Jewish genealogy work, and I am hoping this group can help me as I learn.
I wouldn’t bother with We Are…they are opposed to having people post their blog posts (weird, isn’t it?) and claim to exist only to give advice on how to blog. It’s fine if you need tips on setting up a blog or for technical questions, but not for having people read your work.
Genealogy Bloggers is all about blog posts. I have developed some good connections there and also learned a lot from other people’s blogs. People there are more than happy to read blogs by other people!
Oh, this is wonderful info. Thanks so much, Amy!
Good luck!
Looks like the ones nurses wear
Barb, something like this you mean? https://i.pinimg.com/736x/60/ff/f7/60fff70ba71352a073f91712460defba–belt-buckle-nurses.jpg
I’ve never heard of this before. Do you really think it could be a nurse’s belt buckle or something similar?
It could have just been a sturdy belt that was adapted for nurses or may have been in fashion when the profession was founded or formalised. Just guessing
Yes, you’re right, but it certainly piques my curiosity!
Oh wow, I want this one! http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/na513522ce.jpg
That’s definitely masonic!
Isn’t it beautiful?!
Luanne, I finally found my copy of Kin Types, and I loved reading your work. I hope it’s okay that I shared a review on my blog.
Oh wow, thank you so very much!!! I’ll go check it out!
How I wish the old photos I inherited had a name! Congrats on figuring this one out!
Thank you! Wouldn’t it be great if they all had names embedded in them ;)?!
Very cool photo, Luanne. I’m so glad it was labeled!
[…] the Paak women and their sisters-in-law. My next guess would be a cousin of the Paaks–or like Annigje Haag, the fiancee or wife of a cousin. So I will keep searching in that “outer layer” of […]