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Archive for the ‘Family History’ Category

My Great-Grandfather Reinvented Himself as a Business Owner in the U.S.

Posted in Adriaan Zuijdweg/Adrian Zuidweg Sr., Adrian Zuidweg, DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 1, 2013| 18 Comments »

As I shared in my last post Intriguing Coincidence or An “Of Course” Moment?, Yvette Hoitink, a Dutch genealogist, quickly and easily found a wealth of information about the Zuidweg family–my grandfather’s Dutch ancestors.  Dutch Genealogy is a site which describes Yvette’s amazing services.

I knew that the father of my grandfather, Adrian Zuidweg, born 1908 in Kalamazoo, was Adrian Zuidweg, born in The Netherlands.  Adrian Sr. owned a fish market when Grandpa was young.  In this photo he stands with an unidentified young employee.

Fish Market on Eleanor Street

Fish Market on Eleanor Street

My grandfather, Adrian Jr. told me he used to clean fish at the fish market when he was 8 or 9.

Adrian Zuidweg, Jr.

Adrian Zuidweg, Jr.

Eventually, the man who was my great-grandfather opened an ice cream parlor and candy store, and according to a story Grandpa told me, during the height of the Great Depression, he was able to buy a $1,000 marble countertop for his business.

Ice cream parlor and candy store

Ice cream parlor and candy store

All I knew of this man was of his life in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  I knew that he died at approximately age 50 of what might have been Bright’s (kidney) disease.  My grandmother told me that he didn’t eat all day long at work and would come home and eat a steak the size of a plate.

What I discovered from Yvette is an idea of who he was before he emigrated from Holland.  He was born Adriaan Zuijdweg on 3 January 1871 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.  He was a “letterzetter,” compositor or typesetter–possibly for a newspaper.  This fits with a photo I published on an earlier post of Adrian Sr. and another relative working on a newspaper in Kalamazoo.

Printshop at Holland American newspaper, 1899Adrian Zuidweg 3rd from left; Lou Leeuwenhoek 5th from left

Printshop at Holland American newspaper, 1899
Adrian Zuidweg 3rd from left; Lou Leeuwenhoek 5th from left

So it seems that Adrian took his typesetter skills to the United States, but decided to become an American “entrepreneur” by opening the fish market.

According to Yvette, it was in the United States that he lost the other “a” in his first name and the j in Zuijdweg–becoming Adrian Zuidweg.  The son he eventually had in 1980 was also named Adrian Zuidweg (no middle name, which is according to Yvette the Dutch tradition) and it was young Adrian who eventually changed the ice cream parlor into a Sunoco gas station.

One of the photos I have yet to know more about is one of him in what Grandpa said was his Dutch army uniform.

Adriaan Zuijdweg

Adriaan Zuijdweg

Four years after emigrating from the Netherlands for “amelioration of existence,” Adriaan/Adrian married my great-grandmother Cora Wilhelmina DeKorn.  The date was 18 May 1897 and the place was Kalamazoo (of course).

Adrian Zuidweg (Adriaan Zuijdweg) 1897

Adrian Zuidweg (Adriaan Zuijdweg) 1897

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Intriguing Coincidence or An “Of Course” Moment?

Posted in Adrian Zuidweg, Family History, Genealogy, Lucille Edna Mulder Zuidweg, Mulder, Netherlands history, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 28, 2012| 25 Comments »

This post is dedicated to Yvette Hoitink at Dutch Genealogy.

Two wonderful events have occurred recently which add to my treasure trove of genealogical information and old family photos.  One is that my mother sent me my grandmother’s high school graduation (and beyond) scrapbook.  In my last post I showed off my grandmother’s teacher contract from 1931-32 and a photo of my grandparents two years before they married.  These were from the scrapbook.   I will be posting more of these treats in the future.

The other event is that Yvette Hoitink, a Dutch genealogist, quickly and easily found a wealth of information about the Zuidweg family–my grandfather’s Dutch ancestors.  Dutch Genealogy is a site which describes Yvette’s services.  You can contact her through that site.  What would have taken me years of effort and a good knowledge of the Dutch language, took Yvette a few hours.  In the next few posts, I’ll be examining some of the information Yvette found.  Among other tidbits, she discovered incorrect information I had catalogued, information which discredited family stories, and an intriguing coincidence.

Today’s post is to share the coincidence.  My grandfather, Adrian Zuidweg, born in 1908 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, married my grandmother, Lucille Edna Mulder, in 1932.  See the last post for a photo of them as a young couple.  Here is a wedding photo.

Adrian Jr. and Edna (Mulder) Zuidweg

Adrian Jr. and Edna (Mulder) Zuidweg, 1932

Grandma’s father was Charles Mulder, of Caledonia, Michigan.  His name at birth, in 1885 in Goes, the Netherlands, was Karel Pieter Phillipus Mulder.

My great grandfather Charles Mulder with his parents and siblings. He's front row, second from the right.

My great grandfather Charles Mulder with his parents and siblings. He’s front row, second from the right, with the curly dark hair.

In the 5th generation of the Zuidweg family, Yvette discovered a Carel Mulder, who was born about 1781.  She writes, “On 5 May 1836 he was a jailor’s hand in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.  He died on 19 May 1847 at the age of 66 in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands.”  I’ll hazard a guess that this is a common name, but the same town name is certainly intriguing.

Looking back a little further, I see that my great grandfather’s grandfather was Karel Mulder, born February 21, 1837 in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands.  He died in April 22, 1881, also in Goes.  Obviously not a match.

Not his father either.

But look!  Another generation back was yet another Karel Mulder, born March 8, 1780 in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands.  He died  May 19, 1847, also in Goes.  HE’S A MATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And now I know that this ancestor of my GRANDMOTHER and of my GRANDFATHER was a “jailor’s hand.”  Whatever that is.

My husband isn’t as excited about information like this.  He says, “Do you know how many people were alive in those days?  It’s not that big a coincidence to have that happen.”  And actually today, in the land of Facebook, where I’m two degrees removed from almost every other American Facebooker, it might not be that big of a deal either.  But to me it was fascinating to see that name which is a “staple” of my grandmother’s line show up on my grandfather’s!

According to Ancestry.com the “jailor’s hand” is my “5th great grandfather”:

Karel Mulder (1780 – 1847)
Son of Karel
Son of Karel
Son of Karel
Son of Pieter Philippus
Daughter of Charles Peter (Karel Pieter Phillipus)
Janet Ann Zuidweg
Daughter of Lucille Edna
Moi
You are the daughter of Janet Ann
This is the marriage which connected the Zuidweg and Mulder families back then: Adriaan Zuijdweg, a tailor who was born about 1801 in Goes married Johanna Mulder on 5 May 1836 in Goes.  She was born about 1807 in Goes.  She worked as a maid and a laborer and died on 11 June1878 at the age of 71.

This is a family rumor which proved to be true.  My mother has always told me that my grandparents were cousins of sorts.

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Edna Mulder’s Teacher Contract 1931-32

Posted in Caledonia Michigan history, Family History, Genealogy, Lucille Edna Mulder Zuidweg, Michigan history, Mulder, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on December 20, 2012| 8 Comments »

My grandmother, (Lucille) Edna Mulder Zuidweg, graduated from Western Normal School and accepted a job as a teacher in Kent County for the 1931-32 school year.

1931-32 Teacher Contract

1931-32 Teacher Contract

This contract, pictured above, shows that she was hired on at a salary of Xxxty-five dollars per month.  That’s right:  Xxx because that portion of the paper document has worn away over the years.  Any guesses how much her salary was?  $25?  $45?  $65? $85?  It doesn’t look like it was over a hundred.  I found a list of salaries in Johnson County, Kentucky, for the same year.

According to these salaries, it’s likely that, as a new teacher, my grandmother could have been hired in at $75 or $85 per month.  If anybody has a better idea of salaries in rural Michigan at that time, I’d love to hear it.

When my grandmother started her teaching job, she had already been dating my grandfather, Adrian Zuidweg.  They married at the end of the school year, on May 21, 1932, in South Bend, Indiana.

Adrian Zuidweg and Edna Mulder1930

Adrian Zuidweg and Edna Mulder
1930

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Western State Normal School, Kalamazoo, Michigan: A Personal View

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Lucille Edna Mulder Zuidweg, Michigan history, Mulder, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 3, 2012| 9 Comments »

Western Michigan University was created in 1903 as the 4th teacher training school in Michigan.  It was known as Western State Normal School and offered a two-year training program.  In 1927, the school’s name was changed to Western State Teachers College.  During that period, my grandmother Lucille Edna Mulder (born 1912) moved from her parents’ farm in Caledonia to Kalamazoo to attend college.  She rented a room from the Schensul family. They owned the most memorable restaurant of my childhood: Schensul’s Cafeteria in downtown Kalamazoo, which served the best fried chicken and orange pop on the planet.

Grandma’s alma mater became Western Michigan College of Education in 1941. During that period, my parents both attended college there.  My father, Rudy Hanson, an army veteran, went to school on the GI bill and, there, he met my mother, Janet Zuidweg.

In 1957, Western became the 4th public university in the state.  In 1960, when I was five, I sat at my Aunt Alice’s knees and watched her color code drawings for science classes she took at Western. Then I attended Western as an undergraduate from 1973-1977, and so did my husband.  During the time I was a student, my mother whose college career had been interrupted by a case of mono and then a case of marriage, completed her education and graduated a year ahead of me.  A few years later, my brother graduated from Western. Then I went back and earned two graduate degrees.

OK, Mom, let me know if I got any facts wrong :).  If you have more info on other relatives who went to Western, I’ll add them here.

The postcard image above was given to my mother’s great aunt’s husband, Louis Leeuwenhoek, by Johnson Paper Supply as a credit slip.  See image below.

 

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Richard DeKorn, Brick Mason and General Contractor

Posted in Alice Paak DeKorn, Cora DeKorn Zuidweg, DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Jennie DeKorn Culver, Joseph Peter DeKorn, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Paak, Peek, Richard DeKorn, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 18, 2012| 13 Comments »

My great-great-grandfather, Richard DeKorn, was a brick mason who worked on many public buildings in the Kalamazoo area.  He was a brick mason on the beautiful Ladies’ Library Association in 1878-79 and lead brick mason on theKalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital Water Tower  in 1895. According to his obituary he was the contractor for the Pythian building and the Merchants Publishing Company building.

Richard was born on August 21, 1851* in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands to Boudewijn and Johanna (Remijinse) DeKorn.  When he was four or five years old, the family immigrated to Zeeland, Michigan.  I have not yet discovered when or why Richard moved to Kalamazoo.

Richard was sometimes called Dick or Dirk, but more importantly, his birth name was Derrick and it’s likely that Richard was actually his middle name.

On May 10, 1872, at the age of 20, Richard married Alice Paak in Kalamazoo.  They lived in Kalamazoo, in the Burdick and Balch Street area, for the rest of their lives.  For much of the time, they lived in a house which Richard built with his characteristic style:  dark brown brick with stripes of light brick or stone.

Richard and Alice had three children: Joseph, Cora, and Jennie.  After Alice’s death in 1908, he married Jennie Sootsman who had two daughters, Marian and Marge.

The family refers to him as “Richard DeKorn” with great respect for the reputation he achieved as a wonderful craftsman and contractor.  Richard did a little gardening on the property, but he really enjoyed relaxing with a pipe and spending time with his family.  His door was open to any friend or family member and he was a good stepfather to his 2nd wife’s daughters.

*

*On his marriage document, Richard’s birth date is given as 1852, not 1851, and it states that he was born in Kapelle, not Goes.

Richard DeKorn’s home at the corner of Burdick and Balch, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Richard surrounded by family, including son-in-law Lou Leeuwenhoek (L), daughter Jennie (to Richard’s right), wife Alice in front.

Richard picking strawberries

Richard with his beloved pipe

Richard holding unidentified baby

Richard with his granddaughter Alice Leeuwenhoek (Moerdyke)

Richard DeKorn crew at work in an area which would become The Kalamazoo Mall

Lou Leeuwenhoek and Richard DeKorn

Ladies’ Library Association, Kalamazoo, MI
Photo from LLA website

KPH Water Tower, Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, MI

KPH Water Tower article, February 2010

Here’s a video which shows a climb up the inside of the tower!

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Holland American Newspaper 1899

Posted in Adriaan Zuijdweg/Adrian Zuidweg Sr., DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Jennie DeKorn Culver, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Leeuwenhoek, Photography late 19th century, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , on November 13, 2012| 19 Comments »

Printshop at Holland American newspaper, 1899 Adrian Zuidweg 3rd from left; Lou Leeuwenhoek 5th from left

Printshop at Holland American newspaper, 1899
Adrian Zuidweg 3rd from left; Lou Leeuwenhoek 5th from left

This photograph shows my great-grandfather Adrian Zuidweg (Adriaan Zuijdweg) and Aunt Jen’s husband (and Alice’s father) Lou Leeuwenhoek working in the printshop at the Holland American newspaper in 1899.

According to information provided by Larry Massie, historian and storyteller, the paper was called Hollandsche Amerikaan, founded in 1890 as a tri-weekly, 8 page newspaper.  It was published in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in Dutch.  The editor in 1899 was P.A. Dalm.  The circulation of the paper was 1,500.

 

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Cora Wilhelmina DeKorn Zuidweg

Posted in Cora DeKorn Zuidweg, DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Paak, Peek, Photography early 20th century, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , on September 22, 2012| 12 Comments »

Cora DeKorn Zuidweg

Cora DeKorn Zuidweg

One day, when I was a student at Western Michigan University, I was working at the counter in Stanwood’s Luggage and my grandparents came in to look at wallets.  We called them billfolds because that was the proper name.  My hair was pulled back and clipped at the back of my head.  Grandpa startled a bit when he looked at me and said, “You look just like my mother.”  My grandmother corroborated that I did, in fact, look like her mother-in-law with my hair pulled back.

Cora DeKorn Zuidweg: in this photo I can see the resemblance.

Cora DeKorn Zuidweg: in this photo I can see the resemblance.

Of course, my great-grandmother, Cora Wilhelmina DeKorn Zuidweg always wore her hair pulled back into a bun.  She was born in Kalamazoo on January 2, 1875, the middle child of Richard DeKorn and Alice Paak DeKorn.  Her older sister, Jennie, was two, and when Cora was six, her brother Joseph Peter, the family photographer, was born.

 

The City Directories show that Cora was a lifelong resident of Kalamazoo.  She married my great-grandfather Adrian Zuidweg (who was born in the Netherlands) on May 19, 1897, in Kalamazoo.  She was 22 and he was 26. Cora DeKorn and Adrian Zuidweg wedding picture close up

Cora and Adrian Zuidweg formal pose

Eleven years later, she gave birth to my grandfather Adrian Zuidweg (II), her only child, on October 31, 1908, in Kalamazoo.

Cora and little Adrian circa 1910

Cora and little Adrian circa 1910

Cora at her father's cottage on Long Lake

Cora at her father’s cottage on Long Lake

My grandfather shared with me some stories about her.  My favorite one is about the day she heard a man out in front of her house beating his horse with a whip.  She ran outside in a fury, grabbed the whip out of the man’s hand before he had a chance to understand what was happening, and smacked him with the handle.

She must have had a temper.  Another story goes that she donated a quilt to her church and then saw it on the clothesline of someone who shouldn’t have had the quilt.  She ended up withdrawing from the Reformed denomination to which she belonged and switching to the Methodist Church.

A few years after her husband died, when she was 57, Cora became sick with cancer.  Grandpa told me that the illness “went to her brain.”  One day she gathered together all the books in the house, except the Bible, and threw them out of the windows.  Then she collected them and burned them in a bonfire.

She died less than four months after her son was married to Lucille Edna Mulder, my grandmother.  Grandma reminisced to me that it was very difficult to be newly married and taking care of a terminally ill mother-in-law.  Cora passed away on September 12, 1932, at her home in Kalamazoo at the age of 57.

Cora and Adrian in chairs. Standing are Cora's stepsister Marian Sootsman and sister Jennie DeKorn Leeuwenhoek. Seated in front is Jennie's daughter Alice.

Cora and Adrian in chairs. Standing are Cora’s stepsister Marian Sootsman and sister Jennie DeKorn Leeuwenhoek. Seated in front is Jennie’s daughter Alice.

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Downtown Kalamazoo early 1900s by Joseph DeKorn

Posted in DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Joseph Peter DeKorn, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Photography early 20th century, Photography late 19th century, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 16, 2012| 15 Comments »

Since this blog is called The Family Kalamazoo, I’d like to introduce you to the Kalamazoo, Michigan, downtown as it was 100 years ago. Here are some photographs taken by my great-grandmother’s brother Joseph DeKorn.

The information I have on the location of these photos was shared by Mark Johnson:

The first downtown photo:  Looking west on East Michigan Ave. from Edwards St… Michigan Ave. jogs to the right at Portage St. The building furthest in the distance is the Kalamazoo Bldg. To it’s right in the foreground is the Haymarket Bldg. and further to the right is what became Shau Powell Sporting Goods.

 

Mark Johnson says:

The second downtown photo:  Looking west on East/West Michigan from Portage St. The tallest building is the Kalamazoo Building (see window detail) and one of the buildings foreground right is what would become Stanwoods [Luggage and Leather].

My favorite thing about these photos are the wires in the sky!

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This post is a combination/revision of the first original post and a later reblog in 2014.

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