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Archive for the ‘Zuidweg’ Category

A Family Treasure from Ebay

Posted in Adriaan Zuijdweg/Adrian Zuidweg Sr., DeKorn, family heirloom, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Richard DeKorn, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , on July 28, 2021| 27 Comments »

Mary Ann S., who runs the Facebook group Reconnecting Kalamazoo, made a big find relating to this blog and my family. Thank you so much, Mary!!! She emailed me that she had found something on ebay I might be interested in.

Let me catch you up on something first.

Four years ago, I published a post on some of my research into Frank Tazelaar. I had found dozens of newspaper articles about Frank. Check out my post, After Reading Fifty Newspapers about Frank Tazelaar. Frank was the husband of my 3x removed 1st cousin, Genevieve Remine Tazelaar. Actually I’m related to Genevieve through two branches of the family so that isn’t reflected in the “3x removed 1st cousin” label.

In that post I wrote about a fish supper held by the Knights of Pythias. Here is a quote:

On June 25 [1911], there is a somewhat humorous article about the fishing teams of the Knights of Pythias lodge. Frank is one of the team captains.  This article is notable for sharing Frank’s photo. He was about 39 here . . . .

This article is ALSO notable for mentioning my great-grandfather’s fish market! Referring to the fish caught in the contest, the article says, “All fish must be delivered at Zuideweg’s [SIC: should be Zuidweg’s] market in Eleanor Street by Monday noon . . . .” So you know the connection, Genevieve Remine Tazelaar was the first cousin of my great-great-grandfather Richard DeKorn whose son-in-law was my great-grandfather Adrian Zuidweg who owned the fish market. Now the most important part: Richard DeKorn built the Pythian building known as Pythian Castle and, earlier, as the Telegraph Building. The link explains about the building.

I’ve posted a photo of the fish market in the past.

Fish Market on Eleanor Street with Adrian Zuidweg and helper

Now, what is the big find?

A mailer/flyer about the fish dinner!!!!!! Yes, I definitely ordered it from ebay.

It’s very hard to get the color right in a photograph or a scan, but it is actually fire engine red. Notice that my great-grandfather’s fish market is mentioned on here, as well as Frank Tazelaar as one of the captains.

I think this card might have been addressed to Vernon G. Bellows, a nurse at the Kalamazoo State Hospital in 1911. I found him in the City Directory. I realize the initials are switched, but that would be an easy mistake or even the way Bellows sometimes signed his name. Maybe he was a member of the Pythians.

Imagine finding a family treasure on ebay!

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Advertising the Family Business

Posted in Adriaan Zuijdweg/Adrian Zuidweg Sr., Adrian Zuidweg, family heirloom, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo mid 20th century, Michigan history, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , on January 13, 2021| 9 Comments »

I’ve written before that my great-grandfather Adrian Zuidweg, Sr. owned a candy and soda shop at the corner of Burdick and Balch in Kalamazoo.

At one time I believed that Grandpa (son Adrian) had taken over the business when his father died, but in researching for this blog I discovered that Adrian Sr. had sold the business before he died. Grandpa bought it back after his father’s death. Then he converted it to a service station.

Here is an advertising ashtray for the station. Notice the A-Z Lubrication (Adrian Zuidweg–AZ–get it?) The 5 digit phone number might put this ashtray between 1950 and 1958, but if anyone has information to the contrary I would love to hear it. If you want to find out more about advertising ashtrays as part of history and as collectibles, here’s a succinct article: Ashtrays collectible memorabilia

 

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New Treats from the Family

Posted in Adrian Zuidweg, Caledonia Michigan history, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo mid 20th century, Lucille Edna Mulder Zuidweg, Mulder, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , on December 2, 2020| 27 Comments »

My cousin Susie (actually my  mom’s cousin, but that’s being picky)  sent me some treasures the other day.

Here is one of my favorite people, my maternal Grandmother, in a color or tinted photo I’ve never seen before.

(Lucille) Edna Mulder
1929

Then there were some newspaper clippings. In the first one, Grandpa is in a photo I’ve shared on here before, but it’s attached to a little story in the “Looking Back” section of the Kalamazoo Gazette. The photo is of my grandfather, who shared the image and the story.

The next clipping is a mention of my grandparents’ 65th wedding anniversary in the same newspaper (not the same issue).

And, finally, this clipping is an announcement for the senior community where my grandparents lived during their last few years.

I often think of how much I miss these two.

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Fill in the Gaps Project: My 4XGreat-Grandparents, Cornelis and Geertrui (den Herder) Zuijdweg

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Netherlands history, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , on August 5, 2020| 18 Comments »

Now I move into the 4x great-grandparents. The information gets scanty, and this generation did not immigrate to the United States. I’m going to start with my maternal grandfather’s ancestors–once again, because the inspiration for this blog came from his family.

Grandpa’s surname Zuidweg came from Cornelis Zuijdweg, who was born on 22 5 May 1781 in Goes, the son of Adriana and Paulus.

He was born during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, a conflict between Great Britain and the Dutch Republic between 1780-1784. This war was somewhat related to the American Revolutionary War because it had to do with whether it was legal for the Dutch to trade with Britain’s enemies in the ARW. The Dutch Republic was the second European country to diplomatically recognize the Continental Congress, less than a year after Cornelis was born. 

This painting is of The Battle of Dogger Bank, which took place the year Cornelis was born, between the Dutch and the British. You can read about it on Wikipedia.

The Dutch were led in battle by Vice Admiral Johan Zoutman.

Cornelis married Geertrui den Herder who was born on 22 May 1780 12 December 1779 in Kloetinge (which is next to Goes), the daughter of Antona and Adriaan. The name Den Herder probably means “The Shepherd.” The couple married on 4 January 1803, in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands. They had at least two children during their marriage, Adriaan (1805 – 1851), my 3x great-grandfather, and Antonia Adriana (1810-1881) who married Johan Pieter den Boer. 

Cornelis worked as a fish inspector and, possibly, some other type of inspector. However, at the time of the wedding of their daughter Antonia to Johan, Cornelis is listed as a shopkeeper. Geertrui is listed as a laborer at one point, so it’s probable that she worked for someone else.

Geertrui died on 22 May 1838 in Goes, at the age of 58.

Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands, death record, Geertruida den Herder, 22 May 1838

Just over a year later, Cornelis married Catharina Geertrui van Kleef on 25 July 1839, in Goes. He died on 9 November 1841, also in Goes, at the age of 60.

Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands, death record, Cornelis Zuijdweg, 9 November 1841

Did you notice all those May 22 dates? Here is what I know: Geertrui’s death record in 1838 is definitely May 22. But the other May 22 dates? They came from other sources, and I don’t believe them.   I no sooner published this post than Yvon Rijshouwer of Gouda responded with some more information from the Population Register in the Goes archives (which I did not know exists). Geertrui was a married housewife of the Reformed faith. Kornelis was a fish inspector of the Reformed faith. I have adjusted the birth dates of both Kornelis and Geertrui based upon Yvon’s information. They are no longer May 22!

Here is the address in Goes where the family lived.

Source: Bevolkingsregister 1831-1836, wijk D,
Street: J.A. van der Goeskade Tussen de 2 Poorten. (between the two gates)
Kornelis lives there with
Geertrui den Herder, wife,
Adriaan Zuidweg, son, born 28/1/1805, Goes, tailor
Benjamin Kornelis den Boer , grandson. born 13/5/1831, Goes.
Oh my, so son Adriaan lived there because he wasn’t yet married apparently. He was married in 1836. But why was the grandson living with them when Kornelis and Geertrui’s daughter and son-in-law were not? Was it a temporary situation? I believe the couple was still alive. This baby, “Benjamin Kornelis,” was already in my records, but as Kornelis Benjamin.
I do not have copies of the couple’s birth records. I don’t even have their marriage record, although annoyingly I have the marriage record between Cornelis and his 2nd wife, Catharina van Kleef.

So I am looking for both birth/baptism records, their marriage record, and possibly any military history for Cornelis. Onward!

P.S. And now I have this new online source: https://gemeentearchief.goes.nl/

 

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2020 Fill in the Gaps Project: My 3XGreat-Grandparents, Lukas and Jeuntien (Dansser) Bomhof

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Michigan history, Mulder, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on June 24, 2020| 22 Comments »

My next fill-in-the-gaps couple is Grandpa’s 4th and final set of great-grandparents–my 3x greats, Lukas Bomhof and Jeuntien Dansser Bomhof.

Here are the Ancestry-created bios:

When Lukas Bomhof was born on December 9, 1788, in Windesheim, Overijssel, Netherlands, his father, Albert, was 32 and his mother, Zwaantje, was 31. He married Jeuntien Dansser on October 13, 1825, in Zwolle, Overijssel, Netherlands. At that time, Lukas was a kastelein (inkeeper) in Zwolle. On 5 March 1838, Lukas was a shoemaker in Zwolle. They had five children in 10 years. He died on September 16, 1847, in Zwolle, Overijssel, Netherlands, at the age of 58.

Jeuntien Dansser was born on April 26, 1806, in Zwolle, Overijssel, Netherlands, the daughter of Maria and Johannes. She married Lukas Bomhof on October 13, 1825, in her hometown. They had five children in 10 years. She died on January 31, 1842, at the age of 35.

Let’s take that apart. Lukas was born 200 years before my daughter!!! He was 18 years older than Jeuntien. There might be a reason for that delay in his marriage, so hold on to that thought. When the couple married, Jeuntien was 19 years old, but Lukas was 37. From the ages of 23 and 33, Jeuntien, who I believe was also called Johanna, gave birth to five children. All these children survived to adulthood. One of them was my great-great-grandmother who immigrated to the U.S. in middle age and lived far longer than any of her siblings.

Two years after the birth of her children, Johanna died at age 35. Very sad, but a story that is just too familiar in family history.

Keep in mind that this is my fourth 3x great grandmother named Johanna!

So where was Lukas before he met Johanna? And what documents am I missing from their lives?

I do have the marriage record and supplements. What are marriage supplements? According to Yvette Hoitink’s website:

Since the introduction of the civil registration in 1811, a bride and groom had to submit several documents to prove they were eligible to get married. Not only do these records tell you when your ancestors were born, but they may also provide information about their physical appearance, death dates of parents and previous spouses or even of their grandparents.  These documents are known as the ‘Huwelijksbijlagen‘ and most of them still exist and can be found online.

Read more about these supplements here.

I have the index for Johanna’s death, although I have not gained access to the death record itself.

I also have the index record, but not the death record for Lukas’ death:

I do not have birth records for either Lukas or Johanna, although I have the basic information of dates and places.

So I really need both death and birth records. Lukas was born with the surname Nijentap, but in 1812, his father Albert changed the family name, which included the surnames of his three adult sons, Lukas and his brothers. So his birth/baptism records will be under the name Nijentap.

What I do have for Lukas, though, is pretty cool. Yvette found his military records. I am copying the summation from Yvette, followed by the records themselves.

You will see that Lukas, a musketeer under the command of the Duke of Wellington, helped to defeat Napoleon, most likely at Waterloo. He served in the army from 1814-1817. He was 26-29 years old.

LUKAS BOMHOF b. 9 December 1788, Windesheim m. 13 October 1825, Zwolle  His marriage supplements do not include proof of military service.3 Since he would have reached the age of 19 in 1807, during the French occupation, he would not have been required to show proof of service.

A Lucas Bomhof, sergeant, is on a list of Waterloo gratifications: Lucas Bomhof as recipient of Waterloo gratification Source: Foundation of the encouragement and support of servicemen in the Netherlands, gratifications, 1817-1817, vol. F, infantry National Militia, entry 1956, Lucas Bomhof; call no. 718, Foundation of the encouragement and support of servicemen in the Netherlands, record group 355, consulted “Indexen,” index and images, Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief (https://archief.amsterdam/indexen/deeds/fc874cd5-df5a-4a2f-b7d894f8533f4f95?person=95a7409f-829b-4a53-e053-b784100ad337 : accessed 10 March 2020).  Abstract: Batallion Infantry National Militia no. 4 Sergeant, no. 1956 Lucas Bomhof, received 461 francs, 20 centimes – 217 guilders and 92.5 cents. Paid 27 September 1817 to council of Amsterdam. Military record of Lucas Bomhoff Source: Batallion Infantry National Militia no. 4,muster rolls, Lucas Bomhof, no. 2469; imaged as film 008341006, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTP-97RH-C : accessed 10 March 2020). Abstract: No. 2469 (corrected from 493): Lucas Bomhof Father: Albert Bomhof Mother: Swintein Jansen Born Winsen, 14 December 1788 Last residence: Zwolle Physical description: 5’ 4”, round face, round forehead, blue eyes, wide nose, ordinary mouth, round chin, blond hair and eyebrows, poxy complexion. Where and how arrived in the batallion:  Called to the land militia in 1814 from the militia district Overijssel from the region Zwolle, municipality Zwolle. During the lottery drew lot no. 810. Arrived in service as “fusilier” [musketeer]  on 26 April 1814. Where served previously: [blank]

This shows he served in the Dutch army from 26 April 1814 to May 1817.  This was the time when the Dutch army was fighting Napoleon. The gratification was given to all soldiers who were under command of the Duke of Wellington during the battles of 15 to 18 June 1815, who were involved with blockades and sieges in France, or who joined the allied army in France prior to 7 July 1815.4  The 4th battalion had an important role during the battle of Waterloo. The battalion, under command of captain Van Hemert, flanked the French cavalry to halt their advance.5 Given the regulations for the gratification and the known actions by the battalion he was a member of, it seems most likely that Lucas Bomhof was indeed at the battle of Waterloo. If he was not at Waterloo, he at least contributed to Napoleon’s defeat.

No Lucas Bomhof found in (partial) indexes of military records in French period at Nationaal Archief website.6 He was not found in the database of Dutch soldiers who were part of the army of Napoleon.7

 

4 “Waterloogratificaties 1815,” Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief (https://archief.amsterdam/uitleg/indexen/17waterloogratificaties : accessed 13 May 2020).  5 Marc Geerdink-Schaftenaar, “De Waterloo Campagne,” PDF, Grenadier Compagnie (http://www.grenadiercompagnie.nl/Bestanden/2.9%20Waterloo.pdf : accessed 13 March 2020).  6 “Indexen,” indexes, Nationaal Archief (https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/zoeken?activeTab=nt_legacy : accessed 10 March 2020).  7 “Nederlandse militairen in het leger van Napoleon,” index, Ministerie van Defensie (https://www.archieven.nl : accessed 10 March 2020).

Soldier

 

3 Civil Registration (Zwolle), marriage supplements 1825 no. 75, Bomhof-Dansser (13 October 1825); “Netherlands, Overijssel Province, Civil Registration,, 1811-1960,” browsable images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939J-99YY-P : accessed 10 March 2020).

 

 

 

 

Yvette found this image for me.

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2020 Fill in the Gaps Project: My 3XGreat-Grandparents, Adriaan and Johanna (Mulder) Zuijdweg

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Michigan history, Mulder, Netherlands history, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 17, 2020| 15 Comments »

My next fill-in-the-gaps couple is one that merged the Mulder and the Zuijdweg families—and the reason my grandparents, a Mulder and a Zuidweg, were distant cousins because it grafted the Zuijdwegs onto the Mulder tree. Note: even in the Netherlands, the surname is sometimes spelled Zuijdweg and sometimes Zuidweg.

Adriaan Zuijdweg was born in 3 February 1805 in Goes, Netherlands. Adriaan was a tailor, so I found this image online to represent him. Unfortunately, I can’t locate anyone to credit for it, but would love to do so.

Apparently this seated position was common to tailors.

Johanna Mulder was born 10 March 1807, also in Goes. She was baptized on 29 March. The couple married 5 May 1836. Johanna worked as a maid at the time of the marriage.

In 1846, facing economic and religious pressures, Adriaan applied for the town of Goes to pay for he and his family to emigrate to the US, but he must have been denied. I suspect he was part of the separatist movement within the Reformed Church and wanted to join the group in Zeeland, Michigan. He must have been very disappointed that he couldn’t emigrate. You can read about the documentation for this on the old post: My Dutch Family Almost Arrived in the U.S. Decades Earlier.

Five years later, on 2 April 1951, he was dead at the age of 46.

The couple had six children. One of them was my 2x great-grandfather, Johannes Zuijdweg.

The youngest child, Willem, was a baby when his father died. Life must have been hard for Johanna after that. The economy in Goes at the time was not good and now she had six children, even a baby, to support by herself.

Many years later, Willem immigrated to Michigan in 1889 with his wife and two sons (a baby girl died in the Netherlands). The older brother, Adrian, was named for his grandfather, as was my great-grandfather. He lived in Cascade in Kent County.  The younger brother, James William, changed his surname to Southway which is what Zuijdweg means. He lived in Detroit. Willem and his family were the first Zuijdwegs to live in the United States. Willem managed to fulfill his father’s dream of living in the United States. Willem’s brother Johannes, my great-great-grandfather, did not immigrate until he was much older–he followed his own son to the U.S.

On 11 June 1878, Johanna passed away at the age of 71. There is documentation that she was working as a “laborer” when she was in her early sixties. I suppose it’s possible she worked until she died.

I have the marriage and death records for both husband and wife. I also have the documention of Adriaan’s denied request to leave the Netherlands. I was able to get Adriaan’s military records from Yvette Hoitink.

According to Yvette’s research Adriaan did not serve in the military. Here is the military record (part of it):


I am missing both birth records for Johanna and Adriaan. And I sure wish I had photos, but considering that they were born in 1805 and 1807, I suppose that hope is unrealistic!

In general, now that I am back with an early generation in the Netherlands, this is what I can look for:

  • birth record
  • marriage record (including if there was more than one marriage)
  • death record

These are what I can generally find, but not always, through Wiewaswie and other online sources. Yvette was able to search military records for me. And sometimes I have been blessed with information from Dutch cousins and readers, such as newspaper information. Because I can’t read Dutch if I want a less haphazard method of obtaining newspaper articles, I would need to hire a genealogist, such as Yvette, to search. Yvette’s expertise means that she knows how to find certain information that is not readily available–and where there are gaps of records because of fire, etc.

I had been frustrated that I have not been able to find birth records for Adriaan and Johanna as of yet.  BUT maybe that was because I should have been looking for baptismal records instead! When I searched for those, I found Johanna’s baptismal record dated 29 March 1807. Her religion at birth was “Low German Reformed,” which simply means Dutch Reformed. “High German” is Lutheran. I had to order this record for a cost, but it got to me yesterday, in time for this post. Here is the cropped page for 1807. Johanna is at the bottom of the image.

1 – Zeeuws Archief

Maybe one day I will find Adriaan’s birth or baptismal record. I wonder if there is a spelling discrepancy either on the record itself or in the indexing.

 

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2020 Fill in the Gaps Project: My 2XGreat-Grandparents, Richard and Alice (Paak) DeKorn

Posted in Alice Paak DeKorn, Bassa, DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Leeuwenhoek, Michigan history, Paak, Peek, Richard DeKorn, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , on April 8, 2020| 14 Comments »

This past week I organized my files and folders and Ancestry account for my 2x great-grandparents, Richard and Alice (Paak) DeKorn. I have written so much about them. He was a building contractor and mason in Kalamazoo who built many important buildings in town. She was the hero who ran into a burning home to help the family next door and sustained serious burns. Read about it here. She is the face of my chapbook Kin Types.

For Richard I noticed that I once again had not yet received the transfer of management on Findagrave to me. And because Alice died in her fifties, Richard married a second time–and I do not have the documents relating to that marriage. I contacted my buddy Grady who is related to Richard’s second wife, Jennie Jansen Sootsman. He gave me a transcription of the marriage record. When things start moving again, I will ask Wayne Loney if he can get a copy

For Alice I cannot find the 1870 census, which would have been just after she and her father and siblings arrived in the United States. I also do not have her obituary, although there were a lot of newspaper articles relating to her injuries in the fire.

Amberly is working on immigration and naturalization for both of these ancestors.

In this photograph, Alice is seated in the front center with her hands clasped together. Richard is seated directly behind her. On the left side of the photograph is their daughter Jennie (Janna) and son-in-law Lou Leeuwenhoek. I believe the other man is Richard Remine and his children are seated with Alice Leeuwenhoek, the daughter of Jennie and Lou. Richard was married to Alice’s sister Mary, so the children were actually first cousins of Jennie, not of Alice.

It would be nice to have a little relationship calculator on hand.

I actually have a good many more photos of Richard than of Jennie because she died in 1908 before most of the family picture-taking began in earnest.

Stay safe, everyone. I have been working really hard on business matters pertaining to the Thing going on (not fun being self-employed in this chaos), so I’m not going to write more here now. My focus regarding genealogy right now is to get as many gaps filled and everything organized and to give my daughter a copy of what I get done as I get it done.

 

 

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2020 Fill in the Gaps Project: My 2x Great-Grandmother Jennegien Bomhoff Zuidweg

Posted in Adriaan Zuijdweg/Adrian Zuidweg Sr., DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Netherlands history, Photography early 20th century, Photography late 19th century, Richard DeKorn, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 1, 2020| 16 Comments »

This week I worked on Grandpa’s grandmother, Jennegien (Jennie) Bomhoff Zuidweg, born 5 March 1838 in Zwolle, Overjissel, Netherlands. Unlike most of my Dutch ancestors, Jennie was not born in Zeeland. Overjissel is in the eastern part of the country and centuries ago was part of Utrecht. It might always remain a mystery how she came to marry a man from Zeeland.

You can find out about Jennie in these posts. A lot of information can be found there.

What Did She Keep in All Those Pockets?

Kalamazoo Woman Supports WWI Troops

Jennie died when Grandpa was about 16 years old. I wish I could ask him more information about her now, but maybe he didn’t remember that much about her. Jennie and Johannes Zuidweg were almost a generation older than Grandpa’s other grandparents, Richard and Alice DeKorn. They also immigrated when they were pretty old, whereas Richard was a tiny boy and Alice a teen, so Johannes and Jennie’s habits would have been European and not American. My impression is that it’s likely that the Zuidwegs were not as central to the lives of the rest of the family in the way that the DeKorns were.

A curious story that my grandfather told me very insistently was that Jennie’s family was Jewish and that made his father Jewish. Because Grandpa was sure, I was sure. However, once Jennie’s documents were discovered it became clear that this could not be true.  I don’t know where the story originated or if there is some truth hidden somehow behind the documents. Without more information, my conclusion is that Jennie came from a Protestant family.

I had marriage, death, 1910 census, headstone, photo, and I manage her memorial page on Findagrave. One point about her marriage. Jennie and Johannes married in 1869 in Goes, Zeeland. That is about 150 miles away from where Jennie was born and lived. According to Yvette Hoitink, “that is an uncommonly large distance for somebody to travel in the 19th century, especially for an unmarried woman from the working class. Further investigation showed that her brother Albert Bomhoff was married in Goes in 1867. It must be through this connection that Jennegien moved to Goes, where she worked as a maid prior to her marriage.”

I also had her birth record, but hadn’t loaded it on Ancestry or really done anything with it. I asked people on Dutch Genealogy group on Facebook to read the birth record for me. I was able to confirm the birth date that I had of 5 March 1838, the place being Zwolle, and the names of her parents. I also received the names of the witnesses: 1) Lambert Velthuis, age 37 job peat carrier living in Zwolle 2) Johannes Weijl age 40 peat carrier living in Zwolle.

This week I made a computer folder and put all Jennie’s records in it. I also ordered her obituary from the Kalamazoo Public Library. Since Michigan is locked down right now, it might be awhile, but I hope eventually they can find it

As with Jennie’s husband, Johannes, I’m waiting immigration and naturalization info from Amberly.

I am particularly grateful that I have three photographs of Jennie, and that Grandpa actually knew her. Because of my grandfather’s stories, he has brought to life for me all the family members that he once knew when he was young.

 

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2020 Fill in the Gaps Project: My 2x Great-Grandfather Johannes Zuidweg

Posted in Adriaan Zuijdweg/Adrian Zuidweg Sr., Adrian Zuidweg, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Netherlands history, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 25, 2020| 16 Comments »

I will continue to move forward with updates about my fill in the gaps project. If anything, the pandemic has reinforced to me that I need to get the rudiments of my family history completed so that I can get digital copies to other family members.

So I moved on to Grandpa’s Zuidweg grandfather, Johannes Zuidweg, born 23 December 1842 in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands.

You can find out about him in these posts. A lot of information can be found there.

I have these records: birth, marriage, criminal, death, obituary, 1910 census, headstone, photo, and I manage his memorial page on Findagrave.

Did Johannes serve in the Dutch military? I did ask Yvette to research this question, and this is her summary reply:

Johannes Zuijdweg, born 1842. He was found fit for duty and designated to serve.
Unfortunately, the enlistment registers did not identify the regiment he served in, so his
military records could not be located.

What a shame! I would love to know more about his military service, especially in light of the disturbing news that he served two months in jail for theft after the accidental death of son Lucas. I discuss this crime in the two blog posts above.

Here is Yvette’s more detailed response:

Johannes Zuijdweg in militia registration, 1861
Source: Goes, lists of men registered for the National Militia, levies 1851-1862, 1851 no. 8,
Johannes Zuijdweg; call no. 1438, archives of the city of Goes, 1851-1919, Goes Municipal
Archives, Goes; scans provided by Goes Municipal Archives.
Abstract:
No. 8, Johannes Zuijdweg, born Goes 23 December 1842.
Physical description: 1.601 m, long face, narrow forehead, grey eyes, ordinary nose and
mouth, round chin, brown hair and eyebrows, no noticeable marks.

Son of Adriaan [Zuijdweg] and Johanna Mulder
Occupation: “kruidewerker” [spice worker, probably: grocer], father deceased, mother maid
Informant: himself.
Johannes Zuijdweg in militia enlistment, 1861
Source: Goes, lists of men registered for the National Militia, levies 1854-1862, 1861 no. 36,
Johannes Zuijdweg; call no. 1484, archives of the city of Goes, 1851-1919, Goes Municipal
Archives, Goes; scans provided by Goes Municipal Archives.
Abstract:
No. 36, Johannes Zuijdweg, born Goes 23 December 1842.
Height: 1.601 m
Son of Adriaan [Zuijdweg] and Johanna Mulder.
Occupation: “kruidenwerker” [grocer], father deceased, mother maid
Informant: himself
Lot number 59
Designated to serve.
Regiment: [blank]
These registers show that Johannes Zuijdweg was found fit for duty and designated to serve.
Unfortunately, the register does not indicate which regiment he was in, so his military record could
not be located.

As far as Johannes’ immigration and naturalization information, I am awaiting the completion of the project Amberly is undertaking for me. He only lived in the United States for ten years before his death (1901-1911), so I think it’s unlikely that he was naturalized.

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Assessing Where I’m At–and The Start of New Info

Posted in Adriaan Zuijdweg/Adrian Zuidweg Sr., Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Netherlands history, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 18, 2020| 19 Comments »

I am going to avoid the elephant in the room in this post. You know, the Thing that has taken over our lives. But let’s go back to family history and just pretend for a few minutes that everything is normal.

So far I have searched for gaps in my immediate maternal ancestors going back through the great-grandparents.  From that point on, this is what I have been up to. I am bolding the questions I have in case anyone can answer.

  • All my Findagrave memorials through great-grandparents (direct line only) are completed for me and through grandparents for my husband. This means that I have sponsored them and now manage the memorials and can make appropriate edits and additions.
  • I have requested management of my maternal great-great-grandparents memorials from the current managers. There were 8. Almost immediately the manager of Peter and Nellie Mulder turned it over to me. That was so kind. I would have thanked him or her, but the person is not accepting messages at Findagrave. I am waiting to hear on the other six.
  • I requested management of my father’s paternal grandmother who was the first of my grandfather’s branch to die in the United States, and very quickly the manager transferred management to me. I recognized that it was a man I have corresponded with over the family on Ancestry. His wife is related to the branch, but is not a direct descendant of my great-grandmother. I was able to thank him. I already manage both paternal grandparents and my paternal grandmother’s parents. That means that I manage memorials for the all the paternals that are buried in this country.
  • I am making folders on my computer and putting docs on Ancestry for my ancestors on my father’s side, although not posting about them. Have my grandparents done so far. Need to keep moving backwards.
  • Amberly is working on immigration and naturalizations for all my ancestors who immigrated to this country.  I have some of the research findings now.
  • Yvette is working on the Dutch military records going back to my 3x greats. I have some of these research findings, as well.
  • I need 1920 census record for my paternal grandfather and 1900 census record for my paternal grandmother. I’ve searched for their other family members, but can’t find these entries. How certain are we that everyone is in the census?
  • Another question: I can’t find a social security number for my paternal grandmother. She worked until the 1950s (60s?) so why not?

Yvette Hoitink was able to find the military records for my great-grandfather, Adrian Zuidweg (Adriaan Zuijdweg), born 1871 in Goes.

This was particularly exciting for me because of the photograph. Here is a summary of what Yvette discovered:

He entered the 3rd regiment infantry on 11 May 1891. On 2 November 1891, he was promoted to corporal. On 30 July 1892 he was sent on grand leave. He did not fulfill his military duties but emigrated before his service was completed. He was registered as a deserter on 7 December 1893.

This is what Yvette explained about the “grand leave.”

Military service was five years. Typically, this consisted of eighteen months of active service followed by grand leave. At the end of their service, they were called back up for final training and then received their passport of fulfilled service. People who emigrated during grand leave were considered deserters and were registered in the police journal.

Here is the more detailed account of Adriaan’s military service.

ADRIAAN ZUIJDWEG
Posited: Adriaan did not marry in the Netherlands, so there are no marriage supplements. Since he emigrated, it is possible he went before completing his service.
Algemeen Politieblad 1894 Source: Algemeen Politieblad (1894), p. 555, entry 591, Adriaan Zuijdweg.
Translation
591. Adriaan Zuijdweg, soldier-corporal in the 3rd regiment infantry, born in Goes (Zeeland) 3 Jan. 1871, height 1.672 meters, long face, high forehead, blue eyes, small nose and mouth, round chin, blond hair and eyebrows, deserted 7 December.
7

This shows that Adriaan Zuijdweg was listed as a deserter in the police journal. He deserted on 7 December 1893. He would have been 22 years old, which suggests he had finished basic training and left while on grand leave.
Military record of Adriaan Zuijdweg Source: 3rd Regiment Infantry (Netherlands), muster roll of petty officers and men, 1890-1891, no. 80475, Adriaan Zuijdweg; digital film 008480935, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39V-FQ7G-B : accessed 10 March 2020).
Abstract:
Number 80475. Adriaan Zuijdweg Father: Johannes [Zuijdweg], mother Jennegien Bomhoff Both Goes, 3 January 1871. Physical description upon arrival: 1.62 m, long face, high forehead, blue eyes, small nose and mouth, round chin, blond hair and eyebrows, no noticeable marks. On 11 May 1891 recruited as part of the levy of 1891 under number 40. On 30 July 1892 on grand leave [blank] returned [blank] on grand leave] Promoted to soldier-corporal 2 November 1891
On 7 December 1893 removed as deserter because not responding to being called to duty.
This confirms he did not return from grand leave and was marked as a deserter.

Very interesting that he left before completing his military duty. But such a long period of service for a young man eager to get on with his life. After all, this was not voluntary service, but the LUCK OF THE DRAW, much like our own draft (when we’ve had a draft).

So let’s look at Adriaan’s timeline. He did not return to duty on 7 December 1893. He seems to have shown up in the United States in 1893.

On 4 April 1894, his only brother Lucas was killed in an accident by falling on a ship’s anchor, so Adriaan was already in the United States. Thus, it seems to me that the reason he left the Dutch Army and the Netherlands was to begin a new life in the  United States. He was the first in his family. Eventually his parents and then sister and brother-in-law followed. They all settled in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Because Adriaan lived a reputable life in Kalamazoo and raised an upstanding son, my grandfather, I don’t view him as a military deserter. But maybe the Dutch viewpoint would be different.

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