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Posts Tagged ‘Dutch American history’

Sunday School: Bethany Reformed Church, Kalamazoo: c1918

Posted in Adrian Zuidweg, Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Photography early 20th century, Zuidweg, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 29, 2019| 27 Comments »

When I scan old family photos I always think it’s particularly cool when photos include other people in Kalamazoo (or elsewhere) because if I post them online, there is a chance the descendants of these people can find their relatives’ photos. This has happened before, and I hope it continues to happen.

The photo for today is of a Sunday School class of young “men” at Bethany Reformed Church in Kalamazoo. If you click on the next photo you can be taken to the church history on the church’s website.

The church began as a tiny chapel near the corner of Burdick and Maple in 1905. By 1907, the building above was built to house the rapidly growing congregation. By 1910 there were 69 member families, all of the Reformed denomination (and presumably Dutch or of Dutch ancestry).

As you can see by the back of my photo, it was taken around 1918 (so imagine the church growth by then).

The sticker was put on in the 80s, I imagine, by my grandparents.

Here is the front:

Let’s look at it a little closer:

The church was probably right by houses, but I don’t know whether the photo was taken outside the church (with a house behind the boys) or if it was taken in someone’s yard. They do look dressed for church here.

Do you think my grandfather was one of these boys? He would have been about ten in 1918.

Mom? Uncle Don? Anybody? There is only one boy here who I think looks at all like Grandpa.

About the church: although it was the Great Depression, the new building that still stands today was dedicated in 1932. It continued to be added on to for many years. In the 1960s, I attended Vacation Bible School for one summer. My grandmother was babysitting while my mother was working, so it was easy for me to go to Bible School across the street, although our church was out in Portage. Unfortunately, in 1972, vandals set fire to the sanctuary, which was completely destroyed. It was rebuilt within a year.

I took a screenshot of the church as it looks today on Google Maps. Same building where I went to class 55 years ago.

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Another Photograph to Identify: Alice and Who Else?

Posted in DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Joseph Peter DeKorn, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Leeuwenhoek, Michigan history, Photography early 20th century, tagged , , , , , , , on November 22, 2017| 22 Comments »

In the collection of images derived from Joseph DeKorn’s glass negatives, there are photos of children. Unfortunately, children are hard to identify, and I don’t know who most of them are. In this beautiful photograph, Grandpa’s first cousin, Alice Leeuwenhoek, is shown with three friends, neighbors, or relatives. The girls and their clothing remind me of the book and movie Pollyanna. The novel was written in 1913, and Alice was born in 1897, so this is close! Alice is the tall girl in the double-breasted coat.

Alice was married at age 26 to Clarence Moerdyk. They never had any children. Alice was a successful seamstress. Sadly, she passed away at age 66, leaving behind her husband and her mother, Jennie Leeuwenhoek. She was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Kalamazoo.

 

As usual, if anybody has any ideas about the identities of the other girls, please let me know!

I hope you have someone or someones to spend a happy Thanksgiving with! This year it’s just my husband and me, and I accidentally bought a 24-pound turkey (don’t ask). Any ideas on dishes I can make with the turkey and then freeze? Besides soup, of course.

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How Did It Get the Name Remine Avenue?

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Michigan history, Netherlands history, Remine, tagged , , , , , , , on May 17, 2017| 25 Comments »

My grandparents lived on Burdick Street in Kalamazoo. In fact, most of the family history on that side seems centered in the Burdick-Balch neighborhood. But as a kid I remember seeing a street sign on the right side when we drove south from Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It said “Remine.” I always thought that was such a funny coincidence because I knew we had Remine relatives. I imagined that it was an extremely common Dutch name.

But when I was searching Genealogy Bank for Kalamazoo Gazette articles about the Remine and Tazelaar families, I encountered this little gem from August 22, 1918:

Look at the first item under REALTY TRANSFERS. “Richard Remine and wife to City of Kalamazoo, strip of land known as Remine avenue, Kalamazoo, $1.

Richard Remine is the father of Genevieve (and father-in-law of Frank Tazelaar), of Harold, and of Therese (Theresa, Tracy).

Was this common, to deed a piece of land to the city for the purpose of a road? And would it really have only been $1? Would there have been other parts of the negotiation? A discount on taxes, for instance? Or was it in order to have a way to develop a piece land and sell off lots?

Here is the intersection of Burdick and Remine according to Google Maps.

 

 

Richard lounging, years after the street was named

Found This Week–What a Treat!

I was looking for a book I can’t find. Instead, I ran across this photo–and it was labelled on the back! “Jane Remine Tazelaar.” So this is Genevieve with a smile on her face. She looks so much prettier smiling so sweetly! It’s easy to see why Frank would want to marry her. This is more proof that the family called her Jane, not Genevieve and not Jennie.

Jane (Genevieve) Remine Tazelaar

Jane Remine Tazelaar

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