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2020 Fill in the Gaps Project: My 3XGreat-Grandparents, Ludwig and Dora (Kusch) Noffke and Adolf Waldeck and NN

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Germany history, Kent County history, Michigan history, Noffke, Prussia history, Waldeck, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 15, 2020| 25 Comments »

My next fill-in-the-gaps couple is Grandma’s great-grandparents–my 3x greats, Ludwig and Dora (Kusch) Noffke and Adolf (possibly his name) Waldeck and his wife NN (name unknown).

These two Prussian couples are my genealogy brick walls. They are the four grandparents of my great-grandmother Clara Waldeck, and the immigration story of the families of her parents, the Noffkes and Waldecks, is intertwined.

August Heinrich Noffke, a single man, was the pioneer who first came to the United States. He departed from Hamburg on 7 May 1869 at the age of 28, which means he was born about 1841. He was possibly from Schwetzkov, Prussia, and a carpenter by trade.

The family history that was passed down through the minutes of family reunions states that August Noffke’s “parents and family” followed him “in about three years.” This means that Ludwig and Dora—perhaps Dorothea– (Kusch) Noffke must have immigrated around 1872. Family must mean their children or August’s siblings.

I believe that by the time this history was typed up the Waldecks had become somewhat separated from the Noffkes because the name used for the history was Neffka. Also, the writer did not know when Ludwig and Dora died.

Back to August Noffke: his sister Alwine Noffke Waldeck (born 1846) was married with children and living in Prussia at that time. Clara wasn’t yet born. So it wasn’t Alwine who immigrated with her parents.

Their brother Carl (born 1843) could have come with the parents, but I don’t think so. The ship manifest shows him with Louise and Herman Noffke, not his parents. In fact, his wife was Louisa and his son was Herman, so I am guessing that he was already married and traveled with his own family.

Until I find the ship manifest for Ludwig and Dora I won’t know who they traveled with.

August Waldeck, age 14, son of Alwine and her husband Gottfried, immigrated to the U.S. and lived with his grandparents, Ludwig and Dora. August paid the passage for his parents and siblings, so then Alwine and Gottfried and their other children immigrated in 1882.

Therefore, I need immigration documents for Ludwig and Dora. It seems likely that Gottfried Waldeck’s parents, Adolf and NN, never left Prussia.

For all four individuals, I am missing birth, marriage, and death records.

There is a Findagrave memorial for Ludwig with a photo of his headstone at Lakeside Cemetery in Caledonia, Michigan. I set up a page for Dora and have requested a photo of her headstone. I’ve called the cemetery for information, but they had no information.

On their son Carl/Charles’s 1897 death record it clearly states that his father is dead, but Ludwig’s name is incorrectly listed as Charles. It’s unclear if Dora is listed as dead or alive. I suspect alive.

I am trying to track down the path of Alwine and her husband in Prussia in hopes of their records leading to the records of their parents.

At this point, I still do not know for sure where either of them was from within Prussia.

You see why I combined all four into one post. I just don’t have enough information on them. The day that wall breaks down and all the information starts to tumble toward me, I will be very excited! After all this is the branch where my mitochondrial DNA comes from ;).

 

 

 

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2020 Fill in the Gaps Project: My 3XGreat-Grandparents, Karel Pieter Philippe and Johanna Maria (Boes) Mulder

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Michigan history, Mulder, Netherlands history, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 8, 2020| 16 Comments »

My next fill-in-the-gaps couple is Grandma’s great-grandparents–my 3x greats, Karel Pieter Philippe Mulder and Johanna Maria Boes Mulder.

Here are the Ancestry-created bios:

When Karel Pieter Philippe Mulder was born on February 21, 1837, in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands, his father, Karel, was 24 and his mother, Rose, was 27. He married Johanna Maria Boes and they had six children together. He also had three sons and three daughters with Klazina Otte. He died on April 22, 1881, in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands, at the age of 44.

When Johanna Maria Boes was born on July 8, 1835, in IJzendijke, Zeeland, Netherlands, her father, Izaak, was 30, and her mother, Adriana, was 26. She married Karel Pieter Philippe Mulder on November 7, 1861, in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands. They had six children during their marriage. She died as a young mother on November 19, 1867, in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands, at the age of 32.

Karel’s family had been in Goes and would continue in Goes, for the most part. But Johanna was born in a town about 30 miles away from Goes. She would marry, live, and die in Goes.

Such a sad story. After bearing six children, Johanna died at age 32. Her sixth child was stillborn about six weeks before Johanna herself passed. Also, a daughter born three years before had also passed away as an infant, only a few months old. The other four children, all boys, survived. One of them was my 2x great-grandfather Pieter Mulder who immigrated to the United States with his wife and first two children.

Karel himself was two years younger than Johanna, so when she died, he was a 30-year-olg widower with four children. Nine months later, he married Klazina Otte. He had six children with Klazina. I have written before about the situation with this family. Karel ended up being a prosperous merchant, but when he died at age 44 in 1881, Klazina was left with her own children, as well as the two youngest children of Johanna’s. Those two were sent to the orphanage in Goes. I wrote about it here: Pieter the Orphan. In that post I wrote how Karel owned the store with family members, and I don’t know how that affected things financially when he passed. Perhaps Klazina couldn’t care for that many children physically. Perhaps she couldn’t afford to. I wondered if the family had been “severed” from the boys being sent to an orphanage, but then I was contacted by family in the Netherlands who shared with me a letter from Pieter to his half-brother Jan: The Treasure that Arrived in an Email. Then I could see that the siblings kept in touch. That was wonderful news.

So what do I have about Karel and Johanna and what am I missing?

For Karel, I have his birth and death records. I also have his marriage records for Joanna. I have information from Yvette Hoitink about Karel’s business and real estate ownership. In working on this fill-in-the-gap project I dug up a marriage record for Karel and Klazina.

For Johanna, I have her birth, marriage, and death records.

I found a painting to represent Johanna on Ancestry. This painting is of a woman from the same town Johanna was, painted by Jan Haak. Maybe this is how she looked when she got married, before she had six children.

Yvette Hoitink was able to find some information about Karel’s military history–namely, there is none. That is because he was actually too short to be taken for the military.

 

KAREL PIETER P. MULDER

  1. 21 February 1837, Goes m. 7 November 1861, Goes

Karel Pieter Mulder married in Goes in 1861, so his marriage supplements did not survive. Goes enlistment records were ordered. He married at age 24, so could have fulfilled his military before marriage.

Karel Mulder in militia registration, 1856 Source: Goes, lists of men registered for the National Militia, levies 1851-1862, 1856 no. 27, Karel Mulder; call no. 1438, archives of the city of Goes, 1851-1919, Goes Municipal Archives, Goes; scans provided by Goes Municipal Archives.

2

Abstract:

No. 27, lot no. 77

Karel Mulder, born Goes 21 February 1837. Physical description: 1.495 m, broad face and forehead, blue eyes, pointy nose, ordinary mouth, round chin, bond hair and eyebrows, no noticeable marks. Son of Karel [Mulder] and Rose Melanie Bataille. Occupation: apothecary’s hand, father: shoemaker Informant: himself.

This shows the name as Karel Mulder, not Karel Pieter P. Mulder. Karel Mulder is the name found in previous phases. The birth date and parents match the information previously found, proving this is the correct person.

Karel Mulder in militia enlistment, 1856 Source: Goes, lists of men registered for the National Militia, levies 1854-1862, 1856 no. 29, Karel Mulder; call no. 1484, archives of the city of Goes, 1851-1919, Goes Municipal Archives, Goes; scans provided by Goes Municipal Archives.

Abstract:

No. 29, Karel Mulder. Born Goes 22 February 1837. Height: 1.495 m Son of Karel [mulder] and Rosie Melanie Bataille Occupation: apothecary’s hand, father shoemaker Informant: himself

Lot number 77

Undersized, one year delay.

This shows that Karel Mulder was too short to have to serve in the military. He got a one year delay to see if he would grow. Unfortunately, the Goes archives did not check the register for the next year to see if he made the mark that year.

Later from Yvette by email:

The Goes archivist had to be in the archives and checked the following years of militia enlistment registers, but Karel Mulder does not appear in the later years. It appears he never served in the military on account of being too short.

It looks like Karel never got tall enough for the military. Maybe he was happy about that, maybe not.

So how short was he? I believe he was about 4’9. I do think that a line of short men came from this branch. His grandson, my great-grandfather, was not a tall man, although definitely taller than 4’9. After that the men were taller as my great-grandmother was tall.

The gaps I have for Karel and Johanna will probably always be places where I have to insert my imagination. I have all the main pertinent documents relating to their lives.

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2020 Fill in the Gaps Project: My 3XGreat-Grandparents, Jan and Kornelia (Heijman) Gorsse

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Michigan history, Mulder, Netherlands history, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 1, 2020| 19 Comments »

My next fill-in-the-gaps couple is Grandma’s great-grandparents–my 3x greats, Jan Gorsse and Kornelia Heijman Gorsse.

Here are the Ancestry-created bios:

Jan Gorsse was born on October 29, 1840, in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands, the son of Neeltje and Willem. He married Kornelia Heijman on September 4, 1862, in his hometown. They had two children during their marriage. He died on April 25, 1911, in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands, at the age of 70.

When Kornelia Heijman was born on February 1, 1840, in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands, her father, Willem, was 27, and her mother, Pieternella, was 27. She married Jan Gorsse on September 4, 1862, in her hometown. They had two children during their marriage. She died on December 20, 1909, in Goes, Zeeland, Netherlands, at the age of 69.

Notice that the bios state that the couple had two children. That is all I know about right now. It is possible that there were more. Since I am so focused this year on my direct ancestors I am not putting the time into searching laterally right now. The two children I know about are my great-great grandmother Neeltje Gorsse Mulder and her sister Wilhelmina. Because Neeltje wasn’t born until almost seven years after the couple married and then her sister two years later, it is possible that the couple did have other children before Neeltje–children that either lived or died in infancy.

I read over that paragraph and thought: why not do a quick wiewas wie search. Just for a few minutes. Guess what I discovered? Three children of Jan and Kornelia who all died in February 1879: 5-year-old Gerard, 3-year-old Jan, and 15-month-old Hendrica. So I did some conjecturing. These children were younger than Neeltje and Wilhelmina, thus more vulnerable. One of Neeltje’s descendants believed that the tuberculosis that killed her was something that she brought with her from the Netherlands. Could her younger siblings have died from it?

I am guessing that Neeltje named her sons Jan and Henry after her deceased siblings, but it is possible she only used the names for her father and another family member. Here are the death records.

 

 

 

Keep in mind that I need to do a more exhaustive search in the future. I need to look for the birth records for these children, as well as seeing if there were other children in the family.

For both Jan and Kornelia I am lucky enough to have birth, marriage, and death records. Maybe it helps that they both were born, lived, and died in Goes–all in one city.

From Yvette, I obtained Jan’s military record. Here is a summation:

  1. 29 October 1840, Goes m. 4 September 1862, Goes

Jan married in a period where marriage supplements do not survive. He married at 22, so either he did not have to serve, or got permission from his commanding officer. Enlistment records in Goes were checked.

Jan Gorsse in militia registration, 1859 Source: Goes, lists of men registered for the National Militia, levies 1851-1862, 1859 no. 21, Jan Gorsse; call no. 1438, archives of the city of Goes, 1851-1919, Goes Municipal Archives, Goes; scans provided by Goes Municipal Archives.

Abstract:

Jan Gorsse, born Goes 24 October 1840 Physical description: 1.683m, oval face, narrow forehead, blue eyes, ordinary nose and mouth, round chin, blond hair and eyebrows, no noticeable marks. Son of Willem [Gorsse] and Neeltje Reijerse. Occupation: laborer, father broom maker. Informant: himself.

This record gives Jan’s name as Jan Gorsse, not Gorsee and has a slightly different birth date than the date provided by Luanne Castle. The original birth record showed the name as Jan Gorse, born 29 October 1840. The birth record named the parents as broom maker Willem Gorse and Neeltje Reijerse.1 This information perfectly matches the information in the militia registration, proving this is the correct record.

1 Civil Registration (Goes), birth record 1840 no. 184, Jan Gorse (29 October 1840); “Zeeuwen Gezocht,” index and images, Zeeuws Archief (http://www.zeeuwsarchief.nl : accessed 13 March 2020).

Jan Gorsse in militia enlistment, 1859 Source: Goes, lists of men registered for the National Militia, levies 1854-1862, 1859 no. 17, Jan Gorsse; call no. 1484, archives of the city of Goes, 1851-1919, Goes Municipal Archives, Goes; scans provided by Goes Municipal Archives.

Abstract:

No. 17.

Jan Gorsse, born Goes 29 October 1840, height 1.683, son of Willem [Gorsse] and Neeltje Reijerse. Occupation: laborer, father: broom maker. Informant: Himself

Assigned lot number 61.

Designated for duty.

Entered into service in the place of Petrus Arnoldus Franken, levy 1858, deceased. 2nd regiment infantry. Passport 1 March 1863 muster roll no. 48491.

This record has the correct birth date of 29 October 1840.

This shows that he was initially not supposed to serve, but entered in the military to make up the numbers because another man in his levy passed away.

Military record of Jan Gorsse Source: 2nd Regiment Infantry (Netherlands), muster roll of petty officers and men, 1859-1860, no. 48491, Adriaan Zuijdweg; digital film 008341183, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTP-QWV9-4 : accessed 10 March 2020).

Abstract:

No. 48491.

Jan Gorsse Son of Willem [Gorsse] and Neeltje Reijerse Born Goes 29 October 1840, last residence Goes

Physical description at arrival: 1.709 m, oval face, narrow forehead, blue eyes, ordinary nose and mouth, round chin, blond hair and eyebrows, no noticeable marks.

Service: On 14 May 1859 assigned as soldier for the time of four years as a conscript of the levy of 1859 from Zeeland, Goes no. 61. Replaces the deceased soldier Franken, Petrus Arnoldus of the levy of 1858 see no. 25 regiment grenadiers and hunters. reserve On 17 April 1860 inactive On 15 July 1861 on grand leave

Promotions [blank] Campaigns [blank]

End of service: 1 March 1863 received passport of for expiration of military service.

This confirms he served in the place of someone else. He served for four years, including two years of training and two years of grand leave. He got out of the army on 1 March 1863.

Let me sum up the summation (haha). At first Jan (pronounced Yahn) did not have to serve (he won the lottery so to speak), but then he had to take the place of someone who had passed away in order to keep up the numbers for his area. He ended up serving for four years, being discharged on 1 March 1863, which is a half year after he and Kornelia married.

Something I have started to notice from the descriptions that I have been provided for the men on my maternal side. I haven’t found one yet that wasn’t a blue-eyed blond. When I was little, I remember my father telling me about how blue eyes were a recessive gene, which of course went way over my head. What I took away was that he was surprised that I had blue eyes since he had brown eyes and my mother blue. But at least one of Dad’s grandparents was blue-eyed (his mom’s mother) and it looks like my mother’s family was awash in blue eyes, so I guess it makes sense that my eyes turned out blue. Of course, I still don’t understand recessive and dominant genes!

This is a windmill in the hometown of Jan and Kornelia, Goes in Zeeland, built in 1801. it’s called De Korenbloem.

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Extreme Circumstances: The Life of Caroline Meier Waldeck (Sixth and Final BROAD STREET Magazine Article)

Posted in Family History, Genealogy, Kent County history, Kin Types, Michigan history, Waldeck, tagged , , , , , , on December 3, 2018| 13 Comments »

This is the sixth and final week that the beautiful creative nonfiction journal Broad Street magazine has published one of the pieces from my chapbook Kin Types along with documents and photographs that helped me piece together these old family stories.

The subject of the poem “Someone Else’s Story” is Caroline Meier Waldeck, the wife of my grandmother’s Uncle Fred, a German immigrant who, as a young husband and father, was hit by a streetcar and suffered severe brain damage from the accident.

You can read it here: Family Laundry: “Someone Else’s Story” by Luanne Castle

 

The first feature article is “Family Laundry: “An Account of a Poor Oil Stove Bought off Dutch Pete,” by Luanne Castle”

The second feature article is Family Laundry 2: “What Came Between A Woman and Her Duties” by Luanne Castle

The third feature article is: Family Laundry: “More Burials” by Luanne Castle

The fourth is: Family Laundry: “The Weight of Smoke” by Luanne Castle

The fifth is: Family Laundry: “Half-Naked Woman Found Dead,” by Luanne Castle

An introduction to the series can be found here.  SERIES INTRODUCTION

 

 

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A Thoughtful Review of KIN TYPES

Posted in Alice Paak DeKorn, Cora DeKorn Zuidweg, DeKorn, Family History, Genealogy, Illinois history, Jennie DeKorn Culver, Kalamazoo history, Kalamazoo late 1800s - early 1900s, Lucille Edna Mulder Zuidweg, Michigan history, Netherlands history, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 21, 2017| 14 Comments »

A deeply grateful thank you to Amy at Brotman Blog for this beautiful review of Kin Types.

Most of us who engage in family history research probably try in some way to put ourselves in the shoes of our ancestors. We try to imagine—what were they really like? How did they cope with the failures and successes, the heartbreak and the joys that colored their lives? We want to get beyond the […]

via Kin Types by Luanne Castle: A Review — Brotmanblog: A Family Journey

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