Origins by Michael Steenwyk
Hendrika Gosselink was born in the Netherlands in the year 1834.
Actually two females were born with the same name (of Hendrika Gosselink) in the Netherlands in the same year, 1834. The “other” Hendrika was born 23 Jan 1834 in Steenderen, Gelderland. She came with her family by ship (the “Nagasaki”) from the Netherlands (abbreviation hereafter is NL) to Baltimore, Maryland USA and then on to Pella, Iowa in 1847. (Parents were Gerhardus Hendrikus Gosselink and Elisabeth Hogenkamp) She was 12 years of age when she came to this country. This information was from page 51 of a book by William Filby.
When this Hendika grew up she married a man by the name of Lucas Vanderlinden near Pella, IA on 9 Nov 1854. Lucas was born 12 Oct 1831 in Gorinchem, Gelderland, NL, the son of Lucas van der Linden and Leysbet van Brakel. Children of Lucas and Hendrika were Elizabeth, Lukas, Gerardus, Maria, Govert. Up until 1870 they lived in Pella. After that they could have moved to MN? (This information was found on the internet.)
I go through all this information to show who my Hendrika was not! I was fooled at first. So was someone who did a family tree (see WFT Vol#14 Tree 2895 where the other Hendrika’s parents are incorrectly listed as the parents of my ancestor Hendrika Gosselink. Someone used the parents of this woman from Pella!) Oops!!! So if there were only two Hendrika Gosselinks born in the year 1834, then the other is my Hendrika.
This information from Gerrit Jan Ballast in the NL, My Hendrika was born one o’clock at night on 3 Apr 1834. Her mother is Garritjen Gosselink, laborer. Nothing about the father mentioned in the paper. The midwife was Anna Christiana Sophia Hendrina Kemink, age 54 years (wife of Godfried Bosse) did the declaration at the town hall, togeather with witness Derk Overdijkink (farmer), 64 years old and witness Albert Jan Borkink (butcher).
I first find Hendrika Gosselink married to a Jan Anton Kussink (see http://www.genlias.nl). This is now verified- she did marry this man. Jan and Hendrika were wed on 2 Dec 1854. (At this time she was already pregnant with a daughter Hendrika Johanna Kussink born 23 Jun 1855). I think this girl later came to the USA. (See the Swieringa book page 152: a Kussink, H Female says she is 18 although I think she was actually 15 if this is the correct person born 1855- 1870 year of passage =15 yrs of age-listed as from Eibergen, Gelderland-says she is a hired girl!)
The marriage certificate for Jan Anton Kussink and Hendrika Gosselink is number is 26. She is listed as being born in the municipality of Borculo, and the Province of Gelderland, and age 20 at the time of her wedding. The Groom, Jan Anton Kussink is also listed as being born in Borculo, Gelderland, and age 26 at the time of marriage. His father is listed as Derk Kussink (born 1797 Lochem-died 7 Dec 1860 Borculo Death Certificate 1860-113 Borculo) and his mother as Hendrika Goenau (born 1793 Lochem-died 21 Aug 1855 Borculo Death Certificate 1855-52 Borculo).
Hendrika’s mother is listed as Garritje Gosselink (See #126 )(note spelling) and her father is Unknown. So nothing more is known of her father. Her mother (Garritjen) was later married to a man named Jan Meddeler in the year 1846. (see genlias number of finding aid: 207, item # 6133 ) Then Mr. Meddeler died in 1848 (see genlias number of finding aid: 207, item # 6084) Garritjen then married Arend Hagens in 1850 (see genlias number of finding aid: 207item # 6133. This is as much as is known of Hendrika’s parents to date.
A third daughter named Hendrika Jacoba Gosselink was born on 2 Mar 1867 not long before they came over. The two of them, Hendrika and her daughter Hendrika Jacoba, came to the USA aboard ship in 1867. (Hendrika, the mother (with her daughter Hendrika Jacoba) lived with the family of Harmen Hagens and Janna Kleijnbrinke, before boarding a ship for the USA. This family (The Hagens) also emigrated on 28 Oct 1871.)
Note: between the first and second Hendrika was another daughter named Gerritje (Kussink or misspelled as Korsing in the registers) She stayed in the Netherlands, living with the family of ter Mul. When she grew up she married a man named Jan Willem ter Mul in 1882. They had six children: 1) a daughter Harmina Gerritdina born 25 Feb 1883, 2) a son Jan Willem Oct 1884, 3) a daughter Gerritdina Johanna born 15 Jun 1887, 4) a son Gerrit Jan born 4 Oct 1890, 5) a son Herman born 6 Mar 1893, 6) a daughter Gerritje born 5 Sep 1897. All children were born at Gorssel, Gelderland, NL. Gerritje Korsing died on the 17th of Sep 1898 in the city of Gorssel, Gelderland, NL.
So to recap: three daughters were born to Hendrika in the NL. They were 1)a daughter Hendrika Johanna Kussink born 23 Jun 1855.
Second daughter was Gerritje “Korsing” born 7 Apr 1863. I think she was the biological daughter of Jan Anton Kussink and Hendrika, but by the time of her birth someone else did the declaration-implying that Jan Anton was no longer around. What happened to him is not known!
Hendrika’s third daughter was born Hendrika Jacoba Gosselink on 2 Mar 1867. I think this implies that Hendrika was the mother and the father was not willing to give her his last name. It very well may have been Gerrit Klanderman, but I cannot say for sure!
I do know that Hendrika was married in America on 25 Apr 1867 to Gerrit Klanderman in Kent County MI per the records. But when she had Hendrika Jacoba in the NL on 2 Mar 1867 in the NL, Gerrit Klanderman was not listed as the father but only as one of the witness’s. According to the information I have, Hendrika and her daughter left the NL on 3 Oct 1867. (Confused I was!) From studying the information I have about Gerrit he was with his father, Jacobus and the rest of the family when they came to the USA in the year 1867 NOT 1865! Why both dates are listed; 1865 in Ancestry and 1867 on the Emigration listing I do not know!
The next reference to her is in the year 1867 in Kent County Michigan where she married Gerrit Kanderman. (?) This fits well with the 1900 Census where she says she came to this country in 1867.
In all my searches for a ships passage list for her, I can only construct this. Per the CD#269 from the Byker Library a Gosselink, H is listed as arriving in 1867 from Borculo, Gelderland, with one child. This person is listed as Dutch Reformed and 33 years of age. So far so good. Now for the part I think is erroneous: listed as Male. My construction is that she came with her child aboard a ship to the USA. She should have been listed as Female! She was from the same Province as the Jacobus Klanderman family.
A Klanderman with a first initial “J” is listed as also arriving in the year 1867, he being Male, listed as a workman 52 years of age, Dutch Reformed, with one woman in household (his wife Aaltje?) and 4 children (Gerrit oldest son, then Johanna, Mary and Dirk). There is a little problem here, as other sources say the family arrives in the USA in 1865! Having further studied this, I think that the Klandermans came in 1867 and Hendrika also came to the USA in 1867. She states in the 1900 Census that she had been in the country that length of time, since 1867. I know that a Rev. Cornelius Van der Meulen married the two of them (Gerrit and Hendrika) in Kent County, Michigan in 1867. (25 Apr 1867) I know it does not fit very well as she had the daughter in April of that same year. There are things like that in the study of History, which may eventually work itself out, but have not yet.
Sidenote:
This Reverend Van der Meulen who married them was a Netherlander, born in the year 1800 in Middelharnis, in the province of Zeeland, in the Netherlands. He had been trained in the NL under Rev. Scholte- a Dutch preacher who later came to the USA and founded the town of Pella, Iowa. This information and also the following come from a book by the name of Legends of the Dutch by Adrian Van Koevering.
( # 977.4153 Van K Bar Code # 3 1376 00018 0924 (Zeeland) The Howard Miller Library)
Rev. Van der Meulen had come to the USA years earlier with Van Raalte’s group of Dutch immigrants and was one of that party’s three leaders. The three leaders were Van Raalte, Rev. Van der Meulen, and Elder Jannes Van De Luyster. Each one of these men led one third of Van Raalte’s group aboard separate ships, sailing for the New World in 1847. They all converged on Holland Michigan, which had yet to be built. Rev. C. Van der Meulen was the first pastor of First Reformed Church of Zeeland in the years 1847 till 1859. Then there was a short two-year period where he pastored in Chicago (First Chicago CRC) from May of 1859 till 1861. From 1861 until 1873 he was minister at Second Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was while he was minister in Grand Rapids that he married Gerrit and Hendrika. There is also a brief note in the Grand Rapids City directory, for the year 1868, that Gerrit worked for a brick factory in Grand Rapids on the East End of Fulton Street.
Soon after the wedding the Gerrit Klanderman family was back to the Borculo area, although they may have originally lived in Zeeland. There was a child of theirs named Hendrika who died the 6th of Apr 1868 at age 1 year and one month (This was Hendrika Jacoba who had been born in the NL and came to the USA as an infant!). She died of Diphtheria. Where she is buried is still a mystery. This child was definitely Hendrika’s daughter and may have also been Gerrit’s daughter but it is hard to say for sure!
Gerrit soon established a General Store on a site a half mile south of the present town of Borculo. There he traded with both the Indians and white men. The Indian encampment was a quarter mile East of the store. Gerrit usually had free tobacco for his customers to fill their pipes or take a chew. The Indians often helped themselves liberally and took all their was. As the years went by other children were born to Gerrit and Hendrika. Their son James was born 1869 a year after the death of Hendrika and was the first white child to be born in the Borculo area. (he later married Tille Bos, see Kent County Clerks Office (Downtown Grand Rapids-County Building): Book 15 page 229, marriage record#4969:marriage on 17 Nov 1909. (No children from this marriage)
Then another daughter Gezina known as “Sena” was born 25th of July 1870. (she later married Aryen (Harry) Bos, see Kent Co Clerks Office Book: 11 page 216, marriage record#8438: marriage on 27 Nov 1894)
In the year 1874 another daughter Alberdina known as “Dena” was born. (She later married John Van Oostendorp See Kent Co Clerks Office: Book 11 page 75 married on 2 Feb1893. (both she and John, as well as and infant daughter Virginia R. Van Oostendorp are all buried in Oakhill Cemetery in Grand Rapids, MI-Eastern Ave and Hall Street. Last tidbit-John was a drayman, that is a person who drove a dray: a low cart without fixed sides used for carrying heavy loads-pulled by a horse.)
Then Hendrika was pregnant again, but tragedy was soon to strike. Gerrit went to Zeeland every so often to fetch supplies for his general store with a team of oxen. On one of these trips in June of 1876 he was caught in a rainstorm. He got wet and chilled and soon died of pneumonia on the 3rd of June of that year. They buried him (some accounts say cremated first) on the 6th of June 1876. Later that same day his daughter Gertrude Marie was born.
His wife Hendrika continued on, raising her children and the following year she married a man named Berend Willeweerd. The wedding occurred the 26th of May in 1877 in Holland Michigan. (this information from Book 5 page 145 Marriage Index, Ottawa County Clerks Office) The Pastor performing the wedding is listed as Wm. Moerdyk. I find that when Cornelius Van der Meulen died 23 Aug 1876 in Grand Rapids, a Rev. William Moerdyk was present at 2nd Reformed Church to pay his respects. See Hollanders By: Rev. Van der Meulen, D.D. from the Byker Library genealogy room.
Hendrika appears again in the 1880 Census as Hendrika Wellsweert, age 46, married, keeping house (Head of Household). So I think the Census taker was spelling phonetically. She is listed as the head of the House! Her children are listed as Jakobus (“James”) Klunderman- note spelling of last name on each child. Gezina (“Sena”) Klunderman, Alberdina (“Dena”) Klunderman, Gerritje (“Gertie”) Klunderman. (“ added by me for better understanding-it did not appear in the Census records.”)
At some point there was a separation and according to the Death Index at the Clerks Office in Grand Haven, also a divorce: Berend is listed as dying on 22nd of Nov 1907 in Olive Township of an intestinal obstruction. He is listed as divorced, a retired farmer, died at 75 years of age. The Death Index also lists that he was born in the NL, parents being Jan Welleweerd (spelling per the Index) and Berendina Woerting. (Aaltje Klanderman, wife of Jacobus, is listed immediately above Berend as dying on the 9th of Nov 1907 in Olive Township at age 83. Her parents are listed as D. Rietman and Maria Zwiers) (Further checking indicates that the 1884 Census says of Berend and Hendrika that they were divorced-Upon checking, this was found to be false!)
Berend Willeweerd died in 1907, this part is true. After checking with the Ottawa County Seat I discovered that Berend initiated a divorce in 1887- but things hung in limbo until both of their deaths, after which in the year 1916 the divorce was thrown out by the Court System as there was no further action from either person-they were both deceased by this time in 1916 !
Hendrika had died the year before Berend in 1906 and was buried next to her former husband, Gerrit Klanderman in Borculo Cemetery. Her death date is 24 Apr 1906.
The last child of Gerrit and Hendrika, named Gertrude Marie or “Gertie” married an immigrant from Germany named Henry John Meppelink and lived on a farm in the Borculo area. This farm was on Blair Street at the East end of the dead end street just East of 96th Avenue. One of their daughters Grace was born on this farm and was my grandmother, who died early this spring. (On the 3rd of March 2005) This woman, my grandmother, Grace Meppelink later married Herman Berens and my mother Mildred Berens was born to this union.
Written on 30 May, 2005 “Tweaked” on 14 Aug 2005 “Tweaked” again on 22 Oct 2005 & 18 May 2006
By: Michael Steenwyk of
3000 Barry Street Hudsonville, MI 49426
phone: 616-669-6321 email: msteenwyk@netpenny.net
Actually two females were born with the same name (of Hendrika Gosselink) in the Netherlands in the same year, 1834. The “other” Hendrika was born 23 Jan 1834 in Steenderen, Gelderland. She came with her family by ship (the “Nagasaki”) from the Netherlands (abbreviation hereafter is NL) to Baltimore, Maryland USA and then on to Pella, Iowa in 1847. (Parents were Gerhardus Hendrikus Gosselink and Elisabeth Hogenkamp) She was 12 years of age when she came to this country. This information was from page 51 of a book by William Filby.
When this Hendika grew up she married a man by the name of Lucas Vanderlinden near Pella, IA on 9 Nov 1854. Lucas was born 12 Oct 1831 in Gorinchem, Gelderland, NL, the son of Lucas van der Linden and Leysbet van Brakel. Children of Lucas and Hendrika were Elizabeth, Lukas, Gerardus, Maria, Govert. Up until 1870 they lived in Pella. After that they could have moved to MN? (This information was found on the internet.)
I go through all this information to show who my Hendrika was not! I was fooled at first. So was someone who did a family tree (see WFT Vol#14 Tree 2895 where the other Hendrika’s parents are incorrectly listed as the parents of my ancestor Hendrika Gosselink. Someone used the parents of this woman from Pella!) Oops!!! So if there were only two Hendrika Gosselinks born in the year 1834, then the other is my Hendrika.
This information from Gerrit Jan Ballast in the NL, My Hendrika was born one o’clock at night on 3 Apr 1834. Her mother is Garritjen Gosselink, laborer. Nothing about the father mentioned in the paper. The midwife was Anna Christiana Sophia Hendrina Kemink, age 54 years (wife of Godfried Bosse) did the declaration at the town hall, togeather with witness Derk Overdijkink (farmer), 64 years old and witness Albert Jan Borkink (butcher).
I first find Hendrika Gosselink married to a Jan Anton Kussink (see http://www.genlias.nl). This is now verified- she did marry this man. Jan and Hendrika were wed on 2 Dec 1854. (At this time she was already pregnant with a daughter Hendrika Johanna Kussink born 23 Jun 1855). I think this girl later came to the USA. (See the Swieringa book page 152: a Kussink, H Female says she is 18 although I think she was actually 15 if this is the correct person born 1855- 1870 year of passage =15 yrs of age-listed as from Eibergen, Gelderland-says she is a hired girl!)
The marriage certificate for Jan Anton Kussink and Hendrika Gosselink is number is 26. She is listed as being born in the municipality of Borculo, and the Province of Gelderland, and age 20 at the time of her wedding. The Groom, Jan Anton Kussink is also listed as being born in Borculo, Gelderland, and age 26 at the time of marriage. His father is listed as Derk Kussink (born 1797 Lochem-died 7 Dec 1860 Borculo Death Certificate 1860-113 Borculo) and his mother as Hendrika Goenau (born 1793 Lochem-died 21 Aug 1855 Borculo Death Certificate 1855-52 Borculo).
Hendrika’s mother is listed as Garritje Gosselink (See #126 )(note spelling) and her father is Unknown. So nothing more is known of her father. Her mother (Garritjen) was later married to a man named Jan Meddeler in the year 1846. (see genlias number of finding aid: 207, item # 6133 ) Then Mr. Meddeler died in 1848 (see genlias number of finding aid: 207, item # 6084) Garritjen then married Arend Hagens in 1850 (see genlias number of finding aid: 207item # 6133. This is as much as is known of Hendrika’s parents to date.
A third daughter named Hendrika Jacoba Gosselink was born on 2 Mar 1867 not long before they came over. The two of them, Hendrika and her daughter Hendrika Jacoba, came to the USA aboard ship in 1867. (Hendrika, the mother (with her daughter Hendrika Jacoba) lived with the family of Harmen Hagens and Janna Kleijnbrinke, before boarding a ship for the USA. This family (The Hagens) also emigrated on 28 Oct 1871.)
Note: between the first and second Hendrika was another daughter named Gerritje (Kussink or misspelled as Korsing in the registers) She stayed in the Netherlands, living with the family of ter Mul. When she grew up she married a man named Jan Willem ter Mul in 1882. They had six children: 1) a daughter Harmina Gerritdina born 25 Feb 1883, 2) a son Jan Willem Oct 1884, 3) a daughter Gerritdina Johanna born 15 Jun 1887, 4) a son Gerrit Jan born 4 Oct 1890, 5) a son Herman born 6 Mar 1893, 6) a daughter Gerritje born 5 Sep 1897. All children were born at Gorssel, Gelderland, NL. Gerritje Korsing died on the 17th of Sep 1898 in the city of Gorssel, Gelderland, NL.
So to recap: three daughters were born to Hendrika in the NL. They were 1)a daughter Hendrika Johanna Kussink born 23 Jun 1855.
Second daughter was Gerritje “Korsing” born 7 Apr 1863. I think she was the biological daughter of Jan Anton Kussink and Hendrika, but by the time of her birth someone else did the declaration-implying that Jan Anton was no longer around. What happened to him is not known!
Hendrika’s third daughter was born Hendrika Jacoba Gosselink on 2 Mar 1867. I think this implies that Hendrika was the mother and the father was not willing to give her his last name. It very well may have been Gerrit Klanderman, but I cannot say for sure!
I do know that Hendrika was married in America on 25 Apr 1867 to Gerrit Klanderman in Kent County MI per the records. But when she had Hendrika Jacoba in the NL on 2 Mar 1867 in the NL, Gerrit Klanderman was not listed as the father but only as one of the witness’s. According to the information I have, Hendrika and her daughter left the NL on 3 Oct 1867. (Confused I was!) From studying the information I have about Gerrit he was with his father, Jacobus and the rest of the family when they came to the USA in the year 1867 NOT 1865! Why both dates are listed; 1865 in Ancestry and 1867 on the Emigration listing I do not know!
The next reference to her is in the year 1867 in Kent County Michigan where she married Gerrit Kanderman. (?) This fits well with the 1900 Census where she says she came to this country in 1867.
In all my searches for a ships passage list for her, I can only construct this. Per the CD#269 from the Byker Library a Gosselink, H is listed as arriving in 1867 from Borculo, Gelderland, with one child. This person is listed as Dutch Reformed and 33 years of age. So far so good. Now for the part I think is erroneous: listed as Male. My construction is that she came with her child aboard a ship to the USA. She should have been listed as Female! She was from the same Province as the Jacobus Klanderman family.
A Klanderman with a first initial “J” is listed as also arriving in the year 1867, he being Male, listed as a workman 52 years of age, Dutch Reformed, with one woman in household (his wife Aaltje?) and 4 children (Gerrit oldest son, then Johanna, Mary and Dirk). There is a little problem here, as other sources say the family arrives in the USA in 1865! Having further studied this, I think that the Klandermans came in 1867 and Hendrika also came to the USA in 1867. She states in the 1900 Census that she had been in the country that length of time, since 1867. I know that a Rev. Cornelius Van der Meulen married the two of them (Gerrit and Hendrika) in Kent County, Michigan in 1867. (25 Apr 1867) I know it does not fit very well as she had the daughter in April of that same year. There are things like that in the study of History, which may eventually work itself out, but have not yet.
Sidenote:
This Reverend Van der Meulen who married them was a Netherlander, born in the year 1800 in Middelharnis, in the province of Zeeland, in the Netherlands. He had been trained in the NL under Rev. Scholte- a Dutch preacher who later came to the USA and founded the town of Pella, Iowa. This information and also the following come from a book by the name of Legends of the Dutch by Adrian Van Koevering.
( # 977.4153 Van K Bar Code # 3 1376 00018 0924 (Zeeland) The Howard Miller Library)
Rev. Van der Meulen had come to the USA years earlier with Van Raalte’s group of Dutch immigrants and was one of that party’s three leaders. The three leaders were Van Raalte, Rev. Van der Meulen, and Elder Jannes Van De Luyster. Each one of these men led one third of Van Raalte’s group aboard separate ships, sailing for the New World in 1847. They all converged on Holland Michigan, which had yet to be built. Rev. C. Van der Meulen was the first pastor of First Reformed Church of Zeeland in the years 1847 till 1859. Then there was a short two-year period where he pastored in Chicago (First Chicago CRC) from May of 1859 till 1861. From 1861 until 1873 he was minister at Second Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was while he was minister in Grand Rapids that he married Gerrit and Hendrika. There is also a brief note in the Grand Rapids City directory, for the year 1868, that Gerrit worked for a brick factory in Grand Rapids on the East End of Fulton Street.
Soon after the wedding the Gerrit Klanderman family was back to the Borculo area, although they may have originally lived in Zeeland. There was a child of theirs named Hendrika who died the 6th of Apr 1868 at age 1 year and one month (This was Hendrika Jacoba who had been born in the NL and came to the USA as an infant!). She died of Diphtheria. Where she is buried is still a mystery. This child was definitely Hendrika’s daughter and may have also been Gerrit’s daughter but it is hard to say for sure!
Gerrit soon established a General Store on a site a half mile south of the present town of Borculo. There he traded with both the Indians and white men. The Indian encampment was a quarter mile East of the store. Gerrit usually had free tobacco for his customers to fill their pipes or take a chew. The Indians often helped themselves liberally and took all their was. As the years went by other children were born to Gerrit and Hendrika. Their son James was born 1869 a year after the death of Hendrika and was the first white child to be born in the Borculo area. (he later married Tille Bos, see Kent County Clerks Office (Downtown Grand Rapids-County Building): Book 15 page 229, marriage record#4969:marriage on 17 Nov 1909. (No children from this marriage)
Then another daughter Gezina known as “Sena” was born 25th of July 1870. (she later married Aryen (Harry) Bos, see Kent Co Clerks Office Book: 11 page 216, marriage record#8438: marriage on 27 Nov 1894)
In the year 1874 another daughter Alberdina known as “Dena” was born. (She later married John Van Oostendorp See Kent Co Clerks Office: Book 11 page 75 married on 2 Feb1893. (both she and John, as well as and infant daughter Virginia R. Van Oostendorp are all buried in Oakhill Cemetery in Grand Rapids, MI-Eastern Ave and Hall Street. Last tidbit-John was a drayman, that is a person who drove a dray: a low cart without fixed sides used for carrying heavy loads-pulled by a horse.)
Then Hendrika was pregnant again, but tragedy was soon to strike. Gerrit went to Zeeland every so often to fetch supplies for his general store with a team of oxen. On one of these trips in June of 1876 he was caught in a rainstorm. He got wet and chilled and soon died of pneumonia on the 3rd of June of that year. They buried him (some accounts say cremated first) on the 6th of June 1876. Later that same day his daughter Gertrude Marie was born.
His wife Hendrika continued on, raising her children and the following year she married a man named Berend Willeweerd. The wedding occurred the 26th of May in 1877 in Holland Michigan. (this information from Book 5 page 145 Marriage Index, Ottawa County Clerks Office) The Pastor performing the wedding is listed as Wm. Moerdyk. I find that when Cornelius Van der Meulen died 23 Aug 1876 in Grand Rapids, a Rev. William Moerdyk was present at 2nd Reformed Church to pay his respects. See Hollanders By: Rev. Van der Meulen, D.D. from the Byker Library genealogy room.
Hendrika appears again in the 1880 Census as Hendrika Wellsweert, age 46, married, keeping house (Head of Household). So I think the Census taker was spelling phonetically. She is listed as the head of the House! Her children are listed as Jakobus (“James”) Klunderman- note spelling of last name on each child. Gezina (“Sena”) Klunderman, Alberdina (“Dena”) Klunderman, Gerritje (“Gertie”) Klunderman. (“ added by me for better understanding-it did not appear in the Census records.”)
At some point there was a separation and according to the Death Index at the Clerks Office in Grand Haven, also a divorce: Berend is listed as dying on 22nd of Nov 1907 in Olive Township of an intestinal obstruction. He is listed as divorced, a retired farmer, died at 75 years of age. The Death Index also lists that he was born in the NL, parents being Jan Welleweerd (spelling per the Index) and Berendina Woerting. (Aaltje Klanderman, wife of Jacobus, is listed immediately above Berend as dying on the 9th of Nov 1907 in Olive Township at age 83. Her parents are listed as D. Rietman and Maria Zwiers) (Further checking indicates that the 1884 Census says of Berend and Hendrika that they were divorced-Upon checking, this was found to be false!)
Berend Willeweerd died in 1907, this part is true. After checking with the Ottawa County Seat I discovered that Berend initiated a divorce in 1887- but things hung in limbo until both of their deaths, after which in the year 1916 the divorce was thrown out by the Court System as there was no further action from either person-they were both deceased by this time in 1916 !
Hendrika had died the year before Berend in 1906 and was buried next to her former husband, Gerrit Klanderman in Borculo Cemetery. Her death date is 24 Apr 1906.
The last child of Gerrit and Hendrika, named Gertrude Marie or “Gertie” married an immigrant from Germany named Henry John Meppelink and lived on a farm in the Borculo area. This farm was on Blair Street at the East end of the dead end street just East of 96th Avenue. One of their daughters Grace was born on this farm and was my grandmother, who died early this spring. (On the 3rd of March 2005) This woman, my grandmother, Grace Meppelink later married Herman Berens and my mother Mildred Berens was born to this union.
Written on 30 May, 2005 “Tweaked” on 14 Aug 2005 “Tweaked” again on 22 Oct 2005 & 18 May 2006
By: Michael Steenwyk of
3000 Barry Street Hudsonville, MI 49426
phone: 616-669-6321 email: msteenwyk@netpenny.net
