Jeanette De Vries Brandt

about 1914

So I realized during my last post that my great-grandmother Jeanette had a child every year for SEVEN years!  (Okay it is probably a re-realization!)  Two of these babies died.  Julius Otto before he was one year old and Rose Marie was stillborn.  Now they did re-use those names which does make it complicated.  Four more children came along in 1927, 1929, 1930 and then the baby in 1938.

Jeanette was the seventh child, born Feb 15, 1899, to Johannes and Gertrude De Vries.  She married Otto Brandt Oct 31, 1918.  I have heard that it was a forced marriage in that Otto might not have been willing but Jeanette's brothers made sure he attended.  And since she was 3 months pregnant at the time of the marriage, this is probably true!

I believe her childhood was pretty happy, living on a farm with good parents and lots of siblings.  Her early marriage must have been very difficult with babies and cleaning and the depression.  Her husband Otto was not always able to find work.  She lived until 1975, long enough to see grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  My own daughter received her middle name in honor of Jeanette so she will be remembered.