Found this picture of my family and it made my day!

I was casually looking around for some genealogy stuff, switching between windows, when I needed to go to Family Search.  I have an account, of course, but I never really looked at some of the newer functionality of the site.  But this time when I logged in, it sent me to a photo screen based on a simple tree I had put up awhile ago.  The first picture totally got my attention and it was amazing!!  A cousin I didn't know, had this picture with her family genealogy and I had never seen it or even heard of its existence!!

As soon as I saw this picture, I knew which family.  The young man on the viewers left is my great-grandfather Ben.  The reason I recognized him is because I have a wedding picture of Ben and his bride, Emma, which would only be about 5 years from this photo.

So at this time of the family, the father, Minne had died 5 years before of "lung fever".  The only other direct family to pass away was one of the little girls, Klaaske in 1900.  Since Klaaske passed away from "strophia" (some form of muscle atrophy ), this picture is probably around the time of her death (before or after) in 1900.  The only other picture of the mother, Marie, is when she is much older and her face is shaded by a hat.  But you can see the lower part of her face and it does seem to resemble this picture too.

Now that I'm looking at the picture again, there is a weird blank spot between the boys.  May be this picture was altered?

Tombstone Tuesday: Great-Great-Grandparents #9

Minne and Maria (Kool) Groenhof were married June 7, 1878 in Hemelumer Oldeferd, Netherlands.  They had 8 children together.  Minne was born March 10, 1850 in Hemelumer Oldeferd, Netherlands.  The family immigrated together in 1890 with six of their children.  Minne died October 22, 1895 in Olive Township, Michigan at the age of 45.  Marijke Kool was born April 28, 1852 in Hemelumer Oldeferd, Netherlands and died April 8, 1932 in Blendon Township, Michigan.

Hidden treasures!

Scanning pictures has turned up a real treasure!  Within my father's stuff, I found this picture of my 2-great grandmother, Maria (Kool) Groenhof.  The name of the child was not given.  Maria died in 1932 (Apr 8th) in Blendon Township, Michigan at age 79.  She was born Apr 28, 1852 in Friesland.

Somewhere I think I have a brief description of her life narrated before she died.  I will have to look and post!

Additionally, there were a number of pictures of my grandparents (Martin & Agnes) when they were younger.  I have actually not seen any of those before either.  The one to the right is labeled Grand Rapids (MI) but no date.

Groenhof Immigration from the Netherlands to America

The Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij Company was founded 1871 as

Plate, Reuchlin & Company in Rotterdam and became known as the Holland America Line. The ship which transported the Groenhof family to America was built in 1881 and purchased from the White Star Line. It was renamed the Spaarndam and was 4,529 tons. This ship was scrapped in 1901.

Minne Groenhof (age 40) arrived in New York on April 12, 1890 with his wife Maria (age 37) and their 6 children: Gerben (age 10), Berend (age 8), Aafke (age 6), Lucas (age 4), Wepkje (age 2) and Klassje (age 6 months). Minne was listed as a farmer from the Netherlands with 6 pieces of baggage. The family probably left from Rotterdam and would have spent about ten days aboard the ship.

Although the reason for the family's immigration is not known, it could have been because of the cheap fare available at the time or that they had family already living in the United States.

Maria had at least one brother living in Michigan. The family would have received news and might have felt it was a good time to move. Minne's parents had also passed away, which might have made the move easier to make at that time.

16 Great-Great-Great Grandparents

If nothing else, Genea-Musings is giving me things to blog about!

So here is the list of my 16 G-G-G Grandparents & their nationality:

1) Minne Gerbens Groenhof: born 10 Mar 1850 @Hemelumer Oldeferd, Friesland, Netherlands, married 07 Jun 1878 @Hemelumer Oldeferd, Friesland, Netherlands, died 22 Oct 1895 @Olive Township, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

2) Marijke Berends Kool: born 28 Apr 1852 @Hemelumer Oldeferd, Friesland, Netherlands, died 08 Apr 1932 @Blendon Township, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

3) Jacob Harmens Steigenga: born 07 Apr 1853 @Hemelumer Oldeferd, Friesland, Netherlands, married 24 May 1877 @Workum, Friesland, Netherlands, died 30 Jul 1923 @Borculo, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

4) Aukje Ruurds Vander Meer: born 30 Dec 1856 @Workum, Friesland, Netherlands, died 20 Mar 1916 @Blendon Township, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

5) Symon Harmens Stremler: born 11 Dec 1843 @Wonseradeel, Friesland, Netherlands, married 05 May 1925 @Wonseradeel, Friesland, Netherlands, died 08 May 1925 @ Olive Township, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

6) Pietje Wiebes Hiemenga: born 19 Oct 1845 @Wonseradeel, Friesland, Netherlands, died 06 Aug 1920 @Olive Township, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

7) Jacob De Vries: born 23 May 1861 @Zeeland Township, Ottawa, Michigan, married 23 Mar 1887 @Michigan, died 29 May 1949 @Zeeland, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

8) Agina Jannetina Marlink: born 25 Nov 1867 @Zeeland Township, Ottawa, Michigan, died 11 Aug 1949 @Zeeland, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

9) Johannes Jans Naber: born 06 Mar 1855 @Holland Township, Ottawa, Michigan, married 06 Mar 1876 @Holland Township, Ottawa, Michigan, died 13 Oct 1904 @Holland Township, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

10) Aaltje Hellenthal: born 31 Oct 1854 @Fillmore Township, Allegan, Michigan, died 22 Oct 1919 @Holland Township, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

11) Gradus Lubbers: born 01 Dec 1872 @Fillmore Township, Allegan, Michigan married 14 Mar 1896 @Fillmore Township, Allega, Michigan, died 20 Jan 1947 @Holland, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

12) Dina (Sneller) Bol: born 26 Dec 1875 @Olive Township, Ottawa, Michigan, died 08 Nov 1960 @Holland, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

13) Otto Ottos Brand: born 09 Nov 1860 @Zuilchem, Gelderland, Netherlands, married 31 Dec 1890 @Bedum, Gelderland, Netherlands, died 03 Jul 1947 @Holland, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

14) Willemke Jans Meulenbelt: born 02 Feb 1863 @Aduard, Groningen, Netherlands, died 14 Jul 1947 @Holland, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

15) Johannes De Vries: born 23 Jul 1863 @Zeeland Township, Michigan, married 05 Oct 1887 @Zeeland, Ottawa, Michigan, died 01 Oct 1943 @Zeeland, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

16) Gertrude Boes: born 04 Oct 1866 @Beaverdam, Ottawa, Michigan, died 28 Apr 1936 @Zeeland, Ottawa, Michigan (Dutch)

So it looks like my "nationality" is...Dutch! Big surprise!