Do-Over Log Jam

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One of my first ventures into the trenches of Genealogy in 1997 (about) was meeting with my mother's cousin who had done TONS and TONS of work on our shared line.  She very generously shared by copying all her files that included newspaper clippings and handwritten memories.  So I started as a name collector with that huge file of handwritten family group sheets.  But what I did NOT do was sourcing.  I had no idea where that name or date originated.  I negated the work done by others by not giving credit to the original.

As I go back through those pages plus other collections, I'm looking at a lifetime of work by many as well as record of who came before me.  I'm not a name collector.  Rather I'm honoring the work of my relatives.  The years and years of their efforts (typing, organizing, going to libraries) are worth the hours of effort by me.  Their love of family and history deserves preservation.  What I'm hoping to pass down to my descendants is a well organized record of my work, including names and faces and stories of those who came before,

Tombstone Tuesday: Great-Great-Grandparents #11

Symon and Pietje (Hiemenga) Stremler were married May 5, 1866 in Wonseradeel, Friesland.  Symon was born December 11, 1843 in Wonseradeel.  Pietje was born October 19, 1845 in Wonseradeel.  They had 8 children together.  Symon died May 8, 1925 in Olive Township, Michigan.  Pietje died August 6, 1920 in Olive Township, Michigan. They are buried in the Borculo Cemetery, Michigan.

Tombstone Tuesday: Great-Grandparents #6

Ben and Lucy Stremler are buried in the Borculo Cemetery, Blendon Township, Michigan.  Binne Stremler was born April 23, 1881 in Wonseradeel, Friesland, Netherlands.  Lucy De Vries was born September 17, 1888 in Zeeland, Ottawa County, Michigan.  Ben and Lucy were married March 26, 1908 and they had 7 children together.  Ben died March 26, 1926 in Ottawa County, Michigan.  Lucy remarried to Hessel Bremer who died in 1948.  Lucy died August 16, 1968 at the county poor farm in Eastmanville, Michigan.

Tombstone Tuesday: Paternal Grandparents

Agnes and Martin Groenhof are buried in the Restlawn Memorial Gardens in Holland, Michigan.  Agnes Stremler was born in 1909 in Zeeland, Michigan.  Martin was born in 1906 in North Blendon, Michigan.  They were married in 1929, North Blendon, Michigan.  They had three sons and Agnes didn't remarry after the death of Martin.

Union Loom - No. 36

My mother currently owns a union loom that she purchased from her former mother-in-law, Agnes Stremler Groenhof. This is the loom that my mother (hopefully) will pass along to me! As far as I know, my grandmother Agnes worked in the textile industry in Michigan and at one point purchased or received this Union Loom manufactured by the Union Loom Works in Boonville, N.Y. I don't have any memories of my grandmother working the loom but she did save a clipping from the Holland Sentinel showing her working the loom at a craft fair (which is posted above).

I do have lots of memories of my own mother working on the loom making rag rugs. I can still hear the banging when she pulled on the reed piece to tighten up the weave. My mother, and apparently my grandmother, always worked standing up since there is an extra board attached to the bottom of the loom to make it taller. (My grandmother was about 6 feet tall, as am I!)

The reason I am bring up the loom now is because my mother asked me to find a new source of warp since she hasn't purchased any in a long time and will need some more soon. So I was looking around the internet and finding out stuff about this loom and where to get warp. It looks like I am fortunate to have an original instruction manual. So at some point, I will scan this booklet and post it to this site (or link to its location) so that anyone looking for a copy can get what they need.

A missing wedding picture

Many years ago, I created a wedding (or at least a picture of the couple around that time) genealogy picture album. The idea was that it would start with me and my husband and then go to our parents, our grandparents and out to our great-grandparents. (I don't have any pictures of the next level so I never even put those pages in the book.) As of yesterday, I was missing 3 pictures for the album, 2 from my husbands side and 1 from my own. Well, I was picking some stuff up yesterday and I found some pictures. Of course I have to scan them but I thought I would take a look before I put them on the scan pile. Well, I found a picture of my mother-in-law, who passed away a few years ago along with one of the missing pictures with a note from her! I actually had this picture for a number of years but totally forgot. WOW! I am very excited! The copy is not great but I fixed it up a bit and it is posted above. This is Duncan Livingston & Ida May Cook married in 1901.

My daughter loves this album as much as I do so I showed her the picture and she noticed something interesting. (Figures!) If you look closely at the broach Ida is wearing, it looks like a picture of her husband. I will have to see if my father in law has the original at his house since the orientation of the photo is wrong for the album and I would like to rescan it.

So the only pictures I need are Edwin Charles Vorce & Susie Augusta Stinchfield, married in 1895 AND Ben Stremler & Lucy De Vries married in 1908. Of course it might not be a wedding picture but I would like something for the album!

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!