Surname Saturday: ZIGTERMAN

ZIGTERMAN is one of my maternal step-grandfather's surnames. The spelling was anglicized to SICHTERMAN in the United States in the late nineteenth century. The family line comes from the Province of Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands. While I have not yet been able to determine the translation of the word, it appears to be an occupational surname.

Stories and History:

The earliest ZIGTERMAN ancestors I can find originated in the province of Groningen, in the village of Bierum in the municipality of Delfzijl. In 1879, my step-2nd-great-grandparents, Melle BOS and Trientje ZIGTERMAN immigrated to Western Michigan.

(I use the letter "C" to differentiate between my biological family tree and my step-family tree. Similarly, I use the letter "B" to mark my paternal grandmother's adoptive family tree.)

Ahnentafel #216C - Klaas (dates unknown) 

Ahnentafel #108C - Sikke Klaassens ZIGTERMAN (dates unknown) - married Sikke Klaassens ZIGTERMAN

Ahnentafel #54C - Klaas ZIGTERMAN (1823 - 1870) - born and died in Bierum, Delfzijl, Groningen, the Netherlands, he married Anje WOLT (b. 1829) there in 1854. They had six known children. At least two of their children, Trientje ("Catherine") and Zigert ("Silas") immigrated to Western Michigan.

Ahnentafel #27C - Trientje "Catherine" ZIGTERMAN (1856 - 1835) - born in Bierum, she married Melle "Millard" BOS there in 1877. They immigrated to Western Michigan in 1879 and had three children. The first was born in the Netherlands, the second in Missauke Co., Michigan, and the third in Ottawa Co., Michigan. After Melle's death c. 1888, Trientje married Pieter BARSEMA in 1889 in Ottawa County and had four more children. She died in Grand Rapids Twp., Kent Co., Michigan.

Ahnentafel #13C - Johanna BOS (a.k.a. Josephine BUSH) (1885 - 1946); m. 1911 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan to Jarig Egbert Binnes DeVRIES (a.k.a. George Edward Benjamin DeVRIES)

Ahnentafel # 6C - Adrian "Ed" DeVRIES (1916 - 2007) - my beloved maternal (step) grandfather, greatly missed; m. 1947 in Wyoming Twp., Kent Co., Michigan to Ruth Lillian (HOEKSTRA) VALK (1919 - 2001)

Ahnentafel #3 - My mother (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - myself

More About the ZIGTERMAN Family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): ZIGTERMAN and SICHTERMAN ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Some ZIGTERMAN obituaries

3. Posts about ZIGTERMAN ancestors and relatives on this blog

The ZIGTERMAN Immigration Trail:

Delfzijl, Groningen, the Netherlands > Missaukee Co., MI > Ottawa Co., MI > Kent Co., MI > AK > Stevens Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA