My Top 8 Brick Wall Ancestors - Mom's Side

Image courtesy of GenealogyInTime Magazine www.genealogyintime.com

Last week, I posted My Top 10 Brick Walls - Dad's Side. This week, I was going to post the top ten brick walls from my mom's side, but I could only find eight. Mom is three-quarters Dutch-Frisian, and there are amazingly good resources from the Netherlands online. She is one-quarter English, with  many well-researched New England Puritan and Pilgrim lines. I've posted seven brick walls from her ancestry, and one from her step-father's. And I won't complain that I don't have a full set of ten brick walls!

Do YOU have the answers to my brick walls?

1. When did Trijntje Gerrits "Katherine" (DOLSTRA) VALK immigrate to the United States? The 1900 Federal Census says 1888 and I find her in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan in 1889, but can't find her on passenger lists. In 1880, she was living in Westernijkerk, Ferwerderadeel, Friesland, the Netherlands.

2. Was my ancestor, Berber Sjoerds DeJONG (1858 - 1934), the same individual known as Berber Tjeerds de JONG (b. 1856), daughter of Tjeerd Thijzes de JONG and Jitske Douwes SOEPBOER of Groningen and Friesland, the Netherlands? My research plan is listed in a document file here.

3. When did Wijbren Joukes WIERSMA of Wonseradeel, Friesland, the Netherlands immigrate to the United States? I have a range of 1882 to 1884, but have yet to find him on a passenger list.

4. Who were the parents of Amelia CURTIS? She was b. 11 March 1772 in Spencertown, Connecticut; married Joel STRONG 14 January 1787 in Kent, Litchfield Co., Connecticut; and d. 6 July 1842 in Candor, Tioga Co., New York.

5. Who were the parents of Henry JACOBS (1797 - 1876) of Westchester and Tioga Counties, New York?

6. Was FRISBIE the maiden name of Huldah (1793 - 1875), wife of Henry JACOBS? Her grandson was Charles Frisbie STRONG, and we've often wondered where that middle name (a New England family surname) came from.

7. Who were William Parker WRIGHT's parents? He was b. 19 February 1830 in Minisink, Orange Co., New York; m. c. 1850 to Ann Elizabeth ROCKWELL; and d. 6 November 1915 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. Family records state his parents were Peter WRIGHT and Mary CLARK, but I've also found a David WRIGHT with a Mary CLARK. And how does that Parker middle name fit in? Is it a family surname?

8. This man is a step-ancestor on my mom's side: when and where did Melle "Millard" BOS (BUSH) die? He emigrated from Bierum, Groningen, the Netherlands in 1879. In 1887, his last child was born in Ottawa Co., Michigan; and in 1889, his widow remarried in Lamont, Ottawa Co., Michigan.

Surname Saturday: BOS or BUSH

The BOS-BUSH family is my maternal step-grandfather's maternal line. BOS means "bunch" in Dutch, and I believe a better definition would be "clump of trees," but I'm not sure. When these Dutch-speaking immigrants arrived in Michigan, the name was anglicized to BUSH, which isn't far off from the original meaning.

Stories and History:

The earliest BOS ancestors I can find originated in the province of Groningen, in the villages of Uithuizermeeden in the municipality of Eemsmond and 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 #416C - Klaassen BOS

Ahnentafel #208C - Jan Klaassens BOS; m. Ida Meinderts

Ahnentafel #104C - Eewe Jans BOS (b. 1789 in Uithuizermeeden); m. 1818 in Bierum to Kunje Alberts (de) WEERT

Ahnentafel #52C - Jan Eewe BOS (b. c. 1823); m.1849 in Bierum to Geertje Melles DIJKEMA

Ahnentafel #26C - Melle "Millard" BOS (b. c. 1853 - d. c. 1888); m. 1877 in Bierum to Trientje ZIGTERMAN; immigrated 1879 to Michigan; have been unable to find death record for Melle; his widow married 1889 in Lamont, Ottawa Co., Michigan to Pieter BARSEMA

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

More about the BOS family:

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

2. Some BOS obituaries

3. Posts about BOS ancestors and relatives on this blog

4. Some scanned BOS photos

My BOS immigration trail:

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

Wordless Wednesday: George and Josephine (BUSH) DeVRIES

Source: DeVries, Jarig Egbert Binnes "George" and Johanna "Josephine" (Bos/Bush). Undated second-hand digital copy of original photograph. Privately held by Brian DeVries, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Belmont, Michigan. 2007.

Ancestors in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census - Part 13

I can't find her anywhere...and believe me, I've looked!

Trientje (ZIGTERMAN) BOS BARSEMA, also known as Catherine or Kate, is the maternal grandmother of my maternal (step) grandfather, Adrian DeVRIES. In other words, she is my step-great-great-grandmother. She was born 9 April 1857 in the Netherlands, probably in the northern Province of Groningen, and immigrated in 1879 with her husband Melle BOS--whom she married 29 November 1877 in Bierum, Groningen, the Netherlands--along with their first child, Gertrude, b. c. 1878. They appear in 1880 in Muskegon, Muskegon Co., Michigan as "John and Kattie Boos," child "Gertha," and her brothers, "Sear and Seca Seterman." They next show up in McBain, Missaukee Co., Michigan, where their second child, Johanna "Josephine" BOS, was born in 1885 (the seven-year gap between children makes me suspect there were some miscarriages or infant deaths between Gertrude and Josephine). Before Melle died c. 1888, they had one more child, Melle "Millard" BOS, born 17 July 1887 in Ottawa County. Millard anglicized his surname to BUSH. The family had relatives in Ottawa County; Coopersville is where Millard and Trientje's two brothers settled: Siert or Zigert (also known as Silas) ZIGTERMAN and R. (Sikke) SICHTERMAN.

On 16 October 1889, Trientje married Pieter BARSEMA in Lamont, Ottawa Co., Michigan. Pieter was born 14 March 1854, and his birthplace is also believed to be in the Province of Groningen. He immigrated in 1873 from Eenrum, Groningen, the Netherlands to Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. At the time of his marriage to Trientje, he was a laborer in Muskegon, Muskegon Co., Michigan. Together, Pieter and Trientje had four children: Nellie (b. c. 1891), Sena C. (b. 26 March 1893), Jennie (b. 28 November 1895), and Peter, Jr. (b. 11 Aug 1898).

By 1927, Trientje, then known as Kate, was living with her son Peter and daughter-in-law Elsie at 1149 "E" Avenue, S.W. in Grand Rapids, and was widowed again. In 1929, I have a residence in Grand Rapids for her, but the next record I have is her certificate for her death on 28 January 1935, which states her residence was Livingston Boulevard, Rural Route 4, Grand Rapids Township, the home of her son, Peter.

So where was she when the 1930 U.S. Federal Census was being taken? I have no idea! I have looked at all of her children's 1930 census records, and can find every one of them, except Peter. Kate is not living with any of her other children during that census, or her brothers, for that matter. I've done all kinds of interesting searches, too: surname, first name, wild card, soundex, birth year, etc. Still no luck. Did their household get skipped? Were they moving? Were they gone for the day? Don't you just hate it when you can't find an ancestor on a census? :-)

Adrian DeVRIES Birth Certificate

The image below is a photocopy of the birth certificate of my maternal (step) grandfather, Adrian DeVRIES, and comes from a collection of documents from my maternal grandparents' estate, known hereafter as the DeVries-Hoekstra Collection:

Birth Certificate of Adrian DeVries, 1916

SOURCE: Michigan. Kent County. County Clerk's Office, Grand Rapids. Adrian DeVries birth certificate.

Certificate as to Birth

STATE OF MICHIGAN } ss.
County of Kent }

I, LEWIS J. DONOVAN, Clerk of the Circuit Court for the said County of Kent, do hereby certify that upon careful examination of the original records on file in the office of the Clerk of said County and Court, I find the following record as to the birth of Adrian DeVries
Date of Birth June 10, 1916
Sex Male; Color White; Legitimate
Birthplace Grand Rapids, Mich.

PARENTS

Name of Father George E. B. DeVries Residence 1022 Caulfield Ave., Grand Rapids, Mich.
Name of Mother Josephine Bush Residence 1022 Caulfield Ave., Grand Rapids, Mich.
Birthplace of Father Netherlands Eu Occupation Machine Hand
Birthplace of Mother Michigan

All of which appears as of record dated June 30, 1916 and the same being the whole of such original record of said birth as
Recorded in Liber 20 of RECORD OF BIRTH on page 523

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and official seal, at the City of Grand Rapids, in said County, this 10th day of November A. D. 1941

LEWIS J. DONOVAN, Clerk
Geo. Gruenbauer [signed] Deputy

My grandfather was actually named for his paternal grandmother, Adriaantje "Adriana" (WIERINGA) DeVRIES HOOGSTRA NIEMEYER. His parents followed the Dutch naming pattern of naming the first son after the paternal grandfather (Ben was named for Binnes DeVRIES) and the second son after the maternal grandfather (Millard--"Mel"--was named for Mille BOS). By the time Adrian came along, they probably despaired of ever having any daughters! Rather than following the pattern religiously and naming their third son Jarig--or George--Jr., they decided to name him after George's mother. Two years later, their only daughter, Catherine Josephine, was named for her maternal grandmother, Trienjte ZIGTERMAN BOS BARSEMA and her mother. Their last child, Calvin, was named for the then-current president, Calvin Coolidge. Coincidentally, Adrian "Ed" DeVries, my maternal grandfather, shared the same birth date (but not birth year!) as his son-in-law, my father.

On this document, my great-grandparents' anglicized names are given. From other earlier documents and indexes I've examined, I know that my great-grandfather was first named Jarig Egbert Binnes DeVRIES in the Netherlands, which was changed to George Edward Benjamin DeVRIES; while my great-grandmother, the daughter of Dutch immigrants, was originally named Johanna BOS. My great-grandparents owned a lot with two homes on it, a big one out front (1022 Caulfield Avenue), and a little one in the back (1024). The family generally lived in the larger house and rented out the smaller one, but on occasion, the situation was reversed, as in this particular case. You will notice, however, that my great-grandparents gave their address on my grandfather's birth record as 1022 Caulfield, even though at the time they were living in the little house. My uncle recently did some extensive research on the history of these houses in both Grand Rapids city directories and Kent County land records. I will be sharing those records and past and present photos of these two homes, as well as other ancestral Grand Rapids homes of the DeVries and Hoekstra families, in the future.

George is listed as a machine hand on this record. He worked for several Grand Rapids furniture factories for most of his life, including the John Widdicomb Company. Grand Rapids was once considered the furniture capital of the world, utilizing the rich natural resources in the area for this purpose, especially the great quantities of pine. Whenever I look for relatives or ancestors in federal censuses or city directories in Grand Rapids, many--like George DeVries--appear as furniture factory employees.

Birth certificates at that time and place were not created and made available to parents at the time of their children's births, as they are now. The births were recorded in large books, called libers, in the county clerk's office. This particular document is a certified copy of the record that appears in the birth liber; in other words, the deputy clerk carefully copied the information from the birth liber onto certificate paper, then sealed and signed the document attesting to its accurate reproduction. The date of the certificate, 10 November 1941, suggests that my grandfather obtained it perhaps to show proof of citizenship and age for his future enlistment with the Army (26 March 1942 was his enlistment date, according to his military record). Although the attack of Pearl Harbor was less than a month away at the time this document was certified, many young men had seen the writing on the wall as the war escalated in Europe and had begun to enlist.

Although Ed traveled extensively around the country and--during World War Two--the world, he lived his whole life in Grand Rapids, passing away there this last January.

DeVRIES-BOS Marriage License & Certificate of Marriage

One of the genea-bloggers I truly admire is Steve Danko, who is working towards his certification as a professional genealogist. He posts the records he's researching on his blog and cites each one according to the high standards set forth by the professional genealogical community. Because I have just recently received another package of documents and photos relating to my DeVRIES and HOEKSTRA families--way too much to scan in just a couple of Scanfest settings--I thought I would follow Steve's example somewhat and just scan and post a record every day or so from this treasure trove. For obvious privacy reasons, items pertaining to living persons and some recently-deceased persons will not be shared here.

Below are the obverse and reverse images of the marriage license and certificate of marriage for my (step) great-grandparents, George DeVRIES and Josephine BOSS.

(click on image to see full size)

No. 7505 1911

KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN

Marriage License

To Any Person Legally Authorized to Solemnize Marriage--GREETINGS:

MARRIAGE MAY BE SOLEMNIZED BETWEEN

Mr. GEORGE De VRIES and M[iss] JOSEPHINE BOSS

Affidavit having been filed in this office, as provided by Act 128, Laws of 1887, as amended, by which it appears that said George De Vries is 24 years of age, color is White, residence is Grand Rapids, Michigan and birthplace was Netherlands, Eu., occupation is Machine Hand[,] father's name Ben De Vries and mother's maiden name was Adriana Wieringa has been previously married no times, and that said Josephine Boss is 26 years of age, color is White[,] residence is Grand Rapids, Michigan and birthplace was Michigan[,] occupation is Domestic[,] father's name Millard Boss and mother's maiden name was Kate Sigteman [sic] and who has been previously married no times, and whose maiden name was [blank] and whose [blank] consent, in case she has not attained the age of eighteen years, has been filed in my office.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto attached my hand and the seal of the Circuit Court of Kent
County, Michigan, this 11th day of May A.D. 1911
RALPH A. MOSHER[,] County Clerk
By Rob't G. Hill[,] Deputy Clerk

Certificate of Marriage

Between Mr. George De Vries and M[iss] Josephine Boss
I Hereby Certify that in accordance with the above License the persons herein mentioned were joined in marriage by me at Grand Rapids[,] County of Kent, Michigan, on the 11th day of May A.D. 1911 in the presence of J. Hoogstra of Grand Rapids,Mich. [sic] and J. Doll of Coopersville, Mich. as witnesses.

L. Veltkamp
Name of Magistrate of Clergyman
Clergyman
Official Title

(click on image to see full size)

STATE OF MICHIGAN} ss.
County of Kent }

I, Lewis J. Donovan, Clerk of the Circuit Court for said County of Kent, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct transcript of Record of Marriage compared by me with the original, now on record in the office of the Clerk of said County, in Liber #16 of Marriages, page 65, and of the whole of such original record.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and official seal at the city of Grand Rapids, in said county, this 25th day of May[,] one thousand nine hundred and fifty four.

LEWIS J. DONOVAN, Clerk

By Claude L. Barkley [signed], Deputy

This was originally in the papers of my (step) grandfather, Adrian DeVRIES. It was apparently obtained by him in 1954, although for what purpose, I'm not sure. Perhaps he was assisting his father, George DeVRIES, with legal or financial matters, and this document was needed. This time period (1954) was between the years that Josephine died in 1946, and George's death in 1959. This is a photocopy; the original certificate remains in the possession of my uncle. The citation would read (according to my RootsMagic software): "Kent County Marriage Liber 16: Page 65, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan."

Because I am very familiar with Michigan marriage records, I know that this record was copied and typed onto a certificate in 1954 from information handwritten into liber 16, page 65, record 7505, and that it may not have been recorded in that marriage liber until up to a year after the marriage took place (1911). In turn, that recording of c. 1911 - 1912 would have been copied from the marriage return that the clergyman, L. Veltkamp, would have had to submit to the county clerk. The type of license and certificate shown in this record were not actually used until later in the century. They are used here to record the information from the liber in a convenient format. Thus, this official document is not necessarily a primary one, as the original written information has been copied twice: from the marriage return to the marriage liber, and from the marriage liber to the certificate.

One thing I noticed were the anglicized versions of the various individuals' Dutch and Frisian names. George DeVRIES was originally named Jarig Egbert Binnes DeVRIES, which when anglicized, becomes George Edward Benjamin DeVRIES; although the "Binnes" translates more correctly to "Ben's son" or "Benson". Josephine BOSS was originally named Johanna BOS. "BOSS" is an alternate spelling; it's the only time I've seen the family name spelled this way. Her name was later anglicized to Josephine BUSH. Her father, named Millard BOSS here, was originally Melle BOS, and her mother Kate SIGTE(R)MAN, was originally Trientje ZIGTERMAN. SIGTERMAN was also spelled SICHTERMAN in the U.S. George's parents, Ben DeVRIES and Adriana WIERINGA, were originally Binnes Jarigs DeVRIES and Adriaantje (sometimes spelled Adriaantze) WIERINGA.

The "J. HOOGSTRA" that appears as a witness would likely have been George's stepfather, John HOOGSTRA. I do not know who J. DOLL is; perhaps a friend of Josephine's. I haven't yet come across a cousin or other relative of either the bride or groom with that surname. Both the BOS and ZIGTERMAN families had at one time or another lived in or near Coopersville, in neighboring Ottawa County.

There will be much more forthcoming on the DeVRIES (and related) families.

Ancestors in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census - Part 6

April 1st was Census Day for the 1930 U.S. Federal Census. In honor of that census day, throughout the month of April I am posting lists of my known direct ancestors and where they were residing during that census. I'll also list who's missing; for us family historians, missing individuals on census records can be the most frustrating and intriguing challenges of genealogy!

My posts about my grandparents enumerated in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census would not be complete without mentioning the DeVries family. My mother was raised by her step-father, Adrian "Ed" DeVRIES, son of George Edward Benjamin DeVRIES and Josephine BUSH (also known by their original Dutch names, Jarig Egbert Binnes DeVRIES and Johanna BOS). Although Grandpa DeVRIES may have been a step-ancestor, he was always my grandpa, and nothing less!

(The census image has been removed)

Here you can see that 13-year-old Ed was enumerated with his parents, brothers, and sister at their home at 1024 Caulfield Avenue, Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. His name is mis-spelled "Adrain," and his sister's is missing the final "-e." This home was a little house in the back of the property, often rented out for extra income; but in this case the family was living there, and the larger house (number 1022) was being rented out for $20 a month to widow Paula STEENSMA and her six children.

(The census image has been removed)

My uncle has been researching the history of these houses, and so far has discovered that George's step-father, John Hoogstra, purchased a home on that property (originally numbered 502 Caulfield Avenue) with another gentleman and may have later bought out his partner's interest in the home. He has been searching city directories to find out exactly which address George and Josephine were living at when Ed was born. It is known that brother Ben and his wife Ruth lived in the little house for a while as newlyweds in 1946. It's been a lot of fun to discover the details, and it's quite possible that my uncle may have been bitten by the genealogy bug (at least a little bit!).

As well as doing hands-on research in the Grand Rapids City Library for city directories and the Kent County courthouse for deeds and other land records, we have used the following helpful websites: Steve Morse's Obtaining Street Name Changes in One Step and Barbara Vander Mark's Genealogy, Geography and History of My City, Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan, an absolutely invaluable resource.

In covering my grandparents' generation, I've touched on many of my great-grandparents and even one great-great-grandparent (in the first part of this series)! Now I will continue with my great-great-grandparents, and even a 3rd-great-grandparent!

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12)