For Louis

[mixfinder]

My grandfather immigrated from Nieuw-Beijerland, and grandma from Goudsewaard. They met in Canada in 1924 and came to America to homestead a farm in Washington state. My grandparents scrimped and saved to sponsor relatives who came after them. Here is an early picture of them (couple on the right) with grandpa's sister on a hunt. Both were fiercely proud of becoming American and adopted every style of Americans. Grandpa didn't want to be a dirt farmer and followed his dream of being a cowboy. He started a rodeo contracting company and was a horse trader his entire life.

 

[foraloysius]

Wonderful picture! Was it a coincidence they met in Canada or did they already know eachother before? They were early with moving across the big pond, most Americans of Dutch origin moved after WWII.

Here's a little information about Nieuw-Beijerland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuw-Beijerland

 

[mixfinder]

Leaving Home

My great grandfather had an affair with my great grandmother's nurse. The two ran off to England until the money ran out. Great grandfather returned and my grandpa swore he wouldn't live in the same house or even town as his father. He prearranged a job of herding sheep for three years before hearing about free train rides to Washington state to claim land. He came into the US and went first to Moxee and then to Sunnyside, where a large Dutch community would settle in years to come. My grandfather met two gentlemen by the name of den Hartigh at the court house while filing for claims in the same town. Their sister had come with them to act as their housekeeper while the brothers started a dairy. They all arrived in September, too late to begin farming. Grandma needed to learn English and she went to work in a general store. Grandpa wanted to learn English as well so he enrolled himself in public school and began in the 4th grade at the age of 19. On the way home from school he heard someone calling for help. It was my grandma who was sent to pick apples for the store and was lost. Grandma never did keep house for her brothers. She and grandpa got married the next spring. Chrisstoffel Gouke van Belle & Bastiaantje den Hartigh married 56 years and had 7 children.

 

[petek]

Kelly. I'm doing a little family genealogy and found out that most libraries have Ancestry.com (library-edition) available for free on their computers. Otherwise you have to buy on-line subscriptions and it's expensive. I've found out quite a bit of info. copies of documents etc. including the ships registry showing some of my relatives emigrating to the US in 1914

 

[foraloysius]

Great story! Van Belle is not a very common name in the Netherlands. Is your grandfather's family originally from Belgium? Could be though that his family is from the southern part of the Netherlands, I don't know enough of that part of the country.

 

[mixfinder]

I love their waffles!

Geneology dates the name to the Northwest corner of France, just below the Begium border. A mormon uncle researched the name in preparation to be babtized for the heads of family. The name was traced to the 13th century and a town named Bailleul where the Flemish and Dutch intermingled. I'm not sure who to blame for the curse of crazy curly hair which, after embarrassing me all through high school, fell out by the time I was 19.

 

[foraloysius]

That explains it. The region around Lille (Rijsel) was indeed Flemish in the past. Van is Dutch and Belle is French. It's all in the name!

 

[mixfinder]

Change of Menu

It must be time for this family to throw the pea soup and make some French fries!

 

[foraloysius]

Ooooh! Yummie!!

 

[toggleswitch2]

How very interesting!

Is the stove your latest? Is it a Frigidaire?