Family Tree of DeGraaff generation 10
Descendants of Jacob de Graaff
Latest update performed on December 21, 2020.
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10.8. Cornelis (de Graaff) DeGraaff, son of Hendrik Jacob de Graaff, was born on May 23, 1880 in Alkmaar. Cornelis was a merchant and he passed away at the age of 83 on February 22, 1964 in Paterson, Passaic Co., New Jersey.
Cornelis married Cornelia van der Voort, daughter of Aliedius Willem van der Voort and Anna Maria van de Pol, on September 24, 1903 in Alkmaar. Cornelia was born on November 25, 1880 in Alkmaar. She passed away on December 29, 1960 in Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey.
The couple raised the following children:
11.1. [F] (i) Anna DeGraaff was born on August 10, 1904 in Haarlem, The Netherlands.
Anna married Frank Feikema, son of Donald Feikema and Hermina Aul, in 1923 in South Dakota. Frank was born abt. 1902 in Iowa.
11.2. [M] (ii) Cornelius DeGraaff was born on July 12, 1911 in Cook Co., Illinois.
11.3. [F] (iii) Josine DeGraaff was born on October 20, 1918 in Iowa, USA. She passed away on April 15, 1997 in Haledon, Passaic, New Jersey.
Josina married Walter Leslie Finney. Walter was born on March 1, 1912 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and he was christened on June 9, 1912 at the 29th Street Methodist Episcopal Church. He was married before and either widowed or divorced inn the mid 1940’s. He passed away in November 1970 in NJ, most likely in Haledon, Passaic Co.
The manifest of the USA Immigration Officer shows that Cornelis de Graaff arrived in the Port of New York on January 14, 1908 on the steamer Rijndam. He was accompanied by a friend from Amsterdam and their destination was the house of Cornelis’ brother i/l Gerrit van der Voort, who live at 423 Garden street in Hoboken, New Jersey.
The “Rijndam”, Holland America Line
Immigration Manifest of January 14, 1908
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His wife Cornelia and daughter Anna arrived eight months later. In these eight months she stayed at her mothers house, who had become a widow.
Anna, also accompanied by a lady friend, made the passage on the steamer Furnessia and arrived in the Port of New York on September 29, 1908. Their destination was the house of Cornelis DeGraaff on 812 Dumville Street in Bloom, Hoboken, NJ. This address is just 2 blocks away from the house of Gerrit van der Voort.
The “Furnessia”, Anchor Line
Immigration Manifest of Sept. 29, 1908
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In 1920 and in 1930 a federal count of population was held and the names of Cornelius and his wife and children appear in the two census documents listed below:
1920 Census, Colton City, Minnehaha, South Dakota
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1930 Census, East Rutherford, Bergen, New Jersey
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On the 1930 census document, the name of Anna is missing, because she moved out of the house in 1923 when she married Frank Feikema.
Family Tree of DeGraaff generation 10
10.9. John DeGraaff (Jan de Graaff), son of Hendrik Jacob de Graaff, was born on April 9, 1882 in Alkmaar, Noord-The Netherlands prov. John passed away at the age of 78 at 5:30 in the morning of Monday May 30, 1960 in Merced County Hospital, California. He was buried on June 2, 1960 at Rose Hill Memorial Park in Whittier, California.
Original birth certificate of Jan de Graaff
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Translation of John DeGraaff birth certificate
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Ross Hill Memorial Park
Jan (John) emigrated from The Netherlands to the United States of America. He arrived in the Port of New York on November 26, 1907 and made the passage on the steamer Statendam, operated by the The Netherlands America Line. After the standard formalities he was discharged to his brother i/l Paul Zee and stayed with Paul for some time on 4022 State Street, Chicago, Illinois.
The “Statendam”, Holland America Line
Immigration Manifest of Novenber 26, 1907
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Jan received his Citizenship of the USA in 1951. One year later he retired, after working as a carpenter for 40 years.
John DeGraaff married Elizabeth Maria Nieuwenburg, daughter of Cornelis Nieuwenburg and Maria de Kubber, on October 10, 1908 in Cook, Illinois. He applied for the marriage license more then a year before the marriage and received it on September 30, 1907. This would make the procedure for Elizabeth to immigrate into the USA merely a formality.
Marriage Certificate of John and Elizabeth
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Marriage License of John and Elizabeth
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Elizabeth Maria was born on October 4, 1884 in Breskens, Zeeland, NL.
Original birth record od Elizabeth Maria
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Translation of Elizabeth’s birth record
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She emigrated to the United States of America and arrived in the Port of New York on September 29, 1908 and she also made the passage on the steamer Statendam, shown above.
SS Statendam 1908 Second Cabin Passenger List
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Elizabeth Maria passed away of a heart attack on December 11, 1958 in Los Angeles, California. She was buried in December 1958 at Rose Hill Memorial Park in Whittier, California.
Elizabeth’s grave stone at Rose Hill Memorial Park
The couple raised the following children:
11.4. [F] (i) Mary L. DeGraaff was born on July 15, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois. Marie married Everett F. Blessing on April 28, 1928 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa.
11.5. [M] (ii) Henry DeGraaff was born on October 25, 1910 in Chicago, Illinois.
11.6. [F] (iii) Ann (Anna) DeGraaff was born on May 17, 1912 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. She passed away on September 3, 1985 in Jackson, California.
Ann married (1) Lloyd Richard Churchill on June 26, 1933 in Union, South Dakota. Lloyd was born February 20, 1906 in Homer, Dakota, Nebraska and passed away November 12, 1973 in Tucson, Pima, Arizona. He is buried with his second wife in Omaha Valley Cemetery in Homer, Dakota, Nebraska. Ann and Lloyd raised a daughter.
11.6. Ann married (2) Arthur J. Mehan, son of Arthur Mehan (Irish background) and Anna Helen Hepner (German background) after the early 1950’s. Arthur was born on February 24, 1903 in Jackson Co., Iowa. He passed away on January 12, 1981 in Jackson, California. Both Ann and Arthur are buried in Turlock Memorial Park, Stanislaus Co., California.
11.7. [M] (iv) Niel DeGraaf (DeGraff) was born on August 14, 1913 in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois. His given name was Niel as shown on the birth certificate, but the 1920 census (below) lists him as Cornelius. Alos the surname is spelled differently. Degraaf on the birtch certificate and DeGraff on the 1920 census.
11.8. [F] (v) Elizabeth DeGraaff was born on Februari 13, 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Sadly she suffered from Broncho Pneumonia on passed away on June 21, 1918 in Chicago, Illinois.
11.9. [M] (vi) Stillborn child on December 22, 1919 in Lester, Lion, Iowa.
11.10. [M] (vii) John DeGraaff was born on April 12, 1921 in Lester, Lion, Iowa. The records indicate that Elisabeth Maria DeGraaff was carrying twins and gave birth to a still born baby boy that same day.
11.11. [M] (viii) Stillborn child on April 12, 1921 in Lester, Lion, Iowa.
11.12. [M] (ix) Richard Paul DeGraaff was born on December 9, 1922 in Lester, Lion, Iowa. His name was listed on the census which was taken on April 22, 1930. Richard passed away of diphtheria at the age of 7 in Covington, Dacota, Nebraska, shortly after that census was taken. His illness and death resuted in a quarentine for the whole family for many weeks.
On the census of 1910 for Cook, Chicago, John and his wife and daughter Mary are listed on lines 77, 78 and 79 as co-residents in the house of W.K. Schuits and his wife, living at 33 East 110th Place.
On this census the age of Mary seems to be written as a fraction an we think it reads as 9/12. This puts her date of birth in July 1909.
On the census of 1920 for Lester Town, Larchwood Township, Lyon county, Iowa, John and his wife and four children are listed on lines 62 through 67.
Below are two sheets of the city census of Alkmaar describing the civil status of Jan and Johanna’s family. It was normal practice for the census clerk to run a line through the entries which were no longer valid, e.g. in case a member moved out of the house, or passed away.
Census 1910 for Cook, Chicago, Illinois
Census 1920 Lester Town, Lyon, Iowa
Family Tree of DeGraaff generation 10
10.12. Hendrik Jacob de Graaff (Henri DeGraaff), son of Hendrik Jacob de Graaff, was born on September 15, 1891 in Alkmaar. Henry was a carpenter. He passed away at the age of 95 in November 1987 in Florida and is buried in Manasota Memorial Park, Bradenton, Manatee, Florida.
At the age of 18 Henri Jacob emigrated to the United States of America. He arrived on April 10, 1910 in the Port of New York on the steamer Nieuw Amsterdam and was discharged to sister’s husband P. Zee from Ellis Island. From New York he traveled to his brother Jan (John) who then lived on 33 East 110th Place, Chicago, Illinois.
The “Rotterdam”, Holland America Line
Immigration Manifest of April 10, 1910
10.12. Henry married Sipke van den Berg (Sadie VandenBerg), daughter of Ybe van den Berg and and Foekjen Lefferts de Jong, on September 3, 1913 in Grand Rapids in Kent County, Michigan. Sadie was born on July 3, 1890 in Aengwirden in the Province of Friesland, The Netherlands. She passed away in January 1977 in Florida and she is also buried in Manasota Memorial Park, Bradenton, Manatee, Florida.
Return of Marriages in the County of Kent, October 17, 1913
1920 Census of Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan
The couple raised the following children:
11.13. [F] (i) Florence DeGraaff was born in 1914 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan. Florence married Martin Pieter Wiebenga on February 26, 1932.
11.14. [F] (ii) Anna DeGraaff was born on December 19, 1915 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan. She passed away aged 9 on February 25, 1924 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan and she is buried in Garfield Park Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.
Obituary in Grand Rapids Press of Tuesday Feb. 26, 1924.
11.15. [M] (iii) Henry Jacob DeGraaff was born on October 17, 1917 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.
11.16. [F] )iv) Stillborn child on on June 17, 1919 in Blodgett Hospital on Plymouth Road and Wealthy Street, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.
10.13. Pieter de Graaff (DeGraaff), son of Hendrik Jacob de Graaff, was born on July 29, 1894 in Alkmaar. Once in the USA his name quickly changed from Pieter de Graaff into Peter DeGraaff. He is buried at Greenwood Memorial Terrace, Spokane, Spokane, Washington
Pieter married Grace (Gerarda) Top, daughter of Evert Top and Anna Blankenstein, on February 10, 1926 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.Grace was born August 1, 1899 in the Netherlands and she passed away January 2, 1986 in Spokane, Spokane, Washington. She is also buried at Greenwood Memorial Terrace, Spokane, Spokane, Washington.
The couple raised the following children:
11.17. [F] (i) Living daughter, born in 1931 in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha, South Dakota.
11.18. [M] (ii) Living son, born in 1935 in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha, South Dakota.
Family Tree of DeGraaff generation 10
10.14. Jacob DeGraaff, son of Hendrik Jacob de Graaff, was born on April 30, 1897 in Alkmaar. He was a farm hand.
Jacob must have had pioneer’s blood flowing through his veins and was quite independant for his age. His parents let him travel to the USA on his own when he was only 16 years of age. He arrived in the Port of New York on steamer Nieuw Amsterdam on September 23, 1912. He was picked up from Ellis Island by Gerrit van der Voort who lived in Hoboken on 602 Washington Street at that time. After a brief stay, Jacob travelled on to his final destination in Westfall, Ontario, Oregon where he lived with his sister Gesina and brother i/l Pieter (Peter) Zee.
The “Nieuw Amsterdam” of the Holland America Line
Immigration Manifest of Sept 23, 1912
This document was hard to find in the archives of Ellis Island, because the clerk of the immigration office wrote the surname with one ‘f’.
Jacob passed away at the age of 71 on November 8, 1968 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.
Obituary Grand Rapids Press of Saturday Nov. 9, 1968
10.14. Jacob DeGraafff married Ella “Pearl” Marken, daughter of Martin Marken and Mary DeYoung (de Jong), on July 24, 1924 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan. Ella was born in 1903 in Jenison(ville), Kent, Michigan.
Return of Marriages in the County of Kent, Michigan, September 30, 1924
1930 Census, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan
Ella “Pearl” Degraff passed away at the age of 93 on Monday March 24, 1997 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.
Obituary Grand Rapids Press of Saturday March 25, 1997.
Jacob and Ella are buried together at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.
The couple raised the following children:
11.19. [F] (i) Emily Jean DeGraaff was born on August 30, 1925 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan and she passed away October 19, 2014 in Melbourne, Brevard, Florida. Emily married Norman Wright, son of Bert Miles Wright and Grace Kramer, on June 3, 1944 in Los Angeles, California. Norman was born December 16, 1924 in Grand Rapids as well and he passed away on December 27, 2008 in Satellite Beach, Brevard, Florida. They are buried together in Florida Memorial Gardens, Rockledge, Brevard, Florida. Emily and Norman raise a son and a daughter, both living.
11.20. [F] (ii) Viola Mae DeGraaff was born was born on December 26, 1927 in Grand Rapids and she passed away on December 20, 2014 in Grand Rapids. Viola married Edward Paul Stewart, son of Paul Stewart and Seena Ploeg, on May 5, 1945 in Grand Rapids. Edward was also born in Grand Rapids on November 9, 1926 and he passed away there as well on June 7, 1999. He is buried at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan. Viola and Edward raised 2 daughters and 2 sons, all living.
11.21. [M] (iii)Henry Jacob DeGraaff was born on April 21, 1932 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.
11.22. [M] (iv) Donald DeGraff was born in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.
11.23. [M] (v) Robert DeGraff was born in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.
Family Tree of DeGraaff generation 10
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