"One generation passeth away, and another cometh, but the earth abideth forever." The Old Testament is replete with accounts of generations. Of particular note is the House of David and the lineage of some of the tribes of Israel and Judah. It has been written that the Dutch fulfill an ancient prophecy pertaining to one of the so-called last ten tribes of the House of Israel:
"Zebulun's descendants were to dwell at the haven of the sea" Gen. 49-13.
More recently we have been introduced to "Roots" and to heraldry. We are encouraged to seek knowledge of our ancestors. With knowledge of our past, we hope we can better understand the present.
It was not until 1967 when the Navy sent our son, Harvey, to Munich, Germany that I became interested in our ancestors. I knew that my father was born in Baflo, The Netherlands, and that my mother was born in Holland, Michigan.
When we finally decided to visit Harvey in 1968, I spoke to a dutchman in the architectural department in Rockefeller Center. "Write a letter to the Gemeente Huis in Baflo," he said. So with a letter dated 19 Juli 1968 from Baflo, the mist of ancestry began to rise. Correspondence to date has established the following: My great, great, great paternal grandfather was Care1s Delschneider. The archives in Friesland record him as a school teacher in Wier since 1763, and that he died there in 1803. The archivist reports that the name, Delschneider, is "obviously not of friesian origin", and that the name
sounds German. Carels is reported to have moved "from Cornjum to Wier with churchattest (Certificate of Church Affiliation) August 12, 1764; his wife from Leeuwarden to Wier May 13, 1766". He was married to Grietje Konings in Wier November 20, 1763. Carel and Grietje had nine children baptized in Wier.
My great, great paternal grandfather, Martinus Carels Delsnijder, was born in Wier June 26, 1767 and died in Groningen on September 30, 1833. He was a shopkeeper in Wier, province of Friesland. He was married to Zijke Theunis Hager in Wier on July 8, 1791.
My great paternal grandfather, Karel Martinus Deelsnijder, a farmhand, was married at 18 years of age to Grietje Jakobs Huizinga, who was then 25 years old. They were married 6 January, 1816 in Baflo. He died in Rasquert 25 November, 1854 at 56 years of age.
My great grandmother, Grietje Jakobs Huizinga, was born in Den Andel 19 November, 1790, the daughter of Jacob Jan Huizinga and Trijntje Jan ter Lys, laborers, living in Den Andel. She died 15 December, 1850 at 60 years of age in Rasquert.
My grandfather, Willem Deelsnijder, was born 15 February, 1834 in Baflo, became a member of the Dutch Reformed Church, and was married to Derkje Volk. He was a master of an inland waterway ship or barge. He died 23 February, 1885 and according to records in the Gemeente Huis was buried in the old section of the cemetery in Baflo. The burial place is not known.
My grandmother, Derkje Valk, was born 15 July, 1831 in Baflo and died 31 May 1869 in Baflo. She is also buried in the old section of the cemetery in Baflo. Her burial place is also unknown. Derkje Valk was the daughter of Kornelis Jacob Valk, a laborer and Asltjen Jans Wilkens, who were married on 4 June, 1830 in Baflo.
My maternal great, grandfather, Kornelius Jacob Valk, was born in Warfum, married at 28 years of age to Tryntje Kornelis. He was a tailor and she a dressmaker. He died in Ben Andel 19 December, 1836 at 35 years of age.
My other great great grandmother, Aaltje Jan Wilkens, was born in Del Andel in 1796. She was the daughter of Jan Wilkens and Derkje Dykema. She was a day laborer by occupation and married Kornelius Jacob Valk when she was 36 years of age. Her husband was then 28 years of age. She died in Den Andel on 20 June, 1837 at 41 years of age.
The names of Wilkens, Dykema and Valk were among those I came to know when I went to live on the farm near Morrison, Illinois in 1919. There were several families by those names.
Grandfather Deelsnyder and Derkje Valk had five children, Carels (Carl), Grietje (Grace), Aaltjen (Alice), Kornelius (Cornelius) and Jacobus (Jacob). The only records I have concern Carel and my father, Cornelius. Uncle Carl was born 5 February, 1858 and died 27 July, 1936, in Morrison, Illinois. My father was born 4 December, 1865 in Baflo and died 19 November, 1934 in Morrison, Illinois.
However, it will be noted that my grandmother, Derkje Valk, died in 1869 at 38 years of age. My father, Cornelius, born in 1865, was then four years of age. My cousin Bill, eldest son of my father's brother, Carl, made a trip to Holland in the 1930's with a friend, Bernie Vos. Bill told me that Grandfather Delsnijder took his deceased wife's sister, a Mrs. Luntenge, as his common law wife. It appears she had been deserted by her husband and was left with three children. A girl, Dorothy, was born to this couple in the 1870's. She never married and died during World War I.
Before going on to my father and his history, it should be noted that Uncle Carl married Cornelia Wilstra in Holland. Aaltjen married John Maring in Holland. Grietje married Hubert Londo in Holland. My father and Uncle Jacobus came here unmarried. The records at the Whiteside County Court House in Morrison, Illinois show the following dates of naturallzation:
Since information about my mother is sketchy, I will insert it here. Henrietta Grace Homkes was born in Holland, Michigan, 16 August, 1876, the daughter of Bartlett Homkes and Jantje Heetebry. Henrietta married my father 12 May, 1905 and died 3 January, 1918 in Sully, Iowa. Her father, Bartlett Homkes, was born 18 September, 1848 in the Netherlands, married Jantje Heetebry 21 February, 1873 and died 13 January, 188l. Jantje Heetebry was born 4 June, 1848, and preceded her husband in death on 30 September, 1880.
Since the foregoing paragraph was written, a second cousin living in Michigan has been in touch with a Homkes in Deventer, the Netherlands. I have also had some correspondence with him, sending him pictures of two uncles, Bert and Dick, and my mother. I also sent pictures of my father and mother's wedding and, of course, our family. I have some informal pictures of the Homkes family in The Netherlands, two aunts in their 80's and of him and his family on a "holiday". He has put all family data on a computer of which I have a print-out. I have talked with him twice on the telephone. His English is far better than my Dutch! I have encouraged him to find out more about the occupations of the ancestors but none has been received so far. His work is in a separate folder here in the den. His name is Drewes Homkes. His address is Het Vlier 54-7414 AT, Deventer, The Netherlands. He has published a computer print-out entitled, "Familie Homkes Info. Bullentin #2" in both Dutch and English, side by side. I believe there are more Homkes in the United States than in The Netherlands.
My mother had four brothers: Jam William, born 16 June, 1873, never married, and died 25 September, 1901; Lubertus (Bert), born 1 October, 1874, married 31 October, 1906, died 9 November, 1954. Derk Jan (Dick) born 8 August, 1878 and never married, died 23 July, 1961; William (John) born 21 August, 1880 and died at six years of age on 24 October, 1886.
Bartlett Homkes was born in The Netherlands (probably Genemunden) and naturalized 2 April, 1872. He was a tinsmith by occupation, and shortly before his death, started his own business.
At the time of the death of my maternal grandfather in 1881, my mother was five years of age. She went to live with the family of Evert Jan Visscher. He was born 17 March, 1820 in Genemunden, Netherlands, and died 22 February, 1895. He married a girl with the last name of Bos, who he met on the boat coming over to America. So, for at least until my mother was 18 or 19 years of age, she enjoyed family life.
The Visschers had three children. Lemmie (1843-1895), who married John Anthony Wilterdink (1839-1918); Bertha, born 30 March, 1853 and died 8 March, 1904; William E., born 22 May, 1865 and died 12 December, 1899.
After the death of the Visschers, my study of family records, recollections of names and conversations with my cousin, Thelma Homkes, in Holland, Michigan indicate my mother went to live with the widow of Albert Eskes. Her maiden name was Lammetje Heetebry, who could have been a sister of my mother's mother, Jantje Heetebry.
Mrs. Eskes rented rooms to students in the college and seminary. My father probably met her here at some time when he attended seminary. He could have met her at church, too. The families referred to here probably came to Holland, Michigan through the urging of a Dr. Albertus Van Raalte. Holland, Michigan was founded in 1856. My father lived in a dormitory his four years he attended Western Theological Seminary.
As the naturalization dates show, my Uncle Carl and his wife, Cornelia, were the first to come to America. They were preceeded by Uncle Carl's wife's sister, Pieterje Wilstra, who was then married to a Garret Klount. Although naturalization papers show the name Deelsnijder for all male members of the family, the name was anglicized to Snyder as a result of settling in a predominately English-Scotish community. Today Uncle Carl's decendants use the name, Snyder. Other Deelsnyder decendants use Deelsnyder, except for me and a son of Uncle Jacob. To show the impact of the anglicizing, it should be reported my father's college diploma from Northern State College, now defunct, was in the name, Snyder. However, his divinity degree was written Deelsnyder.
Uncle Carl and Aunt Cornelia settled on farms near Fulton, Illinois working as laborers. They had six children, William, Freda, Cornelius, Peter, Dora and Edward. William (Bill) married Etta Vogel and had no children. Freda married Abe Stuart and had two children, a daughter, Carrie, and a handicapped son, who died at 21 years of age. Cornelius married Grace and had five sons, one of whom was lost in a bombing mission in World War II over Japan. Peter married Jose Vogel (sister of Etta) and had three children; Carlene, June and Edward. Dora and Edward never married. Dora died in 1980 and Edward died during World War I in Camp Cody, New Mexico.
Uncle Carl and Aunt Cornelia worked hard and, with the help of their children, prospered and purchased farms which are still owned by members of the family.
An account of the hardships is appropriate here. Bill told me his father operated a rental farm in what was then known as the bottoms, near the Mississippi river. One of the cash crops was hay. One day he took a large load of hay across the bridge running from Fulton, Illinois to Clinton, Iowa. Clinton was a thriving city with many homes and shops which used horses and wagons to deliver their products. He peddled the load all day, and finally found a buyer who offered him $1.00 for the load, unloaded into his barn. It was dark when he finished. He returned home with 80 cents for his labor and hay as he had to pay a bridge toll both ways.
Uncle Hubert Londo and Aunt Grace had six children; Henry, Kate, Winnie, William, John and Anna. I don't remember any of them.
Uncle John Maring and Aunt Alice had a son, Henry (born in Holland). I have had correspondence with a second cousin, John Maring. The name John Maring came up in an interesting way one evening many years ago at the Butlers across the street on Mt. Vernon Avenue. Where the Butlers were then living, lived a family by the name of Stilp (Steve and Mary Jo).
The Stilps came over to the house, were introduced, and detecting a mid-western accent, I asked where they came from. Neenah, Wisconsin was the reply. I said I had a cousin, John Maring, living there. Mary Jo piped up and said "His wife, Gretchen, sang at 'her wedding'." This produced a laugh and then blushingly she said, "Our wedding". At this writing, this still brings out a chuckle, as we are close friends; they having moved back from fifteen years in an unsuccessful real estate venture in Austin, Texas.
Uncle Jacob was married twice. His first wife died early in their marriage. I do not know the names of the wives or all their children. I do know one cousin, Clara, who first married a Yarbrough, and after his death, married Mr. Van der Laan. At this writing, she was living in Morrison, Illinois. One of her sons, Robert, was aboard a submarine during World War II. Gordon has talked with him I believe.
Biography - William Theodore Snyder
Obituary - William Theodore Snyder
