Now there are nearly 900 names on the genealogy database at the Fulton Museum believed to be descended from Jan (pronounced Yan in Holland and John in America) and Grietje (Grace) Huizenga. And more than 200 of those descendants will be in town June 30 for a family reunion.

"We have sent out 170 invitations," said Eunice Swanson, a granddaughter of Jan and Grietje. "And that’s only one invitation for each family."

Eunice and her son, Mike Swanson, went to Holland two years ago and have done extensive research on the Huizenga family.

"They arrived in America in April 1901 on the ship, the Statendam," Mike said. "The passage for all of them was paid by Jan’s brother, Arend (known as Earl in America) who was already in Fulton." They came from the province of Groningen, the city of Pieterburen. "Jan had $10 on him," Mike said. "They came over in steerage, the cheapest part of the ship."

Eunice added, "My aunt always said they were in with the pigs and the cows. And grandma was sick the entire 11 days."

Swanson said the idea for the reunion took root when a comment was made some time ago by the Rev. John Byker, formerly of Fulton. Byker, former administrator of Unity Christian School, is married to Kathy Huizenga, a great-granddaughter to Jan and Grietje. "Two or three years ago, he met with mother and me to swap genealogy records. He said, ‘You know 100 years is coming up soon (since the Huizengas came to Fulton), maybe we should have a reunion.’ "

Byker, who now lives in Florida, said he became interested in tracing the history of his family and the Huizenga family when he and his wife made a trip to Holland in the summer of 1985. "We went to Pieterburen and Westernieland, by the North Sea, and were just checking on different strands of the family," he said. "Mike has been the main one in this. I don’t think anybody can reconstruct history better than Mike Swanson. He has made trips to The Netherlands and Salt Lake City to verify information, births and deaths. He is so meticulous about accuracy." Byker said the interviews done by Eunice were also important sources in confirming information, especially one with Anna Hein, the youngest of the 16 children of Jan and Grietje and the only one born in America, who confirmed much of the information.

"Anna pointed us in the right direction," Byker said. "It’s amazing how the whole thing has developed, especially now, in the 100th year." Jon and Grietje Huizenga are buried in Fulton Cemetery, along with Grietje’s mother, the two children who died in Fulton and many other family members. Byker said helium balloons will mark the gravesites of the family at the Fulton and Erie cemeteries during the reunion. Byker and his family will be back for the event.

Evelyn Brondyke of Fulton is the daughter of Anna, who was born in Fulton in 1902, the year after her family settled here and died in 1990. She did not have a middle name. "Most people didn’t then," Brondyke said. It wasn’t planned that way, but the reunion will be on the anniversary of Anna’s funeral.

Brondyke said Jan and Grietje lost three children in Holland before they came to Fulton. Two were boys, 2 and 4 years old, who died within the same week from black measles. "The story told is that back then the caskets had to be built, so when the 4-year-old, died they built a casket, but when they brought it in it was too small so they built another one. But the first one was used for the 2-year-old, who died a few days later," Brondyke said. "Then the baby they brought here died in just a few weeks, in August, I think, after they got here. Another little girl (Martha) died when she was 5." Causes of death weren’t recorded, if they were even known. "The 5-year-old just came home one day and said she was sick and she tired and within a matter of hours she was gone," Brondyke said.

Byker said Martha had some affliction, with a disfigurement on her back, and there was some concern that the whole family might be sent back at the border because of it. "But two young men, also passengers on the boat, carried her through under blankets and a coat so the deformity was not noticed," Byker said. Jan had been a day laborer in Holland, dependent on having somebody hire him every day. He also was a chimney sweep. He became a farmer after they moved to Fulton.

Brondyke recalls a story about her grandma: "Every night when she would get ready for bed, she would take her socks off and wrap one of them around her neck to ward off colds and such." And Eunice said she always heard her grandmother liked to dance. As her grandfather played the concertina, "grandma would kick up her heels," Eunice said. "But she would never allow any of her children to dance." Brondyke said there was a Huizenga reunion at her parents’ house about 50 years ago with about 100 people there, but that’s the last big one she remembers.

Brondyke said there are family members all over the country. Her two children and some of her grandchildren will be at the reunion. "There are lots of us, you know. You have heard the saying cousins by the dozens,’" she said. "That’s us!"

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