Tervuren, 25 July 2013
To all our dear cousins in Wisconsin.
Hello Pat, my name is Jean-Marie and I started my genealogical research approximately 5 months ago, so I’m still a beginner.
Originally I followed the line of my maternal grandmother because I already received a lot of information, provided by my mum a few years ago.
My grandmother’s name was Elizabeth Van Pee, fifteenth and last child of the family. She never knew her father, who died just before her birth.
I advanced quickly in my research thanks to the information that you were so kind to share on the internet (Engelbertus Van Pee, 1620-Sint Agatha Rode) and also thanks to the notes provided by a ‘cousin’ living in Heverlee who is researching for approximately 20 years now.
My line, just like yours, starts with Augustinus in 1590 married to Francesca Gillon in Sint Agatha Rode, followed by Engelbertus and Sebastianus, his son. I have not yet found a copy of the birth certificate of Augustinus but have his death certificate in 1649.
Then came a big surprise, the brother of Sebastianus, Joannes (born 21st May 1668) is related to my wife Martine! So she is also coming from the same origin. We did not know this of course when we met. What a coincidence!
We live in Tervuren, near the villages where our ancestors lived: Leefdaal, Neerijse, Huldenberg, Overijse and Sint Agatha Rode.
During my research I went back to Joanna Bibiana (Draye) and her brother Petrus, both children of Nicolaas. They respectively immigrated to Wisconsin in 1855 & 1856. From there it was easy to find the connection with you.
On the other hand, I was not able to link other information found on the internet on Petrus Van Pee married to Elisabeth Van Hoegaerde on November 30, 1697 in Neerijse and to their descendant Matheus. Maybe you could help me. It seems to me that you, our US cousins, are experts in genealogy. If I can share the information I gathered, it would be with pleasure.
Who knows, perhaps one day, we will meet on the occasion of a big family reunion?
The Adams family comes also in our line with Petrus Van Pee, so I can look for the Adams family in Belgium for you.You can contact me at
jm_peeters@yahoo.com.
In the meantime, receive our sincere greetings,
Martine and Jean-Marie