Dear Kathryn (Hillebrand,
My name is Liliane Stevesyns. A few years ago I got curious about my family history. Unfortunately my father could not tell me much, since his parents were very secretive. His father only had 1 brother and they were not on speaking terms. I think I once heard it had to do with a situation during the war. They both had opposite opinions.
A few years before he died, I met my dad’s cousin and he gave me a copy of the ‘descendants of Mattheus Stevesyns’. Since it was in English I presumed it came from the States.
Now I have decided to become a member of a family finding club and I hope they can help me make a start. In the meantime I have searched the Internet and found some interesting information, like : Bernard Stevesyns, born in Caprijcke (now Kaprijke) 18/02/1866, arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1903. He left Antwerp by ship ‘Vaderland’ (=native country). I can only guess that he might have been an uncle to my grand father, brother to Leonard. There was no more information about him.. I noticed that my name is on your list.
This is the little bit I know about my family :

Leonard Stevesyns (b. Caprijcke 16/10/1861) x Sofie Wauters (b. Lembeke 12/07/1861)

Children : - Cyriel Stevesyns (b. Caprijcke 13/04/1895, d. 01/08/1977) x Martha Buyck (b. Caprijcke 20/06/1901, d. Kaprijke 18/08/1981)

Grandchildren : - Adelin Stevesyns (b. Kaprijke 09/03/1926) x Julia Buyse (b. Sleidinge 15/02/1926)
- Mariëtte Stevesyns - female (b. Kaprijke 1929) x Wilfried Grison

Great grandchildren : - Liliane Stevesyns (b. Sleidinge 23/08/1951) x Peter Van Wynsberghe
- Marleen Stevesyns (b. Sleidinge 15/12/1957) x Carlos De Taeye

Great great grandchildren : - Roeland Van Wynsberghe (b. Gent 25/11/1975)
- Brecht Van Wynsberghe (b. Gent 31/05/1979)
- Rozelien De Taeye (b. Gent 14/08/1980)

I noticed that there are 2 different spelling ways : Stevesyns and Stevesijns.
At the moment the Belgian website (www.familienaam.be) says there are only 41 people of that name now living in Belgium. That makes me even more curious!

I also found some minor things, like details of prayer cards, handed out in church at funerals, unfortunately in Dutch, and the existence of a Father in a monastery (Joost Stevesyns).

Could you please mail me back and tell me whether you descend from Bernard or not, or perhaps about another link that might help me?
I would be very grateful. I send you many kind regards from ‘Het Meetjesland’, the part in the North of Belgium where our roots lie.
Liliane