Dear Don,
Thank you for your response. I was glad to hear from you. Sorry for not answering earlier, my computer was out of order. The Jabaaijen have lived in the Netherlands for more than four centuries. They were mostly farmers and lived in the Hoeksche Waard, in the province Zuid (South) Holland. There are no more Jabaaijen living in Strijen, but there are still about 20 families left. Some live in Puttershoek, Ridderkerk, 's-Gravendeel and Dordrecht. My father told me that the family came from France and that they were Hugenotes. When my father was young, the farm in Maasdam burned downd and with it the familytree. I traced our roots back to 1550. The name Jabaaij is sometimes spelled Jabaij, Jabaay, or Labay. Some say it was originally "de la Baye", Baye being a village somewhere in France. So far I have not found any proof, but I keep looking. In my files I have a Pieter Jabaaij, born in Strijen on January 6, 1827, son of Dingeman Jabaaij and Maaike Steenbergen. Dingeman and Maaike produced 16 children, of whom 6 died at a very young age. Pieter did have a brother Leendert, born in Strijen november 16, 1819 and another brother Arie, born in Strijen october 10, 1818, who married Sara Dekker. In the Chicago Tribune of July 13, 1988 there was an article published about the Dutch settlers, who shaped Munsterm with a photo of a Martin and Gertrude Jabaay. Munster Indiana has a village profile on the internet, in which Jabaay is mentioned. I hope to hear from you again. Greetings from Holland. Ank Jabaaij