I'm interested in any information on the Tromp, Houwer or Bont surnames in the area of Vledder, Drenthe, or Steenwijkerwold, Overijssel. I have a Annegjen Koenderts Houwer b abt 1767 in Vledder, the daughter of Koendert Geers Houwer and Tallegjen Egberts Tromp, who married a Koendert Pieter Bont b 09-06-1763 in Steenwijkerwold, son of Pieter Bont and NN.

Jeff Brower

I have some disjointed Houwer information of a later date, I hope you could help.

My grandparents were John C. Hoekje (1886-1959) and Helen Irene Poole (1894-1969) of Kalamazoo, MI.

John Clarence Hoekje was the son of John/Jan Hoekje who was born in the Netherlands and married Gertrude (Gerrit) Houwer (Howners) in Sheboygan, WI 7/24/1878. I know nothing of their origins other than John/Jan Hoekje was the son of John Hoekje and Grace Wolterink.

I have seen reference to Jan W. Houwner who married a Dina Eernisse Sept 9, 1880, I do not know if this is Gertrude's brother.

I have as Gertrude (Gerrit) Howners parents Hermina (unknown) and Garret Houwer and it is recorded by my mother that they were "an English family who fled from England because of religious persecution."

Do any of these names appear in your records? Thanks

I am not related to the Houwers family, but have information on Jan Willem Houwers, born Nov 23, 1848, who married Catharina Maria Eernisse, daughter of Abraham Eernisse and Hendrika G. Jentink on Nov 17, 1874 in Lima township, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin (marriage cert # 5-85-1579). I wish I knew if this Dina Eernisse, of the second marriage, was a sister of Catharina Maria. That's a good possibility! Jan Willem's parents were Gerrit Houwers, Aug 7 1820 - Mar 17 1878, and Hermiena Hilbelink, June 7 1815 - March 2 1887 (from Membership Records of the Sheboygan Falls Reformed Church)

Jan

Jan - We took a chunk out of a brick wall here. I had both Eernisse and Bernisse in my data from a report my mother (Helen Janet Hoekje) wrote as a child.

I have Garret Houwer (Howners) as born 1820 as an only child of Anthony Houwer (Howners) born in Aalton (Alter) Gelderland, Netherlands. He married Ballie Huening (Huenink) also born in Aalton (Alter) Gelderland, Netherlands.

I don't know if this will help. Garret Houwer (Howners) and Hermina (unknown last name till I got your response) Hilbelink had 3 children:

1.Gertrude (Gerrit) b. 5/10/1852 (Gertrude is my line - she married in 1878 John (Jan) Hoekje - my line; Their son John Clarence was my grandfather.

2.John William (Jan Willem) b. 11/23/1848 who married Catherine Maria Eernisse (according to you Abraham Eernise and Hendrika G. Jentink's daughter - which Abraham? Child of Jacobus Pieter b. 1863? or did Jacobus have a brother Abraham?) All I have is Catherine Eernisse. I am guessing could you verify which Catherine he married? Would it be Catholijntje b. 1844?

3. Arend John Houwer I have as born 8/21/1857 and married Diana Bernisse (Eernisse!!!) is this Catholijntje's sister who was born in 1859??

Are we unraveling a knot or what? I would be pleased to get any other information you are able to help me with and let me know what I can do for you

Already I have a correction. . .and some more information.
Catharina Eernisse's father Abraham is the son of Izaak Eernisse and Maria Tiersen. Abraham was born in Groede, Zeeland, Netherlands on Jan 17, 1827. The correction is that Catharina (who I don't have a birth date for), was from Abraham's first marriage to Johanna deZoute, not the second marriage to Hendrika Gesina Jentink.
After looking closer at what is is my database, I find that Dina Eernisse actually married Arend Jan Houwers (brother of Jan Willem Houwers) on Sept 9, 1880 in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin; certificate #5-155-2973. Dina is Catharina's sister--she must be from the first marriage also, if she was old enough to get married in 1880, but I don't have a date of birth for her either. Abraham married Johanna deZoute on March 10, 1847 in Groede; he married Hendrika Gesina Jentink on Jan 13, 1871.
I have been interested in the Eernisse's because my husband's gggrandmother was an Eernisse. It took years to figure out what family she came from because there were so many Elizabeth Eernisse's from the same area of Zeeland, and in the same age group. I've made a lot of progress, untangling them all, but I still have many loose ends. It's very possible that you have some info that will fill in some blanks, but I just don't know what that could be yet.
By the way, Catholijntje born in 1844, was the daughter of Pieter Jacobus Eernisse and Maria Jozina Butler. Pieter Jacobus is also a son of Izaak Eernisse and Maria Tiersen.

Janice

OK how far off am I? I will dig through my mother's papers again for more clues.

1 Izaak EERNISSE
Spouse: Maria TIERSEN

Children: Jacobus Pieter (Pieter Jacobus) (1822-1911)
Abraham (1827-)

1.1 Jacobus Pieter (Pieter Jacobus) EERNISSE

Birth: 1822, Grode, Zeeland, Netherlands
Death: 6 Aug 1911, Lima Township, Sheboygan Co. Wisconsin

Spouse: Maria Jozina BUTLER
Birth: 1823, Grode, Zeeland, Netherlands
Death: 16 Feb 1907
Father: Izaac BUTLER
Mother: Catholijntje DESMIDT

Children: Maria (1843-)
Catholijntje (1844-)
Isaac (1850-1939)
Jane (1857-1936)
Dinah (1859-1946)
Abraham Johannes (1863-1953)
Elizabeth (1863-1950)
Catherine
Helen

1.1.1 Maria EERNISSE
----------------------------------------
Birth: 3 Feb 1843

1.1.2 Catholijntje EERNISSE
----------------------------------------
Birth: 16 Feb 1844

1.1.3 Isaac EERNISSE
----------------------------------------
Birth: 1850, Rochester, NY
Death: 3 May 1939, Sheboygan Co., Wisconsin

Spouse: Elizabeth TENKORTE
Birth: 1849
Death: 17 Aug 1934
Father: Gerrit TENKORTE
Mother: Hendrika UNKNOWN
Marr: 22 Jun 1871

1.1.4 Jane EERNISSE
----------------------------------------
Birth: 3 Apr 1857
Death: 29 Jan 1936

1.1.5 Dinah EERNISSE
----------------------------------------
Birth: 3 Sep 1859
Death: 22 Jun 1946

1.1.6 Abraham Johannes EERNISSE – don’t know how he fit’s in
----------------------------------------
Birth: 22 Mar 1863, Netherlands
Death: 6 Apr 1953, Holland Township, Sheboygan Co., Wisconsin

His sister Elizabeth a Twin ? b. in Holland Township Sheboygan Co. Wisconsin - how was one twin born in Nethrlands and the other in Wisconsin?

1.1.7 Elizabeth EERNISSE
----------------------------------------
Birth: 22 Mar 1863
Death: 20 Sep 1950

Twin to Abraham born in Netherlands????

1.1.8 Catherine EERNISSE
----------------------------------------

My family papers simply state Catherine Eernisse.

1.1.9 Helen EERNISSE
----------------------------------------

1.2a Abraham EERNISSE*
----------------------------------------
Birth: 17 Jan 1827, Grode, Zeeland, Netherlands

Spouse: Johanna DEZOUTE
Marr: 10 Mar 1847

Children: Catherine
Dina

Other Spouses Hendrika Gesina JENTINK

1.2a.1 Catherine EERNISSE
----------------------------------------

1.2a.2 Dina EERNISSE
----------------------------------------

Spouse: Arend John HOUWER (HOWNERS)
Birth: 21 Aug 1857
Father: Garret HOUWER (HOWNERS) (1820-1878)
Mother: Hermina HILBELINK (1875-1887)
Marr: 9 Sep 1880, Sheboygan Co., Wisconsin Certificate No 5-155-2973




1.2b Abraham EERNISSE* (See above)
----------------------------------------
Spouse: Hendrika Gesina JENTINK
Marr: 13 Jan 1871

Other Spouses Johanna DEZOUTE
Names of children?

Caroline Jopling - daughter of Hoekje line

The names and dates that you have for the family of Izaak Eernisse and Maria Tiersen are almost identical to those that I have. The only child of Pieter Jacobus that I'm missing is Catherine. I have a feeling that if I did see her name (and no dates) I may have assumed that it referred to Catholijntje. Pieter Jacobus had a brother named Jacobus Pieter for in 1831, so I don't think that Pieter Jacobus went by Jacobus Pieter, too.
I looked in the Iowa gravestones website and found a gravestone for Willem Houwers whose birth and death dates match our Jan Willem Houwers. The wife's name on the stone is Kate--could easily be our Catharina Maria Eernisse, but the birth and death dates are all distorted on the photo, so I still have no dates even if that is them.
I'll email you a printout of Abraham Eernisse's children with his two wives. I think there are 16 children in all.
Oh, and I totally agree that having twins born on two different continents is not likely. The place of birth for Abraham Johannes came from his death certificate. Either the informant was mistaken, or maybe the certificate said "Holland" and really meant Holland township, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Many times I'm confused about which Holland is being referred to. I might have gotten that one wrong. The 1930 Federal Census does have his place of birth as Wisconsin. And yes, he is Elizabeth's twin.

Janice Hesselink

Janna Hoekje Kleinheksel, sister of Jan Hoekje is my ancestor. I saw your message posting while searching for information regarding Jan and his wife Gertrude. I am hoping that you can help us out with information regarding this couple.

1. Do you know the exact place and date of their marriage? We have not found any record of the marriage. All that we have is that they were married July 1878. This was about the time that Jan finished at New Brunswick Seminary. Did they marry in New Jersey? Was her surname listed as Houwer? We do not know where the Houwer family resided or how Jan became acquainted with Gertrude.

2. We also have confusion regarding Gertrude's true name. The family here believes that her name was Cornelia. She is referred to here as "Aunt Kate". Can you clear this up for us?

The Kollens and the Hoekjes immigrated together.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I found the marriage of Jan Hoekje and Geertruida Houwers in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin (marriage cert # 5-126-2413)on July 24, 1878. They married in the Dutch Reformed Church in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. Groom's parents - William and Geesje Hoekje; bride's parents - Gerrit and Harmina Houwers. Groom's occupation - minister; his residence - Overijssel, Michigan; his birthplace - Nijveldal, Overijssel, Holland.

That is a nice group of facts, but I have no story of how or where they met, or why Geertruida became "Aunt Kate". She is listed as Geertruida on the marriage cert as well as in the membership records of the Sheboygan Falls Reformed Church.

My Mother was Janet Hoekje (b. Kalamazoo, MI)daughter of Jan Clarence Hoekje son of Jan Hoejke & Geertruida. I have sketchy information Geertruida, your Aunt Kate (b. 1852?) was the daughter of Gerrit Houwers (b. 1820) and wife Harmina Hilbelink who was born 6/14/1875-3/2/1887 - second wife? Apparently there are records at the Dutch Reformed church in Sheboygan (I have not seen them). I would be interested in any of the early history any one could dig out.