From this point on in the story I will use his preferred spelling of John Burgraff. John and Mary leave South Dakota after the death of Little Arrie and return to Iowa. They will remain there only a short time before moving on to Minnesota. We can be pretty specific about the time frame because the family appears on the 1895 Iowa State Census in Lyon County, Iowa.1 On 20 March 1895, 3 years to the day after big sister Maggie, daughter Elizabeth (named for John’s first wife) is born in Bigelow, Nobles County, Minnesota.3 This is where the family is enumerated on 21 June 1895.3
The family grew quickly with son John Jr. born 26 Nov 18964 and daughter Janry (Jane/Jenny) born 6 Dec 1899.5 This is the family that appears on 25 June 1900 census in Ransom, Nobles, County, Minnesota.6
Also found on this census living next door is William Burgraff, the youngest brother of John’s late wife Elizabeth. William and his family would eventually return to Sioux County, Iowa.
John and Mary’s next child Hugo was born 19 October 1901.7 Hugo was named for Mary’s brother, but he was known to the entire family as Hookie – pronounced Who-Key. Next to arrive in the family was Albert. Albert is the first of the recycled names in the family and is named for Little Albert who died in the early 1890s. Albert was born 17 December 1902 according to his birth certificate.8 However, family members told me that Albert always swore the date was wrong. He celebrated his birthday as 19 December and that was the date that appeared in his obituary. He also swore the year was wrong and that he wasn’t that old.
In 1904 the family moved west to Lynden in Whatcom County, Washington. Mary’s parents and siblings had already made the move as had many Dutch American families. Washington was attempting to populate the territory in its bid for statehood and there were many great land deals to be had. Equally important was the special offer by the railroads of the time. $5 would buy an adult a ticket west and small children could travel free.
Family members told me there was another factor besides the lure of reasonably priced land. Mary asked John to find her somewhere a little more temperate than Minnesota. She was always cold and hated the long winters. Mary longed for a climate closer to that of the Netherlands and the family found it in Lynden.
1. Iowa State, “Iowa State Census, 1895,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 Jul 2009), John Burgraff; 1895 Iowa State Census, Des Moines, Iowa: State Historical Society of Iowa.
2. Minnesota Dept. of Health, birth certificate (19 Mar 1895), (No Name) Brugraff (Female); Nobles County District Court, Worthington, Minnesota.
3. 1895 Minnesota State Census, Nobles County, Minnesota, population schedule, Bigelow, p. 10, family 73, John Burgraff; digital images, The Generations Network, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 Jul 2009); citing Minnesota Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905.
4. Minnesota Dept . of Health, birth certificate (17 Dec 1896), John Burgraff; Nobles County District Court, Worthington, Minnesota.
5. Minnesota Dept . of Health, birth certificate (26 Nov 1898), (No Name) Burgraff (Female); Nobles County District Court, Worthington, Minnesota.
6. 1900 U.S. census, Nobles County, Minnesota population schedule, Ransom, enumeration district (ED) 210, p. 12A, dwelling 203, family 203, John Burgraff; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 22 Jun 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 778.
7. Minnesota Dept . of Health, birth certificate (19 Oct 1901), (No Name) Burgraff (Male); Nobles County District Court, Worthington, Minnesota.
8. Minnesota Dept . of Health, birth certificate (17 Dec 1902), Albert Burgraff (Male); Nobles County District Court, Worthington, Minnesota.