Find My Dead

Genealogy of Sharon & Scotty

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

Burggraafs and Earps

I was spending a day doing some side research in Pella, Iowa, and I found an interesting census record. It’s for the Earp family – yup those Earps! Attached are the 1850 census and the 1860 census for Wyatt and his family. As I was congratulating myself on my interesting find it dawned on me that Willem’s children would have attended the same school as the Earp children. Wyatt was 3 years older than Jantje, but she would have been in the same grade as Morgan.

It is cool to think that Willem’s children probably played with the Earp children. It is also interesting to contemplate what different paths these two groups of children took later in life. All of them grew up in the same community and attended the same schools, yet the Earp brothers went on to live lives on the edge, while the Burggraaf children all led fairly quiet lives in their farming communities. This is the kind of serendipity that makes genealogy so much fun. Do we have a relationship with the Earps – not at all! But do we have a context of time and place for both families now – you bet!

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

The Children of Willem & Sygje

This is what little I know about the four older children of Willem Burggraaf and Sygje Stek. Youngest son Jan will be addressed in his own series of posts.

Jantje Burggraaf is the oldest daughter of Willem and Sygje and was named for Willem’s mother Jantje Van Stenis. Jantje was born 17 July 1850 in Pella, and Christened in the First Reformed Church 26 March 1859.1 She married Jan Van Ginkel (Dec 1846-15 Feb 1920) on 5 April 1872 in Marion County, Iowa.2 Jantje and Jan had six children:
William Van Ginkel,
Heintje Van Ginkel m. Henry Elings,
Aaltje Van Ginkel m. Fred Orville DeFord,
Albert Van Ginkel,
Dirk Van Ginkel,
Sygje Van Ginkel m. John Revisor Cross Jr.

Based on the 1900 census3 on which Jan lists himself as a widower, Jantje died between 4 January 1891 and 1896. The 4 January date is based on the baptism record of daughter Sygje.4 If she was not alive at the baptism it would have been noted at that time. I believe that she was probably deceased prior to 1896 because I have not found her on the 1895 Iowa State Census, but the rest of Van Ginkel family is in Mahaska County on that census.5 I have found no death or cemetery record for Jantje.

Albert Burggraaf was the oldest son of Willem and Sygje and was named for Sygje’s father Albert Stek. Albert was born 8 August 1853 in Pella, and baptized 26 March 1859.6 Albert married Gertie De Penning on 3 August 1871 in Marion County7 and they had 11 children:
Nellie Burggraaf m. Everett Plate,
Sallie Burggraaf m. Gerrit Plate,
Leonard Burggraaf,
Minnie Burggraaf m. Cary Edward Smith
Katie Burggraaf m. James R. Kisor
William Burggraaf m. Cora Addie Smith
Jennie Burggraaf m. John Elmer McMahan
John Burggraaf m. Anna M. Jones
Walter A. Burggraaf m. Leola Patton
Martha A. Burggraaf
Andrew Lewis Burggraaf m. Elsie Collins

Albert died 14 May 1928 in Mahaska County and is buried in Union Mills Cemetery.

Goverdina Burggraaf was born 27 March 1855 in Pella and baptized 26 March 1859 in the First Reformed Church of Pella8. I don’t know who Goverdina was named for – if anyone. It was a popular name at this time and usually becomes Diana/Dina/Deena on census records. Deena married Dries (Charles) Van Hulzen (possibly Van Houlzen) (5 Dec 1841-26 Jul 1905) on 15 January 1872.9 After this date the only documentation I have found is the 1880 census10 where they are next to Willem and Sygje. Deena and Dries had eight known children:
Charles,
Jane m. Johannes Hosting,
Jacobus m. Neeltjen Jacobs Klein,
Willemine (Minnie) m. John Van de Kamp,
Hendrika,
Wiiliam m. Nellie Groenenboom,
Margaret m. William Rozenberg,
John F.

According to Sygje’s 1900 census records Goverdina is deceased prior to 1900.

Annetje Burggraaf was born 19 April 1857 in Pella and like her older siblings was baptized 26 March 1859.11 Anna married her cousin Arie Burggraaf on 4 October 1886 in Sioux County -this date is from an unsourced family group sheet. Anna appears on the available census records through 1930 and Sygje was staying with Anna when she passed away. Anna and Arie had three children:
Peter Burggraaf
Sadie Burggraaf m. Hans Kiel,
Jennie Burggraaf m. Alfred P. Beckman

She and her husband Arie died in Sioux County, Iowa.


1, First Reformed Church (Pella, Iowa, USA), “Communicants and Baptisms 1857-1975,” Baptism Jantje Burggraaf 26 Mar 1859; FHL microfilm 0,985,401
2. “Iowa Marriages, 1851-1900,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 10 Jan 2010), Jantje Burggraaf to Jan Van Ginkel, 5 Apr 1872.
3. 1900 U.S. census, Polk, Iowa population schedule, Des Moines, enumeration district (ED) 94, p. 8B, dwelling 161, family 164, J. J. VanGinkel, age 54; digital images, Ancestry (htp://www.ancestry.com: accessed 11 Jul 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 454
4. First Reformed Church (Pella, Iowa, USA), “Communicants and Baptisms 1857-1975,” Baptism Sygje Burggraaf 4Jan 1891; FHL microfilm 0,985,401.
5. State Historical Society of Iowa, “Iowa State Census, 1895,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 10 Feb 2010), John Vanginkle.
6. First Reformed Church (Pella, Iowa, USA), “Communicants and Baptisms 1857-1975,” Baptism Albert Burggraaf 26 Mar 1859; FHL microfilm 0,985,401.
7. “Iowa Marriages, 1851-1900,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 10 Feb 2010), Albert Burggraaf to Gertie De Penning, 3 Aug 1871.
8. First Reformed Church (Pella, Iowa, USA), “Communicants and Baptisms 1857-1975,” Baptism Goverdina Burggraaf 26 Mar 1859; FHL microfilm 0,985,401.
9. “Iowa Marriages, 1851-1900,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 10 Feb 2010), Goverdina Burggraaf to Dries Van Hulzen, 15 Jan 1872.
10. 1880 U.S. census, Marion County, Iowa population schedule, Lake Prairie Twp., enumeration district (ED) 120, p. 524, dwelling 72, family 72, Deena Van Houlzen; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 17 Feb 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 354.
11. First Reformed Church (Pella, Iowa, USA), “Communicants and Baptisms 1857-1975,” Baptism Annetye Burggraaf; FHL microfilm 0,985,401.