Find My Dead

Genealogy of Sharon & Scotty

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

The Willem Burggraaf Family – Just the Facts

Willem Burggraaf was born 14 November 1822 in Schoorewoerd, Zuid, Netherlands.1 He was the eighth child of Jan Burggraf and Jantje Van Stenis and he left the Netherlands with his older brother Pieter and cousin Peter in April 1847, arriving at the Port of Baltimore aboard the Maastroom on 2 Jun 1847.2

Also aboard that ship was his future wife Sygje Stek, and together they made the trek to Pella, Marion County, Iowa, with a large group of Dutch settlers. Here Willem and Seigje (known as Sallie or Sadie) would marry on 15 August 1848 and raise their family.

Willem Burgraff born 1822 the Netherlands – 1900 Pella, Marion County, Iowa,3
married Seigje Stek – 15 Aug 1848 Marion County, Iowa,4
Seigje Stek – 7 Mar 1820 – 1901 Sioux County, Iowa.5,6

Children of Willem and Seigje Burggraaf:
Jantje Burggraaf (1850-1928),
Albert Burggraaf (1853-1928),
Goverdina (Diana) Burggraaf (1855-bef. 1900),
Annetye (Anna) Burggraaf (1857-1933),
Jan Burggraaf (1858-1921)

There is a well documented path back 5 more generations to Hendrick Adriaense Van Den Burghgraeff (1572-1612), and I received a lot of guidance from an online tree Parenteel van Adriaen Hendriksz. I was searching for “Willem Burggraaf” Pella, Iowa when this site came up. Willem is “IXs” on this page and this site gave me the leads to his family. If you follow his father back you will see that it lists his children, including both Pieter, and Peter.

I’ll start the story of the family from here with the immigration of Willem and his brothers. Stay tuned for pictures and documentation.


1. Genlias database, Genlias (http://www.genlias.nl/en : accessed 9 Jul 2009), Birth – Willem Burggraaf 14 Nov 1822, father Jan Burggraaf, mother Jaantje van Stenis; Civil Register – Nationaal Archief (Rijksarchief Zuid-Holland).
2. National Archives, Washington, D.C., “Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1820-1848,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 9 Jul 2009), Ship name: Maasstroom, Passenger: Willem Burggraaf, age 24, Farmer; Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Baltimore, Maryland
3. Graceland Cemetery (Marion County, Iowa), William Burggraaf marker.
4. Marion County, Iowa, marriage register, Wiillem Burggraaf-Sygje Stek, 1848.
5. Kedichem, Zuid, Netherlands, “Tienjarige tafels 1818-1842 Geboorten, huwelijken 1818-1842,” ( ), Geboorten (Births), Syke (Seigje) Stek, 7 Mar 1820; FHL microfilm 120,928
6. Graceland Cemetery (Marion County, Iowa), Sallie Burggraaf marker.

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

Just the Facts 2

The Jan (John) Burggraaf Family Timeline:
1858 May 9 – Iowa, Marion Co., Pella, birth,
1860 Aug 4 – Iowa, Marion Co., Lake Prairie Twp., Census,1
1870 Jul 22 – Iowa, Marion Co., Lake Prairie Twp., Census,2
1879 Dec 11 – Iowa, Marion Co., Marriage to Elizabeth Burggraaf,
1880 Jul 10 – Iowa, Marion Co., Lake Prairie Twp., Census, 3
1880 Dec 23 – Iowa, Marion, Pella, Birth of son Pieter,4
1883 Aug 12 – Iowa, Sioux, Orange City, Birth of son William,5
1885 – Iowa, Sioux Co., Holland Twp., Iowa State Census,<sup61
1885 Nov 15 – Iowa, Sioux Co., Holland Twp., Birth of son Albert,7
1886 Apr 27 – Iowa, Sioux Co., Holland Twp., Birth of son Arrie,8
1887 Nov 29 – Iowa, Sioux Co., Holland Twp., Birth of daughter Sadie,9
1890 – Iowa, Sioux Co., Holland Twp., Death of wife Elizabeth,10
1892 – Iowa, Sioux Co., Holland Twp., Death of son Albert,11
1892 Mar 20 – Iowa, Sioux Co., Rock Rapids, birth of daughter Maaike,12
1893 Aug 12 – Iowa, Sioux Co., Rock Rapids, Marriage to Maria (Mary) Kortlever,
1893 Nov 10 – South Dakota, Bon Homme, Running Water, Death of son Arrie,13
1895 – Iowa, Lyon Co., Iowa State Census,14
1895 Mar 20 – Minnesota, Nobles Co., Ransom Twp., Birth of daughter Elizabeth,15
1895 Jun 21 – Minnesota, Nobles Co., Bigelow, Minnesota State Census,16
1896 Nov 26 – Minnesota, Nobles Co., Bigelow, Birth of son John Jr.,17
1899 Feb 25 – Minnesota, Nobles Co., Bigelow, Death of daughter Sadie,18
1899 Dec 6 – Minnesota, Nobles Co., Bigelow, Birth of daughter Janry,19
1900 Jun 25 – Minnesota, Nobles Co., Ransom Twp., Census,20
1901 Oct 19 – Minnesota, Nobles Co., Bigelow, Birth of son Hugo,21
1902 Dec 17 – Minnesota, Nobles Co., Bigelow, Birth of son Albert,22
1905 Nov 14 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Lynden, Purchase of Land,23
1908 Oct 22 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Lynden, Birth of son Arie,24
1909 Jun 21 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Lynden, Birth of son Bastjaan,25
1910 May 18 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Lynden, Census,26
1910 Jul 8 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Lynden, Birth of son Marion,27
1912 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Lynden, Birth of daughter Sadie,28
1916 Oct 6 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Signed his will,29
1920 Feb 11 – Washington, Whatcom co., Lynden, Census,30
1921 May 9 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Lynden, Newspaper Article of 63rd Birthday,31
1921 May 15 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Lynden, Death,32
1921 May 19 – Washington, Whatcom Co., Lynden, Newspaper Obituary.33

For footnotes [Read more…] about Just the Facts 2