Find My Dead

Genealogy of Sharon & Scotty

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

Mary Kortlever Burgraff Dies

Mary stayed busy after John’s death raising her family. The boys were taking care of the farm and the three older girls were married and busy with their families. In August of 1921 Mary was appointed to the board of the drainage improvement district. Her son John Jr. had applied for the position, but he was not a land owner at the time which made him ineligible for the position. The judge appointed Mary.1 She remained on the board for several years.

Mary, like many of her family members, suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, and her health was slowly declining in the mid-1920s as the disease ravaged her body. Mary died 16 April 1926.2

HOLD SERVICES FOR LATE MRS. MARY BURGRAFF
Funeral services were held on Monday at 1:00 p.m. at the Burgraff home and at 2:00 p.m. at the First Reformed Church for the late Mrs. Mary Burgraff who passed away Friday.

Rev. P. Jonker and Rev G. DeMotts were in charge of the services.

Mary Kortlever was born October 17, 1874, in Holland, and died at the age of 51 years, 5 months and 29 days.

She is survived by eleven sons and daughters, Peter Burggraff, Mrs. Ed Hoekstra, Mrs. J. Dyksterhuis, Mrs. Ben Nymeyer, John, Albert, Hugo, Arie, Bert, Marion and Sadie Burgraff; her mother Mrs. Kortlever of Lynden. – Lynden Tribune 22 April 1926

[This should have been twelve children as William was alive and living in Minnesota.]
Mary is buried beside John in Monumenta Cemetery.


1. “Local News,” The Bellingham Herald, 16 Aug 1921, p. 5; digital images.
2. Whatcom County, Washington, death certificate no. 56 (1926), Mary Kortlever Burgraff; Washington State Vital Records, Olympia, Washington.
3. “Hold Services for Late Mrs. Mary Burgraff,” (Lynden) Lynden Tribune, 22 Apr 1926.

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

John Burgraff Dies

A large crowd of relatives and friends gathered on Monday at the home of Mr. & Mrs. John Burgraff to help Mr. Burgraff celebrate his 63rd birthday anniversary. A sumptuous birthday dinner was served in the early afternoon, and a good time enjoyed by the following; Mr. & Mrs. Hugo Kortlever, and sons Victor & Marshall, Mr. & Mrs. Ren Van Diest and son John, Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Dyksterhuis and children John & Helen, Mr. & Mrs. John Kortlver and son John, Mr. & Mrs. John Enos, Mr. & Mrs. A. P. Burgraff of Lawrence, Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Zweegman, Mr. Abe Noteboom and son Cornelius and Mr. Bastian De Hoog. In the evening more guests arrived to honor Mr. Burgraff’s birthday. The evening was spent very pleasantly in music and conversation and at a late hour refreshments were served. – The Lynden Tribune, Forest Grove Column 12 May 1921

Just 7 days later on 16 May 1921 John Burgraff died of a heart attack.1

WILL HOLD FUNERAL SERVICES FOR LATE JOHN BURGRAFF
Funeral services will be held this afternoon at 1:30 at Knapp’s Parlors for the late John Burgraff who died suddenly Saturday evening at his home at Ten Mile. The Rev. A.J. Brink and Rev W. O. Benadon will conduct the services.

Mr. Burgraff had been feeling well up to the time of retiring Saturday evening. He had entertained friends at his home was apparently in good health. He became seriously ill later in the evening, and passed away at 10:30.

Mr. Burgraff was 63 years old. He was born in Pella, Iowa. At the age of 35 he went to Minnesota where he was married to Miss Mary Kortlever, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Kortlever of Lynden. Sixteen years ago he came to Lynden with his family.

Besides his widow, he is survived by 12 children. – The Lynden Tribune, Thursday, 19 May 1921.

John is buried in Monumenta Cemetery.


1. Whatcom County, Washington, death certificate no. 85 (14 May 1921), John Burgraff; Washington State Vital Records, Olympia, Washington.

Burgraff/Kortlever/Stek/Bel

The Burgraffs in Lynden

Mr. & Mrs. John Burgraff and family arrived here a short time ago from Minnesota and intend to reside here in the future. They are welcomed to the town and here’s hoping they think there is no other place as good as Lynden. – The Lynden Tribune 19 January 1905.”1

John, Mary, Peter, William, Maggie, Elizabeth, John Jr., Janie, Hugo, and Albert quickly settled into life in Lynden. Mary’s parents and siblings had arrived in Lynden in about 1900 and were living nearby. The community has a familiar feel to the Burgraffs as many of the people that settled in Lynden in the late 1890s and early 1900s are families from Sioux and Marion Counties. I have been told that it was not unusual to hear Dutch spoken in town while shopping.

John Burgraff a recent arrival from Minnesota has purchased 170 acres of land adjoining the Bow ranch. – The Lynden Tribune 2 February 1905.2

Arie Isaac (Ike) was born 22 October 1908 in Lynden.3 While he is named for his older brother Little Arrie, the family never called him anything but “Ike.” Perhaps he was called Ike because calling him Arie was too painful of a reminder. His older brother A. Peter married just a few days after his birth and moved out of the family home. I wonder how he felt about the recycling of the name.

Bastjaan (known as Bert) was born 21 Jun 1909.4 Bastjaan was named for a younger brother of Mary Kortlever who did not survive to adulthood. Bert was quickly followed by Marion who was born 8 July 1910.5 Marion was one of the most popular male names of the day, but I have no basis for its origin.

Sadie Cornelia will be the last of the Burgraff children born and one of only two with a known middle name. Sadie arrived on 8 June 1912 and is named for older sister Little Sadie, who died in 1899.6 Sadie recalled being about 7 years old when she found the death certificate for her older sister Sadie and being absolutely devastated. She recalled that it took a lot of reassurance from her father that she wasn’t a “replacement child.”

John would work hard during these years to build up the farm – although his children recalled that they were the ones who worked hard and he spent a lot of time driving around looking at land. Sadie recalled that as the boys got older, the more land he acquired. She also told me her parents bought the last place a little farther out of town to keep the boys out of the pool hall.


1. “Local News,” (Lynden) Lynden Tribune, 19 Jan 1905.
2. “Local News,” (Lynden) Lynden Tribune, 2 Feb 1905.
3. Whatcom County, Washington, (Family History Library, Salt Lake City), 1908, Burgraff, Boy; FHL microfilm 1,711,751.
4. Whatcom County, Washington, death certificate no. Record No. 1, Registered No. 107 (1 Apr 1938), Bert Burgraff; Washington State Vital Records, Olympia.
5. Social Security Administation, “Social Security Death Index, Master File,” database, Ancesty (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 8 Jul 2009), Marion Burgraff, death 23 Apr 2007, born 8 Jul 1910, 537-07-0880; Social Security Administration.
6. Family Group Sheet of Sadie Burgraff, Burgraff-Scott Family Archives; privately held.