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Neeltje Klercq moved to Holland
Many Dutchmen left the Low Countries at the Northsee for a successful future elsewhere in the world, in course of time. It happened in all centuries. You will find Dutch familynames in Brazil, Argentina, South-Africa of course, in Australia, Canada and non of the least in America. In particuraly in the State of Michigan, Dutch immigrants estabished a settlement in 1847 as they called it Holland. It was Rev. Dr. A. C. van Raalte of Ommen, a small village of the province Overijssel in the Netherlands, with his Dutch Calvinist followers who found a place of free worship near Lake Macatawa. They felt at home easely, the landscape, rivers, the high sky with impressive coulds, reminded them to their homeland.
Beach of Lake Macatawa with the Big Red Lighthouse
In years following, Holland developed to an agglomerate of villages with names remembering the descent of citizens like; Harlem, New Holland, Noordeloos, Zutphen, Vriesland, Drenthe, Overisel, Graafschap, Groningen and Zeeland. It's not difficult to guess at where they came from. Many from the province of Noord-Holland, famous for tulipfields. Others came from the eastern part of the Netherlands or from Zeeland. The province of a gathering of islands and sub-islands, shaped by overfloods during centuries, rich of history, people who have been sailing all over the world, leaving their marks back in language, such as Jersey Dutch.
Aerial view of Port Holland Michigan
Nowadays most people of Holland don't speak Dutch anymore, nevertheless some words remain. The typical Dutch soup called "snert" is known as pea-soup, after the old-fashion recipe it will taste as it should be. Expressions like "it's benauwd" will sound familiar when the weather is moisty or clammy. Even the police serves surprisingly under the aphorism; "God zy met ons," and "Eendragt maakt magt."
The historic Big Red Lighthouse of Holland Michigan
Holland is not a harbour for fishingboats anymore. The Lighthouse is out off order, though it's still a remarkeble landmark, modern navigation systems has taken over the secure guidance for privateboats. A committee is been formed to restore the lighthouse and to replace the 100 years old French reflecting lamp. When you want to see more about this wonderful building click on http://vimeo.com Item Big Red.
Lonely at the beach on a sunny day
Never a crowded place on the beach, who would'nt like to have a whole beach for themselfs. A luxery for big-city people.
After 1 mile many Dutchman feeling home at this exit
Neeltje Klercq and her husband Cornelis Jacobus Doorn took the decision to leave Den Helder for a future in America. Presumably they knew relatives or friends in the new country. At those times there were economic and political worries in Europe. Social life was diplorable, labor hard to find, the economy was in decline. Den Helder was a marineplace, with an economic mono-culture, life perspective was not prosperious. Den Helder, situated up country of Noord-Holland, would never grow out to a thriving city. All together the decision was easy to make.
Is this Holland Michigan? It even could be the tulipfields near Amsterdam
Neeltje, born 19 jan. 1882 Den Helder, was the youngest daugther of Jacobus Anthonie Klercq and his wife Maayke van der Dusse. Father was born in Middelburg, Zeeland. Mother's background laid back in Overschie, near Rotterdam. Ten children were born out of this marriage, only Neeltje left her father and mother. She would never see them again. It was a struggle to herself as well for her father, who was plagued by many troubles in his life. His first wife, Maria Donk died soon after his marriage, as wel as their first born son after two weeks. Mother and child were buried in the same grave in The Hague. Jacobus was inconsolable.
Where else grow tulips the best? (Remark; Welcome is written in Dutch !!)
Father Jacobus Anthonie Klercq was a most faithfull "dominee" of the Christian Reformed Church, after his study at The Hague he ministered churches in Bruinisse, Zuid Beyerland, Den Helder and Huizen. He was a socialy concerned clergyman who established together with local officials a "School with the Bible" in Den Helder, the school still exist to this day. For many people he had a word of attention, his preaches were a comfort to a worried soul. Altruistic as he was, he helped people in needs. His dead was a long struggle of servere illness during more than two years, while a daughter nursed her father all that time, till his last breath. Of these last hours exist a dramatic report by an elderman of his church, written in beautyfull 19th century notation.
Friendly Holland City in Springtime
The life of Neeltje and Cornelis Jacobus Doorn in Holland City is rather unkown to the family. Contact was lost after so many years. A new generation was born. They adapted a different way of life, descendants became American. The name of Klercq is vanished, only the Doorn's set on their name. On this blog you will find a complete view of the family of Jacobus Anthonie and his wife Maayke. (See Klercq Middelburg, left columm, scroll down to <De kinderen van de Dominee>.)
Flower makes your day happy.
(News)
After an intensive and succesfull search after all, I found Neeltje and her husband Cornelis in the files of Ellis Island Records. Old papers open easely by the blessings of modern communication today. It must has been 26th of november 1910 when Neeltje and Cornelis shipped in on the ss Nieuw Amsterdam, a Holland-Amerika Line passengersvessel and set sail to New York with her first born child Jacob, where they arrived about 11 days later on the 5th of December 1910. On festivalday of St. Nicolaas, when children are spoid with small presents. For baby Jacob there where no presents, father had too little money with him. The $30,-- in his pocket was aimed for other purposes. Neeltje Klercq was at the time 29 years, her husband Cornelis Jacobus 27 years and little Jacob had just became 1 year old.
It was three years after their marriage, they came to the decision to immigrate to Amerika. Why they choose for Holland Michigan is unclear, non of the thirty immigrants, from Hungary, Austria, Russia, Holland and Germany, on board travelled further on to this region, so wellknown in The Netherlands. This arrival must have feld as a kind of coming home for this young couple full of plans and ideals. Its thanks to the records of the immigration board we now know how they looked like. A family in fair complexion, husband 182 cm tall, blond hair, brown eyes. Wife 172 cm tall, blond hair, blue eyes, the boy looked alike his father.
Cornelis Jacobus Doorn was a printer at the time, his mother Hendrikje Visser possessed the bookstore of her husband Jacob Doorn, who was a printer as well and publisher together in Huizen, an old city near the IJsselmeer not far from Amsterdam. Cornelis and Neeltje have lived for a short period in Naarden, because as we know son Jacob was born there. How Neeltje met Cornelis is not difficult to image. Father Jacobus Anthonie Klercq was pastor in Huizen at the Christian Reformed Church.
Here ends the story of Neeltje and Cornelis, after their departure from The Netherlands, nothing more came to the knowledge of the family in the homeland. Only the mourning card of Neeltje's father is telling us, that his beloved daughter was moved to the USA, what set me to this never lasting search. We don't know if there has been born more children, weither son Jacob has married, or descendants will still live in Holland Michigan. I won't be surprised, one of these days a Doorn pops-up on Facebook.
(News)
There is news again, from the archive of Family Search this time. After Neeltje and Cornelis arrived in America, there aim was to find a job in Michigan, not without a reason they choose for Grand Rapids, Kent, because members of the Doorn-family moved before them to the United States in particulary to this area.
Two children are born after son Jacob. A sister Marie (P) Doorn born presumably on 16th of March 1916 in Grand Rapids, where she died at the repectable age of 91 years on the day of 31 january 2008. A year after the birth of Marie a brother joined the family, Henry Doorn he was called in 1917. Where he lived or died is not known untill now.
A city without flowers is a dull city
There is much more to tell about the Klercq-dynasty. The earliest Klercq found until now is Louwerens Klercq, born in 1711, Roosendaal, Noord Brabant. By four brothers the Klercq's spread out in the second generation to Dordrecht, Willemstad, Dinteloord, Roosendaal and Rotterdam. Surprising connections are found, for example in Dordrecht, the famous Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer is connected sidewise to the family. In New York (Nieuw Amsterdam) we discovered Alexander Klercq who married Femmetje van Borsum, he lived for many years at south side of Wallstreet, where the NYSE is build. Among his friends are early members of the Roosevelt family. (See story; A Klercq in New York)
Two clergymen are in the family; Jacobus Anthonie of Middelburg and Willem Klercq of Dinteloord, many more "dominee's" joined the family by marriages. One of the sons of Louwerens Klercq is Cornelis Klercq, a coppersmith and fire-enginemaker appointed in 1782 to the Abbey of Middelburg. Jacobus Anthonie is his grandson. In a way, more or less, most of the Klercq's are of Zeeland descent.
Nelis' Dutch Village, a themed touristic park, at James street Holland
Servicepoint
© 2011 Albert Prins
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Ik ben Albert Prins
