Van Doorn Family Genealogy

Van Doorn Family GenealogyVan Doorn Family GenealogyVan Doorn Family Genealogy
Van Doorn Family History
Life in The Netherlands
The Decision to Emigrate
The Journey
Life in the United States
Adriaan Van Doorn Family
William Van Doorn Family
Adriaan's Parents
  • Marinus Van Doorn Family
Adriaan's Sister/Brother
  • Jannetje Van Doorn Family
  • Johannis Van Doorn Family
Will's Sisters/Brothers
  • Adriana Van Doorn Family
  • Dingena Van Doorn Family
  • Marinus Van Doorn Family
  • Arnold Van Doorn
  • John Van Doorn Family
  • Liz Van Doorn Family
The Westveers
The Holtmans
The Furniture Factories
The Final Resting Place
Adriaan's Ancestors
Adriaan's Descendants

Van Doorn Family Genealogy

Van Doorn Family GenealogyVan Doorn Family GenealogyVan Doorn Family Genealogy
Van Doorn Family History
Life in The Netherlands
The Decision to Emigrate
The Journey
Life in the United States
Adriaan Van Doorn Family
William Van Doorn Family
Adriaan's Parents
  • Marinus Van Doorn Family
Adriaan's Sister/Brother
  • Jannetje Van Doorn Family
  • Johannis Van Doorn Family
Will's Sisters/Brothers
  • Adriana Van Doorn Family
  • Dingena Van Doorn Family
  • Marinus Van Doorn Family
  • Arnold Van Doorn
  • John Van Doorn Family
  • Liz Van Doorn Family
The Westveers
The Holtmans
The Furniture Factories
The Final Resting Place
Adriaan's Ancestors
Adriaan's Descendants
More
  • Van Doorn Family History
  • Life in The Netherlands
  • The Decision to Emigrate
  • The Journey
  • Life in the United States
  • Adriaan Van Doorn Family
  • William Van Doorn Family
  • Adriaan's Parents
    • Marinus Van Doorn Family
  • Adriaan's Sister/Brother
    • Jannetje Van Doorn Family
    • Johannis Van Doorn Family
  • Will's Sisters/Brothers
    • Adriana Van Doorn Family
    • Dingena Van Doorn Family
    • Marinus Van Doorn Family
    • Arnold Van Doorn
    • John Van Doorn Family
    • Liz Van Doorn Family
  • The Westveers
  • The Holtmans
  • The Furniture Factories
  • The Final Resting Place
  • Adriaan's Ancestors
  • Adriaan's Descendants
  • Van Doorn Family History
  • Life in The Netherlands
  • The Decision to Emigrate
  • The Journey
  • Life in the United States
  • Adriaan Van Doorn Family
  • William Van Doorn Family
  • Adriaan's Parents
    • Marinus Van Doorn Family
  • Adriaan's Sister/Brother
    • Jannetje Van Doorn Family
    • Johannis Van Doorn Family
  • Will's Sisters/Brothers
    • Adriana Van Doorn Family
    • Dingena Van Doorn Family
    • Marinus Van Doorn Family
    • Arnold Van Doorn
    • John Van Doorn Family
    • Liz Van Doorn Family
  • The Westveers
  • The Holtmans
  • The Furniture Factories
  • The Final Resting Place
  • Adriaan's Ancestors
  • Adriaan's Descendants

Adriaan and Jannetje/Elizabeth Van Doorn

     

Name                     Occupation        Date of Birth        Birthplace              Date of Death     Notes              

 

Adriaan                 Shopkeeper,      Aug 8, 1822          Oud-Vossemeer   Dec 16, 1896       Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery

Van Doorn            Laborer,                                                                                                                     Grand Rapids, MI

                                 Bricklayer,

                                 Factory Worker


Jannetje              Maid.                     Oct 3, 1821           St. Maartnesdijk   1866

Quakkelaar        Housekeeper

 – First wife


Adriaan                Son                        Mar 26, 1850        Oud-Vossemeer    Feb 3, 1852


Adriana                Daughter            Mar 2, 1853           Oud-Vossemeer    Mar 16, 1886    Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery                                                                (Jane)                                                                                                                                                         Grand Rapids, MI

 

Dingena               Daughter            Jul 7, 1855              Oud-Vossemeer   Sep 29, 1908    Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery

Cornelia                                                                                                                                                     Grand Rapids, MI

(Dina)


Marinus               Son                       Jan 11, 1858            Oud-Vossemeer   Dec 18, 1948    Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery (Martin)                                                                                                                                                      Grand Rapids, MI

 

Cornelia              Daughter            Feb 2, 1861               Oud-Vossemeer   Feb 28, 1865

Johanna

 

Jannetje             Daughter            Mar 20, 1864             Oud-Vossemeer   Sep 13, 1864

Johanna

 

Magdalena        Daughter             Mar 20, 1864             Oud-Vossemeer    ??????

Jacoba

 

Elizabeth           Housekeeper     Apr 11, 1836              Veere                         Jan 8, 1892     Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery

Westveer                                                                                                                                                    Grand Rapids, MI

 – Second Wife


Arnold John     Son                        Jul 19, 1868               Rochester, NY       Jul 21, 1881     Died of Drowning

 

Johanna            Daughter             Sep 16, 1869              Rochester, NY       ?????                   Baptized on Oct 10, 1869.

 

Cornelia             Daughter             Dec 30, 1870              Rochester, NY       May 15, 1872  Baptized Jan 29, 1871. 

Johanna


John Jacob       Son                        Sep 26, 1872              Rochester, NY      Dec 26, 1942    Buried in Coeur d’Alene, ID

 

William               Son                        Mar 15, 1874              Rochester, NY      Oct 21, 1942     Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery (Will)                                                                                                                                                              Grand Rapids, MI

 

Elizabeth            Daughter             Mar 8, 1876                Rochester, NY      Feb 19, 1945     Buried in Forest Lawn Johanna                                                                                                                                                      Cemetery in Detroit, MI

(Liz)

Oud-Vossemeer

  

Jannetje Quakkelaar moved to Oud-Vossemeer from Sint Annaland on May 3, 1846. She was employed as a dienstkeeper or maid. She was the daughter of Cornelis and Dingena Quakkelaar. Adriaan and Jannetje were married on October 27, 1849 in Oud-Vossemeer. 


They resided at 153 Achterstraat in the village of Old-Vossemeer. Adriaan, like his father Marinus, generally listed his occupation as a “winkelier” or shopkeeper. At times he also gave his occupation as “arbeider” or laborer. 


Catherina Quakkelaar, an aunt of Jannetje, came to live with them on May 1, 1862.


Adriaan Van Doorn, his wife and four children, left Oud-Vossemeer on April 19, 1866 bound for North America.  

This is Adriaan Van Doorn’s Military Certificate. All males in The Netherlands were required to serve a five year term, unless a replacement could be found for an agreed upon sum of money. The document shows Adriaan was to begin his service in 1841. In addition, the document provides us with our only description of Adriaan, since no picture of him has ever been located. He was a mere 5 feet 1 inch in height, with blue eyes and light brown hair. He had an oval shaped face and a pointed chin.  

    The Rochester, New York years

      

    In 1866, the Van Doorn family settled in Rochester, NY at 40 Tappan Street. Adriaan became a bricklayer. He likely learned the trade from his brother and neighbor John Van Doorn, an established mason in the area. 


    Adriaan was a widower with four young children. Elizabeth Westveer was a single woman who worked as a live-in servant, keeping house and taking care of children. Elizabeth’s mother lived just down the street from Adriaan. Although I have no concrete evidence to prove it, I believe Elizabeth served as the chief caregiver for the Van Doorn family in their early days in Rochester. Adriaan subsequently married Elizabeth, and they started their own family.


    Elizabeth’s sister, Helena, also lived with the family for a period of time.


    The youngest daughter from Adriaan’s first marriage, Magdalena, died sometime between 1866 and 1870.


    The Van Doorns attended The First Reformed Church of Rochester. The Church served as the religious and social center of life for the Dutch in the Rochester community.  Only Dutch was spoken at the Church.  There were 230 members in 1871.


    The Van Doorn family moved once while in Rochester. In about 1870, they moved from 40 Tappan Street to 62 Hudson Park Avenue. The Hudson Park Avenue street name was later changed to Baden Street. 


    The1870 census lists Adriaan’s home and personal property at an estimated value of $1000. 


    Adriaan purchased the property and home at 62 Baden Street from his brother John on January 1, 1873. The purchase price was $800. The property fronted the north side of Baden Street and was known officially as lot 77 in Wilson and Emerson’s re-allotment of the east part of the A. G. Smith tract.


    By 1875 his home and personal property were valued at $1400.


    Adriaan declared his intention to become a US citizen on Oct 19, 1877.


    As soon as he was old enough, Martin began work as a painter’s apprentice. In 1876, Martin moved to the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. He wrote back that all the furniture factories were busy in Grand Rapids and that they needed workers.


    Adriaan sold the property at 62 Baden Street back to his brother John for $900 on April 1, 1878. He and his family, except for Dina, moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in the spring of 1879.   Dina remained in Rochester and moved with the Albert Claver family to Grand Rapids later in the year.    


     Elizabeth Westveer Van Doorn 

      The Grand Rapids, Michigan Years

        

      Adriaan and his family moved to Grand Rapids in 1879. He got a job as a laborer at Nelson, Matter, & Co., a furniture manufacturer. Martin also worked there as a varnisher. They lived at 70 Henry Street.  The street address today is 302 Henry Street. Dina worked as a domestic at the home of Wilder D. Stearns, a partner in Foster, Stevens, & Co., a retailer of general hardware and stoves. 


      The Van Doorns were members of the Third Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. They presented an “attestation” as good Christians to the church’s consistory on August 1, 1879. Their membership was formally transferred from First Reformed Church in Rochester on December 7, 1880.


      By 1882, Adriaan was working as a polisher. Martin had established his own residence on Dwight Avenue. Both continued to be employed at Nelson, Matter, & Co.


      On March 12, 1883, Adriaan purchased Lot 16 (50ft X 144 ft) in block 2 of the Merrill and Nims addition to the City of Grand Rapids from Sewell S. Vaughn of Jackson, MI for the price of $275. The street address was 57 Congress Avenue.


      However, the family did not live at this address. They lived at 21 Congress Ave.  They continued to live at this address until 1893. 


      There is no record of Adriaan purchasing the 21 Congress property at the Kent County Clerk’s Office. Presumably he rented this property the ten years they lived there. Perhaps it took him this long to raise the funds necessary to build his own home.


      Adriaan and Elizabeth Van Doorn adopted their grand daughter, Jennie Te Veldhuis, sometime after her mother’s death in 1886.


      Adriaan’s wife, Elizabeth, died on January 8, 1892 of pneumonia. At the time, Adriaan was working for the Widdicomb Furniture Company. He held the position of "machine head.  Presumably he was in charge of one or more machines. His sons, John and William, also worked for the Widdicomb Furniture Company and were still living at home. John was a cabinet maker and William was a machine carver.  The Widdicomb factory was several miles from their home. It is likely they either walked or rode a streetcar to and from work.


      Adriaan was an elder in the Third Reformed Church of Grand Rapids from 1888 - 1891.  The Church was located just a few blocks from his home.  Originally known as the Holland Brickyard Church, the far east side of town was known for the large number of brick factories.  Elders of the church, not the police or the courts, settled matters of dispute in the Dutch neighborhoods around the church. Such disputes ranged from local grocery debts, trespassing on a neighbor’s property, as well as accusations of child mistreatment. Elders also handled spiritual matters such as playing baseball on Sunday, selling milk on the Sabbath, and frequenting the local amusement park.


      Church members sacrificed financially and personally for the survival of one another, and it was expected that the individual member would then be committed to the church. It was the duty of the elder to see to it that this commitment was kept.


      In 1893, Adriaan and his family moved to 57 Congress Ave. This is the property Adriaan had owned for ten years.


      He died on December 15, 1896 of Brights disease (kidney failure).


      Adriaan willed his estate to his children and grandchildren. His will was dated October 19, 1892. His estate consisted of $109 in personal property and the real estate at 57 Congress Avenue. Martin Van Doorn was named the sole executor of the estate and was required to post a bond of $1,000. The amount of bond was normally set at the approximate value of an estate.


      The will lists the benefactors as John Van Doorn, William Van Doorn, Elizabeth Van Doorn, Martin Van Doorn, Dingena Telder and her children, Adriana Jeannette (Jennie) Te Veldhuis Van Doorn, and Gertrude Te Veldhuis. 


      All the heirs lived in Grand Rapids, except for John, who was living in Benton Harbor, MI.


      The will states that Adriaan bequeathed his parlor organ to John, William, and Elizabeth. They also received two thirds share of the estate between them with ten percent of that going to Jennie. Martin and Dingena (and her children) received one third of the estate between them, with one third of that going to Jennie and Gertrude equally.


      The distribution breaks down as follows:

      • John      20%
      • William      20%
      • Elizabeth      20%
      • Martin      11%
      • Dingena      11%
      • Jennie      11%
      • Gertrude      6%


      The percentages don’t add up to one hundred percent because I rounded off the decimals. The difference between Jennie and Gertrude was made clear by Adriaan in his will. He stated that Jennie was his adopted daughter, as well as his granddaughter.


      All heirs sold their share of the 57 Congress Ave. property to Martin for $1.00. He in turn, sold the entire property to William. Presumably the heirs then split the money per their designated share, though court records only indicate the Probate Court judge was satisfied with the settlement of the estate. 


      Martin was required by the Court to settle the estate in 18 months. He did it in about seven months.    



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