Elizabeth was the daughter of Cornelius Romers and Wilhelmina de Man. In the early 1860s, after the Dutch government had drained and reclaimed the lands of Haarlemmer Meer, Cornelius moved his family to that area, southwest of Amsterdam, and that is where Elizabeth grew up.
On 16 Oct 1866, Elizabeth married Jan Smit. They had two children: Wilhelmina born 1867, (died in 1869); and Dirk, born in January, 1872 and died in September of that same year. Elizabeth's husband died in January 1872. All three reportedly died of smallpox, in the epidemic that swept through the Netherlands during that time.
Apparently immune from the virus, Elizabeth went to assist at the home of Jakob van Dijke, whose wife (and two of his four children) had contracted the disease. Sadly, his wife and those children died within days of each other in mid-March, 1872.
Jacob now a widower with two young children, and Elizabeth also recently widowed, married on 20 Nov 1872. They eventually had eight children together: Benjamin Romers, Wilhelmina, Cornelius, Arendje, Hendrikus, Jacobus Michielus, Michilus Adrianus (1886-1889) and Jacob Arie.
In March, 1892, laying the path for his family, Benjamin, their eldest son, came to America along with his older half-brother, Jacob Jr. So then, a little more than two years later, Elizabeth and her husband, along with Wilhelmina 19 and Cornelius 17, sailed on The Veendam from Rotterdam, arriving at the Port of New York on 21 May 1894. The four younger children: Arendje 14, Hendrikus 11, Jacobus 9, and Jacob Arie 5, had already sailed on The Maasdam arriving in New York 5 days earlier.*
Upon arriving in 1894, the family quickly made their way to Pella, Iowa where they settled into farming. But difficult times were ahead. In 1898 Elizabeth lost her 14-year-old son, Jacobus Michielus, in an accidental shooting. Less than a year later, she lost her husband to illness and three weeks before that, her eldest daughter, Arendje died in childbirth. That daughter left behind a 2-year-old son, Johannes, that Elizabeth, now 55 years old, adopted and raised.
In the 1900 CR, she is shown with Hendrick (18), Jacob Arie (11) and grandson John (2) living in the household. She recorded that she had given birth to 10 children but only 5 were living. The next 20 years find her living in Pella. She died at the home of her son, Cornelius, near Albia which is south of Pella.
*We have a difficult time believing that Jacob and Elizabeth would have sent their four youngest, and most vulnerable children, alone on a ship alone, so we surmise that they must have arranged that they travel with another family or maybe a family friend. Also, they arrived in New York 5 days before Jacob and Elizabeth. Someone must have taken care of or looked out for them during that time.
Sources: Birth date and place, marriages, husband's and parents names all found in Dutch records online at WieWasWie.
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Summary of transcription of burial record:
Interment #: 2096.0 (Interment book pg: 92)
Name: Mrs. E. J. Van Dyke
Birth: Holland, calculated as 20 Sep 1843
Last Residence: Pella, Iowa
Gender/Marital Status: F/Widowed
Death: 21 Dec 1925, age 82y3m1d
Burial: 23 Dec 1925; block: 4; section: B; lot: 16; undertaker: Wormhoudt & Plette
[Source: See Oakwood Cemetery on iagenweb.org/marion]
On 16 Oct 1866, Elizabeth married Jan Smit. They had two children: Wilhelmina born 1867, (died in 1869); and Dirk, born in January, 1872 and died in September of that same year. Elizabeth's husband died in January 1872. All three reportedly died of smallpox, in the epidemic that swept through the Netherlands during that time.
Apparently immune from the virus, Elizabeth went to assist at the home of Jakob van Dijke, whose wife (and two of his four children) had contracted the disease. Sadly, his wife and those children died within days of each other in mid-March, 1872.
Jacob now a widower with two young children, and Elizabeth also recently widowed, married on 20 Nov 1872. They eventually had eight children together: Benjamin Romers, Wilhelmina, Cornelius, Arendje, Hendrikus, Jacobus Michielus, Michilus Adrianus (1886-1889) and Jacob Arie.
In March, 1892, laying the path for his family, Benjamin, their eldest son, came to America along with his older half-brother, Jacob Jr. So then, a little more than two years later, Elizabeth and her husband, along with Wilhelmina 19 and Cornelius 17, sailed on The Veendam from Rotterdam, arriving at the Port of New York on 21 May 1894. The four younger children: Arendje 14, Hendrikus 11, Jacobus 9, and Jacob Arie 5, had already sailed on The Maasdam arriving in New York 5 days earlier.*
Upon arriving in 1894, the family quickly made their way to Pella, Iowa where they settled into farming. But difficult times were ahead. In 1898 Elizabeth lost her 14-year-old son, Jacobus Michielus, in an accidental shooting. Less than a year later, she lost her husband to illness and three weeks before that, her eldest daughter, Arendje died in childbirth. That daughter left behind a 2-year-old son, Johannes, that Elizabeth, now 55 years old, adopted and raised.
In the 1900 CR, she is shown with Hendrick (18), Jacob Arie (11) and grandson John (2) living in the household. She recorded that she had given birth to 10 children but only 5 were living. The next 20 years find her living in Pella. She died at the home of her son, Cornelius, near Albia which is south of Pella.
*We have a difficult time believing that Jacob and Elizabeth would have sent their four youngest, and most vulnerable children, alone on a ship alone, so we surmise that they must have arranged that they travel with another family or maybe a family friend. Also, they arrived in New York 5 days before Jacob and Elizabeth. Someone must have taken care of or looked out for them during that time.
Sources: Birth date and place, marriages, husband's and parents names all found in Dutch records online at WieWasWie.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Summary of transcription of burial record:
Interment #: 2096.0 (Interment book pg: 92)
Name: Mrs. E. J. Van Dyke
Birth: Holland, calculated as 20 Sep 1843
Last Residence: Pella, Iowa
Gender/Marital Status: F/Widowed
Death: 21 Dec 1925, age 82y3m1d
Burial: 23 Dec 1925; block: 4; section: B; lot: 16; undertaker: Wormhoudt & Plette
[Source: See Oakwood Cemetery on iagenweb.org/marion]
Elizabeth was the daughter of Cornelius Romers and Wilhelmina de Man. In the early 1860s, after the Dutch government had drained and reclaimed the lands of Haarlemmer Meer, Cornelius moved his family to that area, southwest of Amsterdam, and that is where Elizabeth grew up.
On 16 Oct 1866, Elizabeth married Jan Smit. They had two children: Wilhelmina born 1867, (died in 1869); and Dirk, born in January, 1872 and died in September of that same year. Elizabeth's husband died in January 1872. All three reportedly died of smallpox, in the epidemic that swept through the Netherlands during that time.
Apparently immune from the virus, Elizabeth went to assist at the home of Jakob van Dijke, whose wife (and two of his four children) had contracted the disease. Sadly, his wife and those children died within days of each other in mid-March, 1872.
Jacob now a widower with two young children, and Elizabeth also recently widowed, married on 20 Nov 1872. They eventually had eight children together: Benjamin Romers, Wilhelmina, Cornelius, Arendje, Hendrikus, Jacobus Michielus, Michilus Adrianus (1886-1889) and Jacob Arie.
In March, 1892, laying the path for his family, Benjamin, their eldest son, came to America along with his older half-brother, Jacob Jr. So then, a little more than two years later, Elizabeth and her husband, along with Wilhelmina 19 and Cornelius 17, sailed on The Veendam from Rotterdam, arriving at the Port of New York on 21 May 1894. The four younger children: Arendje 14, Hendrikus 11, Jacobus 9, and Jacob Arie 5, had already sailed on The Maasdam arriving in New York 5 days earlier.*
Upon arriving in 1894, the family quickly made their way to Pella, Iowa where they settled into farming. But difficult times were ahead. In 1898 Elizabeth lost her 14-year-old son, Jacobus Michielus, in an accidental shooting. Less than a year later, she lost her husband to illness and three weeks before that, her eldest daughter, Arendje died in childbirth. That daughter left behind a 2-year-old son, Johannes, that Elizabeth, now 55 years old, adopted and raised.
In the 1900 CR, she is shown with Hendrick (18), Jacob Arie (11) and grandson John (2) living in the household. She recorded that she had given birth to 10 children but only 5 were living. The next 20 years find her living in Pella. She died at the home of her son, Cornelius, near Albia which is south of Pella.
*We have a difficult time believing that Jacob and Elizabeth would have sent their four youngest, and most vulnerable children, alone on a ship alone, so we surmise that they must have arranged that they travel with another family or maybe a family friend. Also, they arrived in New York 5 days before Jacob and Elizabeth. Someone must have taken care of or looked out for them during that time.
Sources: Birth date and place, marriages, husband's and parents names all found in Dutch records online at WieWasWie.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Summary of transcription of burial record:
Interment #: 2096.0 (Interment book pg: 92)
Name: Mrs. E. J. Van Dyke
Birth: Holland, calculated as 20 Sep 1843
Last Residence: Pella, Iowa
Gender/Marital Status: F/Widowed
Death: 21 Dec 1925, age 82y3m1d
Burial: 23 Dec 1925; block: 4; section: B; lot: 16; undertaker: Wormhoudt & Plette
[Source: See Oakwood Cemetery on iagenweb.org/marion]
On 16 Oct 1866, Elizabeth married Jan Smit. They had two children: Wilhelmina born 1867, (died in 1869); and Dirk, born in January, 1872 and died in September of that same year. Elizabeth's husband died in January 1872. All three reportedly died of smallpox, in the epidemic that swept through the Netherlands during that time.
Apparently immune from the virus, Elizabeth went to assist at the home of Jakob van Dijke, whose wife (and two of his four children) had contracted the disease. Sadly, his wife and those children died within days of each other in mid-March, 1872.
Jacob now a widower with two young children, and Elizabeth also recently widowed, married on 20 Nov 1872. They eventually had eight children together: Benjamin Romers, Wilhelmina, Cornelius, Arendje, Hendrikus, Jacobus Michielus, Michilus Adrianus (1886-1889) and Jacob Arie.
In March, 1892, laying the path for his family, Benjamin, their eldest son, came to America along with his older half-brother, Jacob Jr. So then, a little more than two years later, Elizabeth and her husband, along with Wilhelmina 19 and Cornelius 17, sailed on The Veendam from Rotterdam, arriving at the Port of New York on 21 May 1894. The four younger children: Arendje 14, Hendrikus 11, Jacobus 9, and Jacob Arie 5, had already sailed on The Maasdam arriving in New York 5 days earlier.*
Upon arriving in 1894, the family quickly made their way to Pella, Iowa where they settled into farming. But difficult times were ahead. In 1898 Elizabeth lost her 14-year-old son, Jacobus Michielus, in an accidental shooting. Less than a year later, she lost her husband to illness and three weeks before that, her eldest daughter, Arendje died in childbirth. That daughter left behind a 2-year-old son, Johannes, that Elizabeth, now 55 years old, adopted and raised.
In the 1900 CR, she is shown with Hendrick (18), Jacob Arie (11) and grandson John (2) living in the household. She recorded that she had given birth to 10 children but only 5 were living. The next 20 years find her living in Pella. She died at the home of her son, Cornelius, near Albia which is south of Pella.
*We have a difficult time believing that Jacob and Elizabeth would have sent their four youngest, and most vulnerable children, alone on a ship alone, so we surmise that they must have arranged that they travel with another family or maybe a family friend. Also, they arrived in New York 5 days before Jacob and Elizabeth. Someone must have taken care of or looked out for them during that time.
Sources: Birth date and place, marriages, husband's and parents names all found in Dutch records online at WieWasWie.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Summary of transcription of burial record:
Interment #: 2096.0 (Interment book pg: 92)
Name: Mrs. E. J. Van Dyke
Birth: Holland, calculated as 20 Sep 1843
Last Residence: Pella, Iowa
Gender/Marital Status: F/Widowed
Death: 21 Dec 1925, age 82y3m1d
Burial: 23 Dec 1925; block: 4; section: B; lot: 16; undertaker: Wormhoudt & Plette
[Source: See Oakwood Cemetery on iagenweb.org/marion]
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