My grandparents were 4 very strong and determined people.
It's a shame they never met.
I don't remember ever hearing that they did, anyway.
Did I mention they were all saints and could do no wrong?
None whatsoever.

I'm starting with my paternal grandparents because I have so little information about them.

The only things I'm sure of are that they were both born in South Carolina,
and that they lived, and raised their family in South Carolina.

I never got to meet Grandpa Samuel David Kemmerlin,
he died in 1935 before I was born.

I think my father would have looked like him had he lived.

Handsome and kind.

I've been told that I was in South Carolina in 1941 when I was about 6 months old,
and again in 1943 when I was 2 years old,
so I must have met Grandma Lettie Lucretia Kemmerlin.

ANECDOTE

I have one memory of what I think was Grandma Kemmerlin's skirt.  Really.

I remember being on a floor, crawling around,
and hearing that I was going to have a bath.

I was able to see 2 people sitting down;
one had a skirt that reached the ground.

I crawled under the bed to hide,
and watched them try to get me out.

Mom said I couldn't possibly remember that.
Oh well...

Grandma Kemmerlin died in 1944.

I was looking through a box of papers,
and found an old clipping from a newspaper.
It says:

IN MEMORIAM

In sad, but loving rembrance of our Mother,
Lettie B. Kemmerlin, who passed away
four years ago on September 23rd.

Four years have passed, dear mother,
Since God called you home to rest,
The ones who think of you today
Are the ones who loved you best.

Peaceful be your rest, dear mother,
It is sweet to breathe your name,
In life we loved you dearly,
In death we do the same.

Loving and kind in all your ways,
Straight and just to the end of your days,
Sincere and true in heart and mind,
What a beautiful memory to leave behind.

Children and Grandchildren.

I'm thinking she was a very special lady.


My Kemmerlin Grandparents
Saint Lettie Lucretia Brandenburg (July 17, 1873 - Sept. 23, 1944)
Saint Samuel David Kemmerlin (Sept 29, 1864 - March 13, 1935)













My Zijm/Zym Grandparents
Saint Theodora Schrama (Oct. 17, 1885 - Jan. 16, 1967)
Saint Willem Lammertz Zijm (April 23, 1882 - May 25, 1971)












My maternal grandparents,
were born and raised in Den Burgh, Texel, in the Netherlands.
They were married on May 7, 1908.

In 1910, when this picture was taken,

They would be such a cute couple if they smiled.

they decided to immigrate (emigrate?) to New Jersey, USA.

They booked passage on the Noordam out of Rotterdam, Holland;

The Noordam had a 2,000 passenger capacity.

on April 4, 1911 they arrived in the Port of New York.

Johanna (Aunt Ann), and Theodora (Aunt Doris/Mom)
were born in the Nederlands,
Lambert (Uncle Lanny), Cornelia (Aunt Nelly) and Wilhelmina (Aunt Babe)
were born here in New Jersey.

We shall see them shortly.











The Family Home, back in the '20's and '30's.

It's not the way I remember it, the fence should be lilac trees,
the grass in front should be dirt,
there should be screens on the porch.

In this story of our family, I know that my generation
has lots of fond memories of this house,
especially of the whole family getting together
for all of the holidays.











Cedar Lawn Cemetary

Unusual claim to fame but...
my Grandfather headed up the construction gang that built the wall around
Cedar Lawn Cemetary in Paterson, NJ.

Really.  That's him on the right.
(now who would make up something like that?)

(I would not!)