Overgrootvaders


Overgrootvader Lammert Zijm and Aunt Ann. Taken 1910 - Nederlands	Great Grandpa was born in Den Hoorn, Texel, on March 8, 1846. He settled here in the USA in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1911, where he died March 31, 1928. Legend has it that he was a true "Stubborn Dutchman", and refused to learn English. This forced his grandchildren to learn Dutch in order to communicate with him. I do not believe a word of it. Not MY Overgrootvader.
It's widely known that the Zijm family has been farmers for generations. With thanks again to our cousin Henk, we now have an idea of the type of farmhouse they lived in. Actually, this really is a Zijm family home, it's where Henk grew up. I can just see our ancestors in the yard.

Great-grandpa's Drugstore in Texel

Overgrootvader and his 3rd wife(?) in front of his store.
Might not be his 3rd wife, but since she doesn't look like #2,
and I think he's too grey for it to be #1,
it's either #3 or someone who may have worked for him.
My logic is infallible.

We always thought that Great Grandpa was a farmer.
No one ever tried to say otherwise.
Hence this Kleine Drogist took us by surprise.
Check out the name on the window to the right, there it is.
"L. ZIJM."

If you haven't read the history,
Great Grandpa's wives can be found at
The Many Wives of Lammert the First

Overgrootvader Jacob Gerritsz Schrama
(Dec. 10, 1848 - Mar. 8, 1913)
I'm slowly unravelling the Great Schrama Mystery.
Jacob Schrama married Theodora (Dirkje) Hendricks Dijt
on May 6, 1875.
She was born Sept. 10, 1853;

they had 11 children.
Theodora Jr. was my grandmother,
and she was the only one to come to the USA.

Cousin Miriam Klaassen, thank you so much for all
your help and information!
You can see the Geneology of Texel at Miriam's page
"The Geneology of Texel",
in Dutch, just click on "Families".
I don't speak Dutch, but I was able to follow it.
She also has a site in English,
Geneology of Texel
You can forget time
when you are at either of her sites.

And the Schrama mystery deepens...

One of these 5 lovely Victorian ladies is my Gram.
I think she's the one in the front on the right.
However -

the left rear daughter looks like Aunt Babe (Wilhelmina),
the left front daughter looks like my cousin Lois
and Nadine Schrama, of a Schrama family I found
in Berlin, Germany, but originally from Texel.
Evidently I have to chase down my cousin Peter and find out where their latest site is.

Something is missing, yes. And I am going to find pictures (if they exist) of
Great-Grandma and Grandpa Brandenburg (Louis and Caroline)
and Great-Grandma and Grandpa Kemmerlin (Samuel and Ann).
I will be going to the reunion again this year
and letting everyone know in advance that I want old pictures!
OK, scans of old pictures, copies of old pictures,
even borrow and return old pictures.
It would be so cool to have ALL of my Great-Grandparents here.