Geert Heerspink

Emigrated from Westerbork, Drenth to the "kolonie" in Allegan in 1848 as a single man looking for economic improvement

Werelate.org indicates he boarded the Scandia on 4/21/1848 in Rotterdam, arriving in NY on 5/29/1848. Calvin University Heritage Hall records: "Heerspink, Geert: age 33, occupation - laborer, emigrated in 1848 from Westerbork; religion - Christian Seceded; economic status - poor; reason for emigration - poor economic means

Per US General Land Office: issued on 10/10/1859 - Allegan, Michigan-Toledo Strip, township 4-N, range 16-W, Section 11; 80 acre sale

Per 1880 census, Geert is a retired farmer living in Laketown, Allegan Cty, MI. For "occupation" for Fenniggien, it reads "always sickly and weak"

Per 1870 census, Geert's net worth consists of $400 in real estate, $50 in personal property. It does not list Jan Vedders, Fenniggien's son, as living in the household.

Per 1860 census, Geert is a farmer living in Lake, Allegan, MI.

Grave marker in the old section of Graafschap Cemetery indicates 1816 - 1882; another German genealogy source via Bentheimers International Society Facebook page suggests birth of April 5, 1816

Translated from a book cited by Gerfried Rottgers (Bentheimers Int'l via Facebook): “…they nevertheless remained in the Netherlands. Geert advises them to bring at least the following items from the Netherlands: woolen clothes, flax and woolen yarn, bay cotton, spinning wheels, clock, tobacco, potatoes, buckwheat flour, beans, dried meat and bacon, pepper, salt, vinegar, coffee. and especially tea. For the journey they especially need a water vessel with a funnel that they should fill with water just before the journey. Geert also asks if they bring their books, lots of pilo [pillows], a fireplace bucket, oil, anise and sewing silk.

Geert asks his brother to kindly write a note to Harm Veldders in Achgeler Municipality of Emmelkamp that his brother Arend Veldders died on 11 September (1849) from the nerves, after an illness of 8 days. His wife [Fenniggien, in 1850 Geert’s wife] and child are healthy. Greetings from H van Tubberegen and housemates to his family.

Harm Veldders is Harm/Herm Veddeler, baptized on 21 July 1799 in Wilsum as son of Lambert Veddeler and Gese Tibben. Harm married Wilmine Berend Rotgers on May 12, 1847 in Emlichheim, born on March 13, 1809.

Geert Heerspink is one of the first who left for the United States of America from Drenthe and the county of Bentheim. On October 2, 1846, a group of Drenthen left together with Rev. Albertus Christiaan van Raalte (born Wanneperveen 17-10-1811, died Holland, Michigan USA 7-11-1876) n.v.Albertus van Raalte, Reverend, and Catharina Christina Harking, tr. Leiden/Amsterdam 11/15-3-1836 (Christina Johanna de Moen, born 1815, died Holland, MI, USA 30-6-1871 (tuberculosis), dr. v. Benjamin de Moen and Johanna Maria Wilhelmina Menzel and members of the Old Reformed church with the ship "The Southerner" to America. A small group of them moved on February 9, 1847 to the place chosen by Reverend Van Raalte to found the settlement "Holland".

The first group of Graafschappers followed only on March 23, 1847 and departed from Rotterdam on April 4 with the ship "Antoinette Marie". They arrived in New York on May 23, 1847. From here the journey continued by ship across the Hudson to Troy [New York, now a suburb of Albany], and from there by canal boat to Buffalo. Here the journey continued across Lake Erie to Detroit, then across Lake Huron to Mackinac City, then across Lake Michigan to Holland. They arrived at their destination on June 20, 1847. In the immediate vicinity of the town of Holland, the Graafschappers founded their settlement "Graafschap".

The settlers made their first money working for the Americans. Many found jobs in cutting trees in the surrounding forests. Young people also flock to Kalmetoo [presumably Kalamazoo], 100 miles away. In 1871 the jungle burned down for the most part, as a result of which the settlers who had settled here between the years 1847 and 1871 lost their properties and leather.”

Italicized text unclear

And from [another?] book cited by Gerfried Rottgers: “GEERT HEERSPINK, b. Oosterhesselen 14-4-1817, gunner in class 6th Battalion Artillery of the National Militia in Bergen op Zoom 1838, day worker, emigration to Michigan (United States) 1848, pioneer, farmer, died Michigan 28-4-1883, tr. Allegan 10-1-1850 FENNIGIEN/FENNA BOU(W)KAMP, born Vorwald (Germany) 23-12-1823, died. Michigan (United States) 7/1/1883, dr.v. Gerrit Bouwkamp and Jantje van Zwolle, married (1) Emlichheim 2-7-1842 Arend Veddeler, born Wilsum 13-7-1801, emigration to Michigan (United States) 1947, died. Allegan (United States) 10-9-1949), n.v. Lambert Veddeler and Gese Tibben.

Geert Heerspink lived in Westerbork until 1848. In that year, as a single person, he emigrated to West Michigan in the United States of America, where in 1950 he married Fenna Bouwkamp, who came from the county of Bentheim. Geert lived, first alone and later with his wife Fenna, in Allegan, but moved in 1851 to the rural village of Graafschap in the immediate vicinity of Holland.

In a letter dated 24 January 1950 Geert Heerspink to his brothers and sisters in the Netherlands that he had suffered from the so-called Zeeland fevers for three months, but that he has recovered from this. He has been married to his wife Fenna Boukamp for several weeks and they own 5 fields of land in the colony of Holland, a house and two fields are ready. They hope to be able to leave for the colony in early April 1950.

In the letter, Geert gives his brother, who must be Hendrik, various advice about emigration to America. It is therefore probable that Hendrik Heerspink and his wife Harmtien Oosteraling also thought about emigration. Finally...”