The Death of Cornelius Luyendyk

Author: Brenda Leyndyke / Labels: ,

Source:  State of Michigan, "Death Records 1897-1920," database, State of Michigan, Seeking Michigan (http://seekingmichigan.org/discover-collection?collection=p129401coll7: accessed 21 March 2011), Death certificate of Cornelius Luyendyk; citing Michigan Department of State, Lansing, Vital Statistics Division.

I originally found Cornelius Luyendyk's death certificate at Kent County Clerk's Office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but I was excited when Seeking Michigan went live online with the images of death certificates from 1897-1920.  

Cornelius Luyendyk is Kirk's great grandfather.  The family knew the name of Cornelius, but that was about it.  This death certificate gave me a lot of information to research further.  I was able to confirm Pieter Luyendyk and Jessie Maasdam as his parents.  His birthdate of 15 Feb 1859 is correct, too. 

Cornelius Luyendyk was born in Owasco, Cayuga, New York to Pieter Luijendijk and Jaapje Maasdam.  He moved to the Grand Rapids, Michigan area in the 1860's.  He lived in the Grand Rapids and Gaines Township area of Michigan until his death in 1900.

Cornelius Luyendyk is buried without a headstone in Blaine Cemetery, Gaines Township, Kent, Michigan.  He left his wife, Neeltje, who was 22 at the time, with two young children:  Peter and Lena.


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Neeltje van den Bos Luyendyk Kennedy Census Records

Author: Brenda Leyndyke / Labels: ,


Where in the World is Neeltje van den Bos Luyendyk Kennedy?

FACT
DATE
PLACE OF RESIDENCE
ENUMERATION DISTRICT/PAGE ID./DWELLING
Birth
29 July 1877
Sint Philipsland, Zeeland, Netherlands

Immigration
1881
New York, United States

Census
1900
Paris Township, Kent, Michigan, United States
86/21/485
Census
1910
Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
1328/12B/189
Death
22 August 1910
Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States














Neeltje van den Bos lived in quite a few places in her short thirty three years of life.  She came to the United States at the age of three with her parents, Marinus and Lena van den Bos settling in the Grand Rapids area. She was found in the 1900 United States Census with her husband, Cornelius Luyendyk, who she married at the age of sixteen.  It is indexed as Lundyk.  Neeltje Kennedy was found in the 1910 United States Census with her husband, Addison B. Kennedy, shortly before her death.  

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Francis Denny Dollaway-Funeral Card Friday

Author: Brenda Leyndyke / Labels: ,


















Francis Denny was born 13 April 1866, the 13th of 15 children born to Joseph W. Denny and Adelia DeGan, in Lowell, Kent, Michigan, United States.

Francis Denny married Willis G. Dollaway on the 3rd of October, 1885 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan.  They lived in the Lowell area most of their lives.  Willis and Francis had nine children, four died at a young age and five lived to adulthood.

Francis Dollaway died 22 February 1955 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan. She is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Kent, Michigan, United States.

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Andrew Dollaway Revolutionary War Pension-Military Monday

Author: Brenda Leyndyke / Labels: , ,

Source:  "Revolutionary War Era Pensions," digital images, ProQuest LLC, Heritage Quest Online (Access through participating libraries : accessed 2012), From National Archives microfilm publication M805, roll 275, image 390, File W16238, Page 4 of 12.

Transcription:  
Judge - of the Court of Common Pleas of the 
County of Dutchess - which is a Court of
Record of the State of New York

The Declaration under oath of Andrew Dollaway
formerly a Soldier engaged in the Services of the United States, during
the Revolutionary War, and now a Citizen of the United States, and resident 
of the town of Fishkill, county of Dutchess and the State of New York
     Respectfully Showeth, that the said Andrew Dolloway in the month of 
March in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty two enlisted as a
private soldier in the service of the United States in the continental estab-
lishment in a company belonging to the first regiment of the New York line
commanded by Colonel Goosen Van Schnick for the term of nine months
that he does not at this time recollect the name of the captain who com-
manded the said company that he served as a private soldier that 
said company and regiment under his said enlistment the full ? of
his said enlistment and until he was discharged in the month of 
December following at Albany ? Hill in the state of New York.  that
he received a written discharge, which from accident or otherwise has
long since been lost-

And this Declaration further representeth that the said Andrew Dollaway
is now a Citizen of the United States, and residing in Fishkill - aforesaid

Andrew Dollaway
                              Priv
Col. Van Schnicks
         N. York  Regt
1782-9 mos
1st March 1819

The above transcription of page four of Andrew Dolloway's Revolutionary War Pension File shows Andrew's service in Colonel Van Schnick's regiment.  Andrew Dollaway served as a private soldier at the time of his service.  The above page was dated 1 March 1819.  Andrew Dollaway was living in Fishkill, Dutchess, New York at this time.

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Wilcox Park Grand Rapids, Michigan

Author: Brenda Leyndyke / Labels: ,

Wilcox Park, Grand Rapids, Michigan
 Kirk or his brother, Jim on the slide, at Wilcox Park Playground

Kirk at Wilcox Park's Skating Rink

The two pictures above are of Kirk at Wilcox Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Wilcox Park is at 100 Youell Avenue in Grand Rapids.  It was just a couple of blocks from Kirk's childhood home.  Kirk tells stories about the neighborhood friends going there and hanging out and playing at the park.  Kirk and his friends, Tommy D., Joey L., Dickie F, and Tom S. would play baseball, play in the creek, and in the winter they would ice skate.  Wilcox Park is still a vital part of the neighborhood today.  They even have a Facebook page!

 Wilcox Park, Summer 2012



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Four Dollaway Babies-Tombstone Tuesday

Author: Brenda Leyndyke / Labels: , ,

These four humble headstones are known as the Dollaway babies in Kirk's family.  They are Clarence, Herold, Lula and Edward Dollaway, the children of Willis G. and Francis (Denny) Dollaway from Lowell, Kent, Michigan.

I received the above copy from a 'cousin' of Kirk's who is a Dollaway descendant and lives in Lowell, Michigan.  She wrote on the picture "Tombstones made out of marble candy boxes in candy factory where their father Willis worked".

The Dollaway babies are buried in Rolfe Cemetery, Lowell Township, Kent, Michigan, which is located at 9790 E. Fulton Street (M-21), to the west of Lowell.  Rolfe Cemetery has been known as Roth Coons Cemetery, Simpson Cemetery and Mathews Cemetery.

The tombstones and their inscriptions from top left to bottom right are:

Clarence  
1889-1890

Herold  
1891-1898

Lula  
1892-1893

Edward 
1896-1896 

A few years ago, M-21 was rebuilt and the road moved closer to the burial sites.  The headstone on the right is Clarence Dollaway's and was broken when a car slid off of M-21.  Tim Holtz, a Rolf descendent, decided to restore this cemetery and create a new transcription which can be found here.

Photo credit:  Tim Holtz




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Grandma Dollaway's Chop Suey-Family Recipe Friday

Author: Brenda Leyndyke / Labels: ,


Chop suey
1 lb Beef  4 onions
1 stalk celery ground
together put a large piece
of lard in the pan let it
get hot then add the Beef
onions & celery  cook 15
minutes covered
then season with salt
pepper & teaspoon sugar
cook 15 minutes longer
have some rice cooked
and add 1 large cup
full cook 5 minutes
Longer


The Chop Suey recipe, above, is from Francis Denny Dollaway's book of handwritten recipes.  I wrote about the origins of the recipes here.

 I love recipes, the older the better.  This recipe for Chop Suey is totally different than any I have seen.  It has four main ingredients, beef, onion, celery and rice.  I am not sure what is meant by 1 stalk celery ground together.  Did Frances Dollaway grind the beef, onion and celery together?   I am sure that Frances Dollaway used the ingredients that were readily available at the time.  I doubt she shopped where they had an oriental section in the market, like we do now.  Bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and mushrooms probably weren't easy to purchase.

Chop Suey is Kirk's favorite food.  I wonder what he would say if I used this recipe!

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Who is Helen Link, Lodger?

Author: Brenda Leyndyke / Labels: ,

Source: 1940 U.S. Federal Census, population schedule, Ward 2, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, enumeration district (ED) 86-105, p7A, household number 124, Bertrand Corcoran; digital images, National Archives (www.archives.com : accessed 15 April 2012).

Are you like me and want to know who the people are that are living with our ancestors in the census records?  Often, I have found that those living with people in the census are related to the family being recorded.  This is not true this time.  I found Kirk's grandparents, and mother, in the 1940 United States Census records and was curious about the 18 year old woman that was recorded with their family.  

Helen Link was listed as a lodger in the household of Bertrand Corcoran.  Who is Helen Link?  I had never heard the name, so I went to my Corcoran expert, my mother-in-law.  She told me Helen Link was someone who was attending college in Grand Rapids, Michigan and rented a room from the Corcoran's.  Helen helped around the house when not in school.  

Although, the census taker recorded that Helen Link was living in the same house in 1935, that is not true.  Helen Link was a college student that needed a place to live and found the Corcoran place.  She is not related to the Corcoran's.

Did your ancestors take boarders or lodgers in and are recorded in the census?


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