Jansma, Andrew, 1862-1935

JANSMA, ROOFSTRA, DEJONG, BERGMAN, WALKOTTEN, TELGENHOF

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:38

From the Alton Democrat, March 29, 1935, Rock Valley news:

Mr. A. Jansma, a former resident of Rock Valley, died at Grand Rapids, Mich., last week.

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From the Hawarden Independent, March 28, 1935, Center-Eagle Township news:

Mrs. Peter Statema received word of the death of her father, A. Jansma of Grand Rapids, Mich., last week. Mr. Jansma formerly lived here but moved to Grand Rapids nine years ago.

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RESEARCH NOTES

This appears to be Andrew Jansma, who died in Paris Township, Kent County, Michigan [rural Grand Rapids area] on 12 March 1935. His death certificate gives his birth date as July 5, 1852 in the Netherlands; father Frank Jansma; wife Jennette; occupation, gardener at the Yonker Greenhouses; died at 11 a.m. March 12, 1935; cause, coronary thrombosis and decompensated heart; contributory cause, just recovering from broncho pneumonia; buried at the Jamestown Cemetery. [Note: the age/dates below indicate that he would have been born about 1862.]

The 1930 U.S. census shows Andrew (age 67) and Jeannette (age 60) living in Paris Township, where he works as a gardener on a truck farm. Both were born in the Netherlands. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1906 and had taken out his first papers; she immigrated in 1893 and was naturalized. His stepson, Richard Roofstra, and family live with them.

The obituary (posted separately) of Anna (Mrs. Peter) Statema says that she was born in the Netherlands in 1895, parents Andrew Jansma and Anna De Jong Jansma, and that the family came to the United States and Sioux County when she was 10 years old [i.e., 1905/1906].

Ancestry.com has a Michigan marriage record for groom Andrew Jansma, age 65, a resident of Kalamazoo, born in the Netherlands, parents Frank Jansma and Minnie Bergmans, occupation janitor, second marriage; bride Mrs. Janette Walkotten, age 58, a resident of Grand Rapids, born in the Netherlands, parents Klaas Telgenhof and Antje J. Vander Honing, occupation housekeeper, third marriage; married in Grand Rapids March 31, 1928.

The Andrew Jansmas [Andrew and Anna] left Orange City for Chicago, where Andrew had gotten a job as janitor in a hospital, in July 1926 (De Volksvriend, July 15, 1926).

Family tree information on Ancestry.com shows Andrew Frans Jansma born 05 July 1862 in Friesland; parents Frans Jans Jansma and Menke Annes Bergman; married Antje “Anna” DeJong (1858-1927) in Amsterdam on 5 March 1884; children Jetske “Jennie” (b. 1884), Frans “Frank” (b. 1885), Minnie (b. 1888), Anna (b. 1895), and Bert (b. 1897); second wife Jantje “Jeanette” Telgenhof (1869-1951).