Oldejans, Henry “Hank,” 1881-1939

OLDEJANS, AALDERTS

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

From the Alton Democrat, June 9, 1939:

Henry Oldejans Passes On

John Lammers has received a letter from the coroner at McIntosh, S.D., notifying him of the death of Henry Oldejans, formerly of this county and employed by Mr. Lammers’ father and Jake Vermeer and Henry Nyman near Sioux Center. He was a bachelor and came from the Netherlands to this country in 1909. He was 56 or 57 years old. In 1911 he took a claim at Isabel, S.D., and later traded for a claim at Gopher, where he was found by neighbors after his sudden death of Saturday, June 3rd.

He had no relatives in this country. Coroner Taylor writes Mr. Lammers that he found several letters among the dead man’s effects but no one could translate them. Mr. Lammers regularly heard from “Hank” Oldejans and answered his letters in the Holland language. Funeral services were held Sunday with burial at McIntosh.

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RESEARCH NOTES

The 1910 U.S. census shows Hendrik Oldejans (indexed as Oldegans), age 29, living in West Branch Township, Sioux County, with the family of Jacob Vermeer and working for him as a farm laborer; immigrated in 1909, alien, speaks Dutch. Subsequent censuses show him (as Henry) as a farmer in Dewey County, South Dakota. The 1920 census shows him naturalized in 1916, can speak English.

The passenger list for the ship Rijndam on Ancestry.com shows Hendrik Oldejans, age 28, a farmer, last residence Echten, Holland, arriving at the port of New York 26 May 1909, final destination Sioux Center, Iowa. He is 5 feet 5 inches tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, fair complexion. His nearest relative in the old country is a brother, M.[?] R. Meenling, a resident of Quinderen[?].

WieWasWie.nl has a birth index record for Hendrik Oldejans, born 31 March 1881 in Bruntinge, Drenthe, parents Jan Oldejans, age 55, a farmer, and Albertje Aalderts.

His World War I draft registration card (Sept. 1918) shows him a farmer in Isabel, Dewey County, S.D.; born March 30, 1881; a naturalized citizen; nearest relative John Oldejans, Nederland; medium height, stout build, blue eyes, brown hair.