The descendants of Eisse Boekelo (nr.88) a.k.a. Isaac Bigelow from Muskegon, Michigan (USA)

 

Eisse Roelfs Boekelo (nr. 88) immigrated in Muskegon, Muskegon County, Michigan in 1873. He was the son of Roelf Eisses Boekelo (nr. 32) and Martha Freerks Westing from Usquert, Groningen, The Netherlands. He was born on Apr. 4th, 1852 in Usquert,  deceased in Muskegon, Muskegon County, Michigan on Mar 4th, 1911 and was buried at Lakeside Cemetery. In the US his name changed in Isaac Bigelow.

 

Isaac came to the US on the United States Mail steamship Idaho, where he arrived at 9th April 1873. The Idaho was “a 3,132 gross ton ship, built in 1869 by Palmer Bros & Co, Jarrow-on-Tyne for the Guion Line of Liverpool. Her details were – length 354.3ft x beam 43.4ft, straight stem, one funnel, two masts (rigged for sail), iron construction, single crew and a speed of 11 knots. Launched on 13th February 1869 she sailed from Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Queenstown (Cobh), and New York on 13th April 1869. She remained ont his service until 1st June 1978 when she was wrecked on the coast of Wexford, Ireland with no loss of life”i . Life aboard seemed to be uneasy for the emigrants, according to this citation from a passener: “…. You can imagine what an unpleasant journey it was with over 1,100 emigrants, crammed together, most of us were treated worse than wild animals. We hardly ate anything at the start of the journey since we are not pigs, but when we began to understand the situation and our own provisions were nog enough, we had to accept the food that the pigs ate … when we walked on deck the muck went over our shoes and into the meat container, one should wash it but the Irishmen had washed their children ’s messes and night pots first …”ii

Officers on deck of the steamship Idaho

 

After he arrived in the US Isaac Bigelow married Elizabeth Cloverdyke (Dutch name: Elisabeth Martinus Klaverdijk), who immigrated in the US in 1869 and who was born at Dec. 1st, 1851 in Usquert, Groningen, The Netherlands. She was seventh of the nine children of Martinus Klaverdijk (a.k.a. Meerten Klaassens Klaverdijk) and Geessien Valkema . Isaac Bigelow and Elizabeth Cloverdyke got seven children, all born in Muskegon:

 

                                              Martin                born abt 1875, named after his grandfather Martinus K. Klaverdijk

                                              Martha               born 1877, named after her grandmother Martha F. Boekelo nee Westing

                                              Zena (Cena)       born 1880, named after her grandmother Geessien Klaverdijk nee Valkema

                                              Katie                    born 1882

                                              Peter                    born 1886

                                              Rudolph              born 1889, named after his grandfather Roelf E. Boekelo

                                              Albert                  born abt 1892

 

Muskegon 1868

 

88.1 - Martin Bigelow was single, at least till his 35th year of age. Probably he is the same person as the Martin Bigelow that deceased in 1929 and whose Grave is at Shady rest cemetery in Muskegon.

 

88.2 - Martha Bigelow was 20 years old when she married the 22 years old Herman Boukamp (Bouwkamp) in Muskegon at May 21st, 1897. Herman was born in The Netherlands in 1875. His parents were Wm (Willem?) Boukamp en Anna Dornbush. Muskegon in 1868

 

88.3 - Zena Bigelow was also 20 years old when she married the laborer Charles Medema (Klaas Medema) in Muskegon at Oct. 30st, 1900 (by Rev. M.H.A. van der Valk; witnesses were mrs. G. van der Valk and Trientje Meyer). Charles Medema was born as Klaas Medema in Uithuizermeden at sep. 23rd, 1876, son of the daylaborer Henry Medema and Dora Battema (Dutch names: Hendrik Medema and Diewerke Battema). Charles deceased in Seattle, King, Washington at July 2nd, 1957. Zena and Charles got at least four children, called Henry Medema (abt 1900, Michigan), Elizabeth Medema (abt. 1904, Washington), Iza Medema (abt. 1907, Washington), Dorothy Medema (abt. 1910, Washington)

 

88.4 - Katie Bigelow was 18 years old when she married the 21 years old laborer Louis Vanderlaan in Muskegon at April 26th, 1900 (also bij Rev. M.H.A. van de Valk, pastor of the Immanuel Holland Reformed Church; witnesses were James Vanderlaan and Edward Mulder). Louis was the son of Louis Vanderlaan and Jennie Demar (Dutch names: Luije van der Laan and Jantje de Maar), from Uithuizen, Groningen, The Netherlands. They emigrated to Muskegon in 1883 with five children. As far as known Katie and Louis did not have any children.

 

88.5 - Peter Bigelow was a 23 year old woodworker when he married the 20 year old Cecilia Nelson in Muskegon at June 10th, 1909 (Rev. J. van Zomeren; witnesses were Rudolph Bigelow and Esther Nelson). Cecilia (Celia) was the daugther of Joseph Nelson and Marie Delby, both parents from Norway. Peter and Cecilia got at least five children: Evelyn M. Bigelow (abt. 1910), Alvin M. Bigelow (abt. 1914), Robert Raymond Bigelow (abt. 1916), Paul K. Bigelow (abt. 1918) and Edna M. Bigelow (born and deceased Oct 28th, 1918). Their father Peter deceased at June 3rd, 1920 and has been burried at the Oakwood Cemetery in Muskegon. According  to the US Census 1930 Cilia married later to Walter O Lund, born in Sweden. At that time Nelson A. Bigelow (=Alvin), Robert R. Bigelow and Paul K. Bigelow were still in her household. Celia (1889-1947) and Walter O. Lund (1888-1936) are buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Muskegon.

 

                                88.5.1 - Evelyn M. Bigelow: no further information yet

                                88.5.2 - Nelson A. Bigelow, born May 4th, 1913 deceased on May 22nd, 1976 in Muskegon, Muskegon                                                                         County, Michigan. In Muskegon he married at Febr. 14th, 1942 to Anna Mary Szramksi, born in                                                                     Manistee, Michigan at March 24th, 1912, daughter of John Szramski and Mary Olejniczak, both                                                                     from Polish origin. An obituary of Anna from 2007 mentions two surviving children:                                                                                       Beverly (Georges) Bigelow Boutz of Ft Lauderdale and  James Bigelow of Morley, Michigan.

 

                                                88.5.2.1 - James Bigelow was born on Sep 29th, 1946 and deceased on Oct 5th, 2010 in Morley,                                                                                            Michigan. His obit says: “He was an assistent professor at Ferris State University for 33                                                                                     years prior to his retirement in 2004. He is survived by his daughter Donnel Bigelow (…),                                                                                 his sister Beverly (Georges) Bigelow-Boutz.”

 

                                                                     88.5.2.1.1 – Donnel Bigelow; no further information yet

                                             

                                                 88.5.2.2 – Beverly (Georges) Bigelow-Boutz

 

                              88.5.3 - Robert R. Bigelow, born May 2nd , 1915 in Muskegon, Muskegon County, Michigan, deceased Dec                                                                 24th, 1993 in Shepherd, San Jacinto, Texas and has been burried at the East Dalton Oakhill                                                                             Cemetery in North Muskegon. At Nov 18th, 1933 he married in Elkhart, Indiana to Emelia Elsie                                                                     Evanick from Muskegon, Muskegon County, Michigan, born in Chicago at May 29th, 1915 and the                                                               daughter of Jacob Evanick and Martha Kison, both originally from Czechoslovakia. At Apr. 19,                                                                       1947 Robert R. Bigelow married to Boneada Thomas, who deceased on Apr. 7th, 1976.

 

                                88.5.4 - Paul K. Bigelow; no further information yet

                                88.5.5 – Edna M Bigelow, deceased young (1916/1918)

 

88.6 – Rudolph Bigelow, single, deceased at the age of 22 years on Dec. 2nd, 1911 in Muskegon, Muskegon County, Michigan.

 

88.7 – Albert Bigelow, single, deceased at the age of 24 years on May 13th, 1916 in Muskegon, Muskegon County, Michigan.

 

Notes:

i North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P. Bonsor, vol. 2, p. 709; citation posted to the ShipsList by Ted Finch – 29 July 1998

ii Passenger on the Guion Line steamship Idaho in 1869, quoted on http://jamiewoodhead.co.uk/page26.html