Harmina De Weerd

By Bentheimers International Society

Hand-drawn map of Uelsen where Frederik Veldhuis was born.

A portion of General Major von Le Coq‘s Grafschaft Bentheim map (1805) depicting the town of Uelsen. Harmina De Weerd was born here in in 1839.

Harmina De Weerd was born on May 25, 1839 in Sandhausen (just north of Uelsen) and baptized on June 2, 1839 in Uelsen. Her parents were Geerd De Weerd and Gerridina Roelofs.

Harmina De Weerd Marries Harm Walkotte

Harmina married Harm Walkotte in Uelsen on November 23, 1860 when she was 21 years old. Their children were:

1. Geerdjen—called Gertie or Gertrude in English, was born 1861 in Uelsen;
2. Hendrika—called Reka or Henrietta, was born 1863 in Hardinghausen;
3. Gerhard—called Gerrit, was born 1866 in Uelsen;
4. Wilhelmina—called Minnie, was born 1868 in Uelsen;
5. Berend—called Benjamin, was born 1870 in Itterbeck;
6. Albert—was born 1873 in Itterbeck;
7. Aleida—called Lyda, was born 1876 in Itterbeck; and
8. Siena—called Sina, was born 1880 in Itterbeck.

Harm and Harmina decided to leave Grafschaft Bentheim around 1880 along with their children (most of Harm’s family had emigrated in 1848). Their original departure date was delayed when Harm caught pneumonia, so their four oldest children left first, with Harm and Harmina and the youngest four children leaving a few weeks later. They departed from Amsterdam and sailed on the S.S. Pollux, reaching New York on May 23, 1881.

From New York, Harmina and Harm Walkotte traveled to Drenthe, Michigan, to Harm’s mother‘s house. After this, they moved to Allendale and bought a farm. Harmina De Weerd Walkotte died on April 30, 1922 and was buried in the Allendale Township Cemetery.

(In Allendale, the Walkotte name is spelled Walcott, and her first name is spelled Hermina.)

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