Click here to go to the list of emigrants from Grafschaft Bentheim, Germany! (Click the “To the List / Gehe zur Liste” button to scroll down the page to the alphabetical listing.)
Resources on Michigan
General and National Sources
Gjenvick–Gjønvik Archives—A private historical archive, the GG Archives’ website has extensive collections of ephemera—articles, photographs, and brochures—on “immigration, military, and ocean travel, as well as fashions and the epicurean life style of past eras.” Their mission is to preserve social and cultural history from the 1870s–1950s. For example, learn about housekeeping on board a steamship in this article from 1899.
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum—Learn about the Edmund Fitzgerald and other shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, underwater research, and the Shipwreck Museum located at Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula. The Smithsonian Magazine has a nice article on the Museum.
Michigan History Center—Discovers, preserves, and shares the stories of Michigan. Many links to online sources on Michigan history.
National Archives—The National Archives preserves and makes accessible historical documents, photographs, and records. The Resources for Genealogists page has links to Census Records and other genealogical resources.
Michiganology—Site offering genealogical records for the State of Michigan, including death records and State Census records. Michigan and The Civil War documents Michigan’s role in the War Between The States.
Woman’s Committee of the Council of National Defense—Part of the Grand Rapids Public Library Digital Collections, this database contains records of the “personal information and skills” of 20,000 women in the Grand Rapids area in April 1918. You can read an article about the Woman’s Committee here.
Local Historical Societies and Family History
Borculo, Michigan—Don VandenBosch and Robert Essenburg’s blog presents a comprehensive history of Borculo, including an essay of the perils befalling a genealogist researching his family history.
Koster.com—The “Center for things Koster” is run by Steve and Deb Koster. If your research includes Missaukee County, Michigan, download Steve’s “The Early History of Missaukee County: A Reader.”
Macatawa Bay Area History & Heritage—Luann Hughes DeVries’ blog presents data about West Michigan history, including name lists of those buried in local cemeteries.
Masselink Family History: 13 Generations 804–2019—BIS member Tom Masselink’s website offers visitors extensive information about Masselink and Kleine Masselink genealogy and history, as well as separate features on spousal families.
Terry Wantz Historical Research Center—This community–oriented Center is located in Fremont (Newaygo County). Its mission includes preserving and interpreting historical and genealogical documents, photos, and artifacts. You may message them online via the “Get In Touch” button in the Contact section.
Tibbe: From Grafschaft Bentheim to Michigan, U.S.A.—Cindy (Tibbe) Turner’s informative and well-researched website traces the Tibbe family back to Albert Tibben (born 1752).
Universities and Academic
Calvin University—Located in Grand Rapids, Calvin is a liberal arts university of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. It offers degrees in German and Dutch, and its library offers a listing of Dutch family history and genealogy resources online. Many emigrants from Grafschaft Bentheim, Germany served on Calvin’s faculty, and many more descendants graduated from this university.
Heritage Hall—Located at Calvin University’s Hekman Library, Heritage Hall collects historical records of the college, Calvin Seminary, and the Christian Reformed Church in North America. It also has many letters that shed light on migration and its effect on North America.
History Grand Rapids—Published by the Grand Rapids Historical Commission, this website offers thousands of images depicting Grand Rapids life from the mid-Nineteenth Century through the Twentieth. Its sister-site is Furniture City History.
Hope College—Located in Holland, Hope is a liberal arts college founded in partnership with the Reformed Church in America. Its research centers include the internationally–recognized A.C. Van Raalte Institute.
Joint Archives of Holland—Located at Hope College’s Van Wylen Library, the Joint Archives collects historical records of the college, Western Theological Seminary, area governmental units, and other members.
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