Sijtsma, Louiza Jozefina Margaretha

Other Events:

• Name: Gerard Sytsma
• Military Service: Bef 28 Jun 1944; WWII
• Name Change: Abt Dec 1953

Notes:

Military Service:
Died in POW Camp.

Name Change:
Changed Surname spelling to Sytsma

Died:
Died at a former Japanese Prisoners Camp at Cimahi, Indonesia.

Gerard married Romanesko, Louiza Johanna Christina Cornelia 12 Sep 1910, Leiden, , Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. Louiza (daughter of Romanesco, Josef and Veldhuizen, Louisa Johanna) was born 20 Jan 1888, Gouda, , Zuid-Holland, Netherlands; died 20 Mar 1982, Den Haag, , Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Occupation: Aft 1910

Notes:

Family History Researcher:
Email 3/28/2017 from Han Sytsma han@sytsma.co.uk
Louiza Johanna Christina Cornelia Romanesko
is born in Gouda 20-1-1888, died in Den Haag at 29-3-1982 aged 94.
She was maried to Gerard Herman Abraham Sijtsma (in dec 1953 changed to Sytsma) at 12-09-1910 in Leiden.
Gerard Herman Abraham Sytsma was born in Leiden at 27-09-1883, died in Cimahi at 28-6-1944.
They got 2 children
Bram Louis Ritske Karel, 9-7-1911, born in Rotterdam, died in Beilen at 10-6-1996
Louiza Jozefina Margaretha Sytsma, 10-11-1913 in Batavia Indië. Died in 2001 in Den Haag.
My relation: son of Bram Louis Ritske Karel Sytsma en Petronella Huberta van Beek (born in Laren NH 8-8-1917, died in Beilen 27-9-2009).

I was born in Hilversum at 10-4-1955 as Henri Louis Sytsma

Occupation:
Housewife

Notes:

Marriage Record (Family):
marriage Web: Leiden, Netherlands, Marriage Index, 1575-1934 (in Dutch)
Birth, Marriage & Death
Name: Louiza Johanna Christina Cornelia Romanesko
Spouse: Gerard Herman Abraham Sijtsma
Birth: abt 1884
Marriage: 12 sep 1910

Other Events:

• Occupation: Bef 10 Jan 1934

Notes:

Occupation:
Farmer

Josef married Veldhuizen, Louisa Johanna 15 Jul 1885, Leiden, , Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. Louisa was born 2 Feb 1864, Leiden, , Zuid-Holland, Netherlands; died 17 Apr 1934, Zuilen, , Utrecht, Netherlands. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Other Info or Events: 2 Feb 1864; daughter of Eduard J. Veldhuizen and Jacoba aria Iperen

Stephanus married VanderMaaren, Helena Sophia 29 Sep 1858, Den Haag, , Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. Helena was born 8 Dec 1825, Leiden, , Zuid-Holland, Netherlands; died 8 Feb 1896, Leiden, , Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Same Person Link:
http://tng.sytsma.uk/getperson.php?personID=I8&tree=tree1

Notes:

Marriage Record (Family):
Name:Stephanus Romanesko
Spouse: Helena Sophia Maaren
Marriage Date:29 Sep 1858
Marriage Place:The Hague, Netherlands
Father: Josephus Romanesko
Mother: Theodora Filipsen
URL:http://195.242.171.17/hga/virt...

Other Events:

• Baptism: 19 Jan 1799
• Immigration: 21 Aug 1854
• 1860 Census: 1860, Fredonia, Ozaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Page 135
• Occupation: Bef 19 Mar 1862
• Death Record - Church: 19 Mar 1862
• Obituary: Aft 19 Mar 1862
• Family History Researcher: Abt 1999

Notes:

Book:
This unrelated book was created as a marketing tool

Family History Researcher:
Some early research done by Melissa Link Grider

SPECULATIONS ABOUT FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS FIRST WRITTEN ABOUT YR 1999- 2000 (disclaimer: I wrote this years ago--some dates in the online genealogy may vary a little now--have to fix it all)

It is quite common for all of us to make mistakes in genealogy when written records are scarce--I'm sure my own volumes contain more than a few. What's important to remember is that usually SOME of the family folklore is correct, but that often over the course of 150 years, it becomes a game of "Post Office"---like a long line of children telling a secret, with the secret changing dramatically by the end of the line of children when the last child has to repeat the story out loud. I, myself, have had to change my files no less than 5 times due to mistakes, and I'm sure there will be more than 5 more to come as data is uncovered throughout the years. In fact, I think I changed this file 5 times just today.

Such is the case with the Gruns/Grengs/Griens/Groens/Greens (several iterations of this name) and their relationships with the Binats/Binathes/Binnets/Binnards/Binards/Binas/Brenards (just a few iterations of this name!) and the Romeneskos/Romaneskos/Romanskes/Romanescos/Romenescos/Romonescos(several iterations of this name) and the J.P. Mueller family of Fredonia.

There were stories handed down to Tom Green (deceased fellow researcher) of Newburg, and Isabelle Flierl (deceased fellow researcher) of Port Washington (Isabelle's were told to me in July, 2000, by relative, M.S-F). There's no doubt as to THEM telling the story accurately as to what they were told---but what they had been told was most assuredly embellished and in error on some points, and I made make numerous mistakes as well.

We also need to look at the following: N.E. Becker's Lexicon book; St. Nicholas Church--Dacada records and tombstones; Holy Cross Church; St. Mary's Church of Lake Church; and all available legal records and certificates and plat maps. Researchers need to know how and why children were named their given names, middle names, nicknames, etc. Finally, we need to look at UWM Professor John Boatman's book about Saukville, WI, entitled 'At the Crossroads of a Rural Ethnic Community...Saukville, WI". All of these sources will reveal more accurate relationships, etc.

Now let's talk about N. E. Becker. He settled in the Town of Fredonia near Highway 57 on the northern end of the township. He knew a Nicolaus Grun/GREEN and his sons: a Peter and a John Peter.

Nicolaus Grun/Green was either the son or nephew of Anton Greng/Grun/Green (whose own father was named Nikolas/Nicholas, by the way) and brother or cousin to Peter H. Green (Peter H. was married first to Mary McConville and second to Mary Romanesko) and brother or cousin to Johann/John Green (married to Anna-Margaretha Binat, Peter the 2nd Binat's daughter who was known just as Anna in America), and brother or cousin of Maria Grun/Green who married Nic Kiefer/Kieffer.

KEEP IN MIND: there were, in fact, two Nic Greens: Nic Green, a farmer in Fredonia, and we find a Nicholas Frank Grun standing up for his sister/relative's, Maria's, wedding to Nic Keifer--this Nicholas was another son of Anton's, then.

However, we could not rule out that this Nicolaus Frank Grun/Green may have been the father of Anton. Elderly to be sure, but possible. Both of these Nicolaus Grun/Greens showed up on the 1860 census: one as Nic Green and one as Nic Grun--but the Nic Green also had documents showing that his surname was originally Grun, too.

The Fredonia Nic Green's sons were listed in a 1908 nickname Lexicon book written by N. E. Becker and translated by Jean Claude Muller. In it, Nikolas Grun is named a "Deppegiesser" . This Nicolaus Grun's sons, "Johann" and "Peter" also received this nickname. Supposedly, in these people coming from Mondorf (proof that Nic Grun/Green was from Mondorf, just like his relative, Anton), they were related to: Herkul Grun, the then strongest man in the world via body-building and professional wrestling. Source: Luxembourg Society of Wisconsin, Letzebuerger Sprooch, September, 1984, Vol 6, No. 9, page 4 of 6 pages.

Also note: I own the book on Herkul aka John Grun--b. 1868--purchased for me by Peter and Ils Romenesko of the Netherlands in 1999 on a trip to Mondorf. This John Grun was a very handsome man! (Note: Peter and Ils stem from the oldest child of Joseph Romanesko/Theodora Philipsen/Phillipen marriage who never immigrated, i.e., Stephan.)

Becker never clearly distinguished between all of the Peters, Nicolauses and Johns when it came to the Grun/Green men in his German language Lexicon book. In other words, in one section he was talking about Nicolaus Green and HIS sons, and later he was talking about the OTHER sons of Anton Grun who were ALSO named Peter and John, and who had migrated to Outagamie County with the Romeneskos.

N. E. Becker ALSO added the bit about Herkul Grun as an afterthought. This "Herkul" John Grun wasn't even born until the late 1860's--and he became quite popular, even in America, right around the time Becker wrote his book, so it looks like Becker made the assumption: A Grun/Green from Mondorf was automatically related to this Herkul John Grun--nickname being "Hercules."

Here's what Tom Green (descendant of the Peter H. Green Sr., born 1823, the son of Anton) did: he assumed the Nic Green whom Becker had labelled a "Deppegiesser" was ANTON GRUN, and he had Bea Krier list this erroneous label in her book, 'Tapestry of Luxembourgers'. N. E. Becker likely was talking about Anton's relative (Son? Nephew? Brother?) Nic Green of Fredonia, who had a large farm just to the west of N. E. Becker's and just to the south of J.P. Mueller's over in the northern sections of the Town of Fredonia. So, this assumption about a trade nickname belonging to Anton Grun is repeated in Beatrice Wester Krier's 'Tapestry of Luxembourgers' book. (Plat source: 1873 and 1892 plat maps of the Town of Fredonia which is "Town 12, Range 21" and Town of Belgium which is "Town 12, Range 22-23.)

We need to remember also, that in the same general time period or decade, Tom Green of Newburg was doing his research on the Grun/Greens, Jean Claude Muller and Jean Ensch were visiting here and also working on their re-edition of Nicholas Gonner's 'Luxembourgers in the New World' and Bea Krier was working on her Tapestry book. These facts will come into play later because on page 29 or so of the descriptive volume in their reissue of Gonner's work, they tell Anton Grun/Green's story without mentioning his name.

Okay, now let's talk about the Grun/Greng/Grien/Green family while still in Luxembourg. Tom Green of Newburg supposedly told Jean Claude Muller and Jean Ensch that one reason for Anton immigrating was this: to avoid the police for harboring someone "on the lam"--hiding them behind their large fireplace in the Grun home in Mondorf.

What Tom Green actually printed in his own book was this: Anton Grun had cut the shackles off of a fugitive, the police were suspicious, and he abruptly took his family to America.

Well, the closest truth we could find was this: he and the Peter 2nd Binat (born in 1813, son of Peter the 1st Binat's first marriage to Mary "Marie" Bour) likely DID arrive in the same month of the same year in 1847 and come to the same place and before 1855 were living in adjoining sections of the Town of Belgium in one of the far northeastern sections--Section 12 and Section 2 (and we also know there was Christina Grien with land just over the border in Sheboygan County and she sold her land to Nic Plier--I think she was the sister or sister-in-law of Anton? Not sure yet). (It is also interesting to note that as mentioned below, J. P. Mueller of Fredonia immigrated in 1847, too.)

Anyway, if we put the two stories together, it makes it look like Peter the 2nd Binat, (husband of Widow Jeanetta/Janatha/Genatt/Johanna nee Schmit/Schmitt/Schmidt, the widow of Johann Gloden, and step-father to Johannes/John Gloden, aka "Binatten Hans" who married first, Anton's granddaughter, Franziska Grun/Green--daughter of John Grun/Green and Anna-Margaretha Binat, and who married second, Mary Holzfeld--[Holfelz?]), was the criminal.

Who knows--let's face it, as of the time of this initial writing in 1999-2000, no one had ever been able to find them on a ship (Antwerp to NY passages are NOT indexed for these years), so we are assuming the ship records are too hard to find or lost or ALL of them were using false names, but SOME of the records of ships arriving in 1847 are abundant and we know from Tom Green of Newburg that Anton came with many other Luxie families. We do know this for a fact: Anton Grun's son, Johann/John, was married to Peter the 2nd Binat's full biological sister, Anna-Margaretha (known in the USA by the name of Anna) Binat who was born in 1817, and also from the Peter the 1st Binat marriage to Mary "Maria" Bour. I managed to put together legal records collected by Anita Becker, co-founder of the Luxembourg Society of WI along with my mother, Dorothy Schanen Link Simpson. Anita got them from Justine Dollen in Luxembourg. That's how I finally managed to clear up my mother's Binat family mysteries!

Back to the current subject: what we seem to have missed is this: Anton Grun, on the early town of Belgium census, was listed as having 3 males/2females in the home. Well, we know that his son John had his own place and was listed as head of his own household. This means, we have missed his son or perhaps father, NIKOLAS/NICHOLAS FRANK GRUN/GREEN--Anton, Peter and Nic would make 3 males. (In fact, Nicholas Frank was witness at his sister/granddaughter, Maria's marriage to Nic KIEFER). This important fact might come into play later when it comes to the Romaneskos and the Muellers who lived about 8-10 miles due west, beyond Dacada and into the Town of Fredonia.

Now here's our next step in reconstruction: we must speak of the Romanesko/Romanesco family. Tom Green of Newburg had part of the story correct. Isabelle Flierl has part of her story correct. But both of them had been given some possible misinformation as is born out in several legal records. I, myself, certainly might have some information wrong as to a certain J. P. Green versus J. B. Green, but the basic story I have reconstructed is, I believe, correct.

Tom Green of Newburg wrote this (paraphrased): Joseph Romanesko and a brother were escapees from Italy and Joe fled to Holland. This is partially right and partially wrong. Joseph Romanesko had a long, proud heritage stemming from Switzerland, likely near an Italian border, and his relatives migrated to Holland. Joe was born in the village/city of Best. Ils and Peter Romenesco of Holland were a little perturbed at our myths about the Romenescos and they set the record straight in short order back in 1999.
In Holland, Joe married Theodora Philipsen/Phillipen/Philippen. In 1854 (some source stated 1856, but believe it to be 1854), they immigrated with all but their oldest child, Stephan (Ils and Peter Romanesco of Holland are direct descendants of Stephan). Some of their children were: Mary, Wouter/Walter, William, Henry, etc. Mary Romanesko will marry widower Peter H. Green, son of Anton. William will marry Catherine Grun/Green, the daughter of John Grun/Green and Anna-Margaretha Binat. Henry will marry Mary Ruppert, (sister of Mike Ruppert, and who by 1880 is in an "insane asylum", and one of her daughters will be committed to there as well--but they were not insane--they probably had lung disorders).

This means, we have a family living in N.E. Becker's area in Fredonia marrying into Anton's family who reside way over near Lake Michigan--quite a trek by foot or wagon in those days (I drove it at what would be an average horse slow trot and it seemed like a gruesomely long trip in my car!)--and obviously demanding some sort of familial "visiting" relationships, since Anton Green and his sons Peter H. and John/Johann used St. Mary's Church in Lake Church (or a little church that may have been on Silver Beach Road--there was once a school there, too), while his relative, Nicolaus Green, used St. Nic's Church in Dacada, etc.

Now, the Dutch Romaneskos were supposed to be let off the Great Lakes boat (coming from NYC via the usual canals and usual embarkation ports for Great Lakes travel) in Green Bay so they could walk to the Dutch settlement of Little Chute. Miscommunication left them being being put ashore (unknowns to them due to language barriers) in Sheboygan. This unfortunate Dutch family followed their initial instructions to find their pre-planned destination of the Dutch settlement of Little Chute: walking 15-20 or so miles southwest.

According to TWO sets of families folklore, after their 20-mile long trek, the Romaneskos literally sat down on some logs in the woods and cried, feeling hopelessly lost in the wilderness. (This story was verified by a Romanesco/Green elderly descendant who would now be 120 yrs old if still alive in the year 2000. This person lived to be high 90's.) When the family heard a dog barking, Joe Romanesko went to investigate and through that one dog's barking, found civilization.

He supposedly ended up at some trading post called "Richmond Corner"---no one in Sheboygan County or Ozaukee County has been able to uncover the exact location of what was probably this trading-post type building on a corner and which may have been named after a family as Maribeth-Schmit Fuchs pondered, but I firmly believe the Romaneskos ended up west of Dacada, near the current corner of Highway 57 where the MUELLER garage is/was. The "Richmond Corner" may have been actually Joe's way of saying: "rich man's corner"--because the farms here were so large compared to Europe.

Tom Green and I initially thought they wandered in a more direct southerly direction, bringing them somewhere around Jay Rd and Sauk Trail Rd---which is closer to where Anton lived--just an understandable assumption on our part because of the marriages between the families. Census records, relationships, etc., just about disprove the idea, though. Besides, the Romaneskos were looking for Little Chute and they KNEW they had to travel further west when walking south. I believe we both inititally thought the family walked due south because it was the ONLY way we could account for how Anton Grun/Green's children ended up marrying Romanesko children.

Now let's interject Isabelle Flierl's story: " Joe Romanske, a Russian Jew, showed up disheveled, without a horse, poorly dressed, and knocked on the door of J. B. Mueller's farm in the northern Town of Fredonia." Isabelle was told that he lived with the Muellers for the rest of his life and is buried in the J.B. Mueller plot in St. Nic Cemetery, Dacada.

The first and last portion of her story is accurate, but Joe was a Catholic Dutchman with a wife and 5 children sitting in the woods that day he knocked on their door (and if he didn't have this family here, then hundreds of people of Romanesco history verified by LDS records in the USA would be a big fib. In fact, there was a reunion scheduled in Holland for the summer of 2001 one for the hundreds-to-thousands of descendants of Joe Romanesco. It was scheduled for a weekend at a rented castle and our family was invited). J. B. Mueller UNDOUBTEDLY helped the Romanesko's get settled nearby, and we will see that his daughter, Margaret, marries into the Nicolaus Grun/Green family while other Romanesko children will marry other children of Anton Grun/Green's.

The Romaneskos lived in the town of Fredonia, and on the 1860 census, we see Joe Romanesko and his son, Henry, as heads of their own households with listings indicating either living on the same lands or next to each other. Joe's sons, Henry and William are mentioned in N. E. Becker's 1908 Lexicon, too! Henry is also in Civil War records as paying Michael Ruppert (brother to Mary Ruppert, Henry's wife) $100 to take his place in the war. In fact, when we look at Tom Green's story, we see that Nic Green (likely the brother? of Anton), who lived near the Muellers, more than likely helped the Romenesko's plant their first winter wheat and/or possibly contacted his family member, i.e., Anton Green, and Anton gave the Romanesko family the means for a winter wheat crop.

We know from records that J. P. Mueller and his wife, Mary Calteaux, had a daughter, Margaret, who married a certain John Peter Green, known as Peter Green (note: we don't know which given name came first, but one son was known as John and the other, Peter). John Peter and his wife, Margaret Mueller, had two children: Dominic and Mary. John Peter disappeared after these children were born---Isabelle Flierl thought he might have gone to Saukville where he had relatives. Well, she just might be right! Why?

Because all you have to do is read John Boatman's book to find them: Nicolaus Green, likely the nephew OR another son of Anton Grun/Green, had a son named: John B. Green who was documented to have been a Silver Creek area farmer and who later in 1889 married a Saukville widow: Mary Schardt--a widow who owned a locally-famous tavern and hall in Saukville. An obituary newspaper notice stated that Nic Green died at the home of his son, J. B. Green in Saukville and was buried in St. Nic's Cemetery, Dacada, after having a large funeral.

Nic Green has two sons: John and Peter----but the genealogical conflict here is: Maribeth Schmit-Fuchs and Tom Green have info that the man married to Margaret Mueller had parents named: John Green and Margaret Hoffman. This might be rectified by Nicolaus Green's full name being: John Nicholas Green and we know he was married before, i.e., his first wife was likely Margaret Hoffman. His second wife was named, Anna. This is not too far-fetched, because many boys and girls had a pre-given name that was quite repetitive in the same family in those days.

Here is another interesting note on these families: Catherine Grun/Green was a witness to this marriage of J. P. Green and Margaret Mueller, along with Maria Calteaux--the only Catherine Grun/Greens around at the time were the wife of Anton and the daughter of Anton's son, John, and this girl had married William/Walter/Wouter Romanesko.

Back to our reconstruction of the Grun/Greens, Romanescos/Romaneskos, and Muellers:

We now have enough information to speculate about John Peter Green in the matter of his parents being "John Green and Margaret Hoffman." The listing of the parents of John Peter Green had stumped all of us researching Grun/Green, Mueller and Calteaux. Basically, this might have happened because all researchers, including myself, ignored the existence of Nicolaus Grun/Green, a substantial and respected farmer in the Town of Fredonia, and another Nicolaus Grun from the 1860 census listings. I had never seen this name come up before--not until I discovered a Nic Grun/Green being a witness of the marriage of his sister/relative, , Maria Grun/Green to Nic Kiefer/Kieffer and until I found the Fredonia Nic Green's obituary/will--right around the same time Maribeth Schmit-Fuchs told me Isabelle Flierl's story. The two never came up in any sort of alphabetical surname order before because Nic Grun/Green's name had changed to Green before the other Grun family member names more regularly changed spellings.

BURIALS AND GRAVESTONE INFORMATION:

We know a Nic Green was buried in this area from the obituary because it stated he was definitely buried at St. Nic's Cemetery, Dacada. If so, then this person would likely be the nephew or son of Anton Grun/Green because of the circa earlier 1820s birthdate, and also because of the many factors involving a far eastern Town of Belgium Grun/Green family with the Romanesko family that lived closer to Nic Grun/Green the Fredonia farmer. A family connection between the Grun/Greens is almost the ONLY way that Anton Grun/Greens children would have met the Romanesko children in order to intermarry. I believe this makes a valid connection--before this, we never knew how people living almost on the shores of Lake Michigan would have such close relationships with people living closer to the old Highway 57 near Fredonia.

I found a most interesting land deed from 1856 where the Fredonia Nicolaus Grun/Green (name listed as Grun with umlauts over the "u" in the document) was trying to leave 20 acres to his beloved wife, Anna, in the event of his death---it was written as such that she could choose her own acreage for a total of 20 acres out of his 80 owned acres. I'm wondering if the 1856 death of Margaret (who I believe was Margaret Hoffman, Nic's first wife) prompted him to think about the future. This Last Will and Testament states that he had children from his first wife and that he was planning ahead for any children born of the second marriage. He said if she remarried, his leaving her the 20 acres of her choice would be null and void. His wish was that she remain on their land and give motherly love to the children.

These are **Bev Hetzel's stone transcriptions (see asterisked footnote at bottom of story) from St. Nic's cemetery, Dacada, which I went to physically check for accuracy the best I could without tracing equipment:

"A" Green: born 8/10/1824---no death date<----I'm not sure, but I think this old stone should read: N. Green. I believe this is Nic Grun/Green's gravestone.

Anna Green: born 6/2/1862; died 5/18/1898<----believed to be a daughter of the Nic Green who was the Fredonia farmer.

Margaret Green: died 1/2/1856.<----this may have been Margaret Hoffman, the first wife of Nic Green; her death may have prompted Nic to write his Last Will and Testament in the form of a land deed for his wife, Anna. In this document, he states he was married twice and had children by the first marriage.

Anna Green: born 8/10/1821; died 12/11/1908<---believed to be the second wife of same Nic Green; it has been proven that the name she used was Anna by a land record which is in the form of a Will and Testament.
---------------------

On August 14, 1999, I visited St. Nicolas cemetery and I found gravestones for:

Dominic Green, 1877-1973<---verified son of Margaret Mueller Green/John Peter Green

Margareth, 1854-1923<----verified as Margaret Mueller Green who papers listed as born 1855

Mary, 1876-1971<----verified as daughter of Margaret Mueller Green/John Peter Green

That Margaret Mueller Green is buried with her children is testament that her husband, John P Green really did leave her---which was postulated by Isabelle Flierl and retold to me by M. S-F (a Calteaux descendant).

Next burial: On (next to?) the J. P. Mueller/Mary Calteaux plot, we do, indeed, find the 1862 burial of Joe Romanesko/Romeneske---why he's buried there could only be explained by a very close, loving relationship with the J. P. Mueller family. Quite possibly, Joe's widow, Theodora, was not well off, and his burial in the Mueller plot was a kindness extended by the J. P. Mueller family. Obviously, the Muellers must have been quite wonderful, caring people to help the Romaneskos as much as they did. Joseph Romanesko died before his wife, Theodora Philipsen Romanesko, and long before the original immigrating children Romaneskos and Grun/Greens picked up stakes and relocated in the Little Chute and Greenleaf, Freedom, Kaukauna, etc., WI, areas.
-----------------------------------

MORE ON ANTON GRUN: The immigrant Anton Grun (born Antoine GRENG in either 1788 or 1792) has the most interesting story. We know he was a money hustler of sorts and supposedly a smuggler of goods that were strapped over the backs of sheep for transport over rough terrain in a herding route designed to make sure Anton could avoid paying tariffs on whatever goods he was moving. He even sold his own farm in America to his own sons at substantial profit, or so wrote Tom Green. Actually, I found Peter Binat, Mathias Prom, Christina Grien (she may have been a sister-in-law of Anton's?), John Green, and John Gloden doing most of the land transactions over in those far Northeastern sections of the Town of Belgium. They were transacting with surnames like: several Ellenbeckers, Jungers, other related Proms, Plier, Gales/Galles, Schiltz/Schilz, etc. But let's not forget: the first little log church in the rural eastern areas of Lake Church, Town of Belgium, Wisconsin, was built by Anton Grun and his sons, too.

We already know the stories of Anton's sudden decision to emigrate. As I had stated previously, Tom Green, direct descendant of Peter H. Grun/Green, Sr., (one of Anton's son's), stated in his book on the Greens and Mary Hein (not officially but only self-published nicely, and of which a full, illustrated copy is owned by me) that Anton had cut the shackles off off of a criminal on his property. And again, this same story, with no names mentioned, appears slightly altered in Nicholas Gonner's 'Luxembourgers in the New World,' Volume 1, page 29, 1985 revised edition by Jean-Claude MULLER, Jean ENSCH, and Robert E. OWEN.

Here it states that Anton was actually hiding this criminal behind his home's fireplace in Mondorf.

Well, knowing what we know about Anton "the smuggler and hustler", I'd say it was either Anton or Peter the 2nd Binat who might have been the criminal element in trouble with the police, and it might have been Peter the 2nd Binat who was helping him OR being helped by him, eh? Remember this, too: the European ancestor, Elisabetha Grun who married John Bina/Binna makes familial connections to the Binats and Gruns.

Or could an alternative scenario have been that Peter and Janetta had prior plans to immigrate and it was just Anton's good fortune to be able to "get out of town" at the same time with relatives? How else could all of them have ended up coming at the same time, to the same place and buying land in adjoining sections of Town 12, i.e., Belgium, WI? There has to be some logical explanation for their lack of names appearing on ship lists--and I have checked thousands upon thousands of names at a myriad of ports for a twenty-year span of time. Could these families have been traveling incognito to avoid detection and possible passport denial if found out? This story warrants further investigation.

Let's end the reconstruction story to find out how am I tied into all of this and why am I interested in this story: because Peter the 2nd Binat is my gr gr gr grandfather and he serves as a pivotal, connecting person for our maternal family to many other families: the Romaneskos, Grun/Greens, Binsfelds, Schneiders, etc.

Peter's daughter, Margaret, b. 1838--whom Jean Ensch of Luxembourg claims is really not his daughter but his half-sister who was born in 1836, i.e., that she was from the 2nd marriage of Peter the 1st Binat and #2 wife, Margaret Jungers, back in Luxembourg---BUT, since contradictory information exists in America, and all of us, including 19th century Nic Gonner in his Lux. Gazette have it recorded that she was the daughter of Peter the 2nd, then that's the way I'm leaving it. This woman, Margaretha Binat, became my gr gr grandmother when she married Mathias Prom, and they had a daughter Anna Prom who married John Mallinger; in turn, this couple had Catherine Elizabeth Mallinger who married Adolph N. Schanen, son of Jacob James Schanen, Proprietor of the Schanen Lake House Inn, Lake Church (which is still operational today, in 2016, and they have great fish frys, but no grocery store), and these last two are my grandparents. Also, our Proms AND Schanens married into the Gonnering family, just like the Grun/Greens did when they married into the Blindauer/Gonnering family up in Outagamie County.
-------------------------------

Footnote:
**RECORDS WARNING ON LOCAL GRAVE TRANSCRIPTIONS: BEV HETZEL'S 1991 CEMETERY TRANSCRIPTIONS FOR OZAUKEE COUNTY CONTAIN NUMEROUS ERRORS--FOR EXAMPLE, I FOUND 10 OR MORE ERRORS WHEN CHECKING JUST THE FIRST 20 TOMBSTONES SHE HAD TRANSCRIBED FOR ST. MARY'S CHURCH, LAKE CHURCH. IT IS MOST UNFORTUNATE THAT THE LDS CHURCH IN UTAH ACCEPTED THOSE TRANSCRIPTIONS AS RECORDS. MANY TIMES THIS TRANSCRIBER WROTE THAT A STONE WAS UNREADABLE, ETC., AND IT WAS READABLE IN THE YEAR 2000 YET, ETC. SOME OF THE ERRORS ARE UNDERSTANDEABLE ON THE OLD MOSS-RIDDEN, WEATHERED, CHALKY LIMESTONES. FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE WITH THE FIRST INITIAL OF "N" COULD LOSE THE LAST STEM OF THE LETTER AND IT COULD LOOK LIKE AN "A". ALSO, SOMEONE'S SPOUSE COULD SEEM TO BE MISSING BECAUSE IN BEV'S ESTIMATION, THE LETTERS WORE AWAY. I FOUND THESE AND MANY MISTAKES MADE WITH GRAVESTONES AND EVEN GRAVESTONES LISTED IN CERTAIN ROWS WHEN THEY WERE ACTUALLY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CEMETERY, ETC. HOWEVER, IN SOME CASES, BEV'S TRANSCRIPTIONS HAVE PROVEN PRICELESS--SHE DID A LOT OF DIFFICULT, TIME-CONSUMING WORK ON OZAUKEE COUNTY CEMETERIES.

Baptism:
Name:Josephus Romanesco, de
Gender:M (Male)
Birth Place:Best
Baptism Date:19 jan 1799
Baptism Place:Netherlands
Father: Stephanus de Romanesco
Mother: Maria Henr van der Cammen
URL:http://www.genlias.nl/nl/searc...

Immigration:
Family Lore says they landed at Detroit??

Listed in Robert Swierenga's book ;
Name: J. Romanesko
Birth Year: abt 1799
Arrival Year: 1854
Arrival Place: Port uncertain
Age: 55
Family Members: family
Source Publication Code: 9081
Primary Immigrant: Romanesko, J
Annotation: Date of emigration with intended destination. Extracted from "Staat Der Landverhuizingen Naar Noord-Amerika of Andere Overzeesche Gewesten [ List of Emigrants to North America or other Overseas Places]" which is located in the Algemeen Rijksarchief (Natio
Source Bibliography: SWIERENGA, ROBERT P, compiler. Dutch Emigrants to the United States, South Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, 1835-1880: An Alphabetical Listing by Household Heads and Independent Persons. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, 1983. 346p.
Page: 211

1860 Census:
Listed Joseph age 63, living with wife Theodora, born Holland, age 63 son Gerhard and his wife Theresia (Hagel) living with them and granddaughter, Maria age 1/12 born 1860 in Wisconsin.

Occupation:
Farmer

Obituary:
Missing

Family History Researcher:
Joseph and his brother Nicholas Romenesco (later spelled Romenesko) fled Italy in the early 1800's. They settled in Holland where they married and had their children. They arrived in the United States in August 21,1854 and settled in the town of Fredonia, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin where they raised their children.In 1869 when their children were grown and married with children of their own, Joseph's family moved to the town of Freedom, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin. Nicholas and his family stayed in the Fredonia area. Most of them are buried in St. Nicholas Catholic Church's Parish cemetery in Dakata, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin. Joseph Romenesko, the father, died before the family moved to Freedom, WI and is buried in St. Nicholas Catholic Church Cemetery in Fredonia, WI. a notation in his death record says "A very religious man".Theodora Romenesko, the mother lived with their son Gerhard and his family until she died in 1877 and is buried in St Nicholas Catholic Church cemetery in Freedom, WI. Many of Joseph and Theodora's decendants still live in the Outagamie Co. area.
Died at age 64 1854 Immigrated to the US arriving at the Port of Detroit in August 1854.
(From the person who submitted information to World Family Tree which eventually was published by them in 2000 on CD Vol 27.)

Joseph married PHILIPSEN, Theodora 23 Oct 1824, Dreumel, , Gelderland, Netherlands. Theodora (daughter of Unknown, Unknown and Philipsen, Maria) was born 15 Jan 1788, Zetten, , Gelderland, Netherlands; died 4 Feb 1877, Freedom, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA; was buried Aft 4 Feb 1877, St. Nicholas Catholic Cemetery, Freedom, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Theodora Filipsen
• Name: Theodora Pflipsen
• Birth - Church Record: 15 Jan 1788, Zetten, , Gelderland, Netherlands
• Birth - Civil Record: 15 Jan 1788; 1788 Zetten Records; see file for copy
• Occupation: Aft 1808
• Immigration: 21 Aug 1854
• 1860 Census: 1860, Fredonia, Ozaukee, Wisconsin, USA
• 1870 Census: 1870, Freedom, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA; Page 18, Line 03
• Death Record - Civil: 4 Feb 1877; Outagamie County Death Records Vol 1, page 38
• Obituary: Aft 4 Feb 1877

Notes:

Family History Researcher:
Date: 6/28/2001 12:44:05 AM Pacific Daylight Time From: kuijten@hotmail.c om (Rene Kuijten) To:
Jay, 1821 is strange indeed, it can be the year Helena has been baptised. It also can be a wrong date, because in those days it was usual to baptise children on the day they were born. (At least for Catholics) Paulus Hendrikson Kuijten had only one daughter who survived childhood, Henrica Kuijten. She died unmarried. The rest of his children died very young.
My family book does not list the children of female descendants. Maybe you can find any of Helena's children in Den Haag. She was married there to Antonieson Leemckens. She died there on April 29, 1886.
According to the Marriage record you send me, Theodora could have been born in Zetten. Zetten on this moment is just a field somewhere between Beuningen and Elst in the Netherlands. Dreumel is near Tiel.
Theodora and Hendrik can also have been married in Oss, the Netherlands, 'cause Hendrik was baptised there. In the marriage record there is only the name of Theodora's mother, Maria Philipsen. In those days the mother should be recorded with the last name of her father. So Maria Philipsen could be unmarried, and might have carried the name of her father, Theodora's grand father!
I hope this information will help you a little, although I have to admit it brings up more questions to me too.
Rene Kuijten Amersfoort
POSSIBLY born in Sevenum (which could have been mis-spelled or mis-pronounced as Zetten.)

Birth - Church Record:
Name: Theodora Philipsen
Baptism Date: 15 jan 1788
Baptism Place: Indoornik
Mother: Maria Philipsen
Archive: Gelders Archief

!LDS Film 0108691 Catholic Church Records Indoornik, City of Heteren, Gelderland, The Netherlands, Baptisms 1666 - 1811. The record reads " Den Zetten 15 Januarii (1788) Theodora illegitima pater incertus mater Maria Philipsen. Suscept: Peter Philipsen et Elisabeth Jacobs."

Occupation:
Home Maker

1860 Census:
Film # 034504, page 135; Listed living with husband Joseph, born Holland, age 72 Three children living with him (or Two children and a grandchild?)

Death Record - Civil:
1877 Wisconsin Death Records Died in Outagamie County 2/04/1877, Vol 1, page 38, reel 102, image 2623.1877
Name: Theodora Romensca
Death Date: 4 Feb 1877
Death Place: Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
Volume: 01
Page Number: 0038
Reel: 102
Image: 2623
Sequence Number: 326914
Death Records Outagamie Co. Film # 1311647, rec # 2624 Listed died 2/04/1877, in Freedom, age 90, no cause listed. Born in Holland .

Obituary:
Missing

Notes:

Marriage Record (Family):
1824 Netherlands Civil records; Source: Burgerlijke stand - huwelijk (Brui degom) Algemeen Archieflocatie: Gelderland Toegangnr: 0207 Inventarisnr: 5496 Gemeente: Dreumel Soort akte: Huwelijksakte Nummer: 6 Datum: 23-10 -1824
Man Naam: Josephus Romanesco Plaats: (Best)
Vrouw Naam: Theodora Philipsen Plaats: (Zetten)
Vader man Naam: Stephanus Romanesco
Vader vrouw Naam: Nn Nn
Moeder man Naam: Maria Heur van den Cammen
Moeder vrouw Naam: Maria Philipsen
Nadere informatie bruidegom: 25 jaar.; bruid: 36 jaar.; weduwe van Hendr ik Kuijten

Other Events:

• Baptism: Aft 16 Jun 1766
• 1830 Census: 1830, Best, , Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

Notes:

Baptism:
Baptismal Sponsers were Pietro Innocente Imperadore, a brother of his mother and Catharina Romanesco, a sister of his father.

1830 Census:
Listed on 1830 Dutch Census in Best;
Romenesco, Stephanus 64
Maria vandeCam 6?
Romenesco, Josef 33
Romenesco, William 24
Romenesco, Peter
Romenesco, Frances

Stefano married VANDECAM, Maria 26 May 1794, Best, , Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. Maria (daughter of VANDEKAMME, Waltero [End of Branch] and Unknown, Wilhelmina [End of Branch]) was born 4 Jun 1770, Best, , Noord-Brabant, Netherlands; died 26 Apr 1830, Best, , Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Same Person Link: 4 Jun 1770
• Family History Document: 1824; Maria Heur vandenCammen is her name listed in son Joseph's marriage record

Notes:

Same Person Link:
On the web site Marriage Record (Family):
source Noord-Brabant > Best > Trouwen 1754-1875 Overlijden 1754-1797, 1804-1867 / Rooms Katholieke.

Unknown married Philipsen, Maria Bef 1788, , , , Netherlands. Maria (daughter of Philipsen, Gradus [End of Branch] and Slinckman, Aleida [End of Branch]) was born 15 Nov 1761, Indoornik, , Gelderland, Netherlands; died Bef 1861, , , , Netherlands. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Death Record - Civil:
possibles;
Source: Memories van successie (Overledene) OverledeneNaam: Mar ia PhilipsenPlaats: Oisterwijk Overlijdensdatum: 28-04-1837 Algemeen Archieflocati e: Noord BrabantToegangnr: 036.03.15 Inventarisnr: 45 Kantoorplaats: Tilburg Memorien r: 84 Datum: 28-04-1837

Source: Memories van successie (Overledene) OverledeneNaam: Maria Philipse nPlaats: Zevenbergen Overlijdensdatum: 24-01-1841 Algemeen Archieflocati e: Noord BrabantToegangnr: 036.03.19 Inventarisnr: 26 Kantoorplaats: Zevenbergen Memorien r: 1 Datum: 24-01-1841

Source: Memories van successie (Overledene) Overledene Naam: Maria Phili psenPlaats: Zevenbergen Overlijdensdatum: 24-01-1841 Algemeen Archieflocati e: Noord BrabantToegangnr: 036.03.19 Inventarisnr: 26 Kantoorplaats: Zevenbergen Memorien r: 7Datum: 24-01-1841

Family History Researcher:
I found the baptism record of Theodora. It is not very clear, but I think she was baptized on Jan 5, 1788. I enclosed a PDF of this, her record is on the bottom. By the way, she was baptized in Zetten, but lived in Indoornik.
The site http://www.geldersarchief.nl/ had search function and contains the records of Zetten and environment. There I found a baptism record of a Maria Philipsen (~ 24 april 1757 in Zetten), daughter of Derk (Theodorus) Philipsen and Peterken Hendriks van Doorn. I don't know if this is the mother of Theodora, but it is very likely. Because:
1. She was too baptised in Zetten

2. The birth/bapt year could be her

3. Her father is Derk/Theodore, so she named her illigitimate daughter after her father. Which is common.

Derk and Theodore/Theodorus are the same name. Peterken is the same as Petronella/Nellie. Hendriks van Doorn -> her father could be a Hendrik or she could be from the place Doorn. Also please be aware that in that time in this area people did not have strict last names. They were very often named differently. Like the siblings of Maria I found:
- Hendrik Derksen (Derksen as in child of Derk) ~ 1 sept 1754 Zetten

- Jenneken Derksen ~31 Jan, 1745 Zetten

I also found a marriage of a Maria Philipsen (alis van Merwijck) to Alexander Herwaijen. They married on Dec 7, 1787 in Zetten. But then why gave she birth to an ill. child in 1788? Alexander must have been dead in 1788.
Maybe you could dig a little more on geldersachief.nl to find more about her ancestors. There were more Philipsens there in those days. The site is not in English, but if you have trouble with understanding things, please let me know and I will give a hand.
Succes, Birgitte

Stefano married IMPERADORE, Maria Agata 4 Mar 1756, Pollegio, Switzerland. Maria (daughter of IMPERADORE, Antonio [End of Branch] and Unknown, Unknown) was born 9 Oct 1737, Pollegio, Switzerland; died Bef 1837, Pollegio, Switzerland. [Group Sheet]

Waltero married Unknown, Wilhelmina [End of Branch] Bef 1750, , , , Netherlands. Wilhelmina was born Bef 1732, , , , Netherlands; died Bef 1832, , , , Netherlands. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Birth:
Born in Eimeren?

Gradus married Slinckman, Aleida [End of Branch] Aft 1753, , , , Netherlands. Aleida (daughter of Slinckman, Bartholomeus and Jansen, Engel Helena) was born 30 Sep 1735, Huissen, , Gelderland, Netherlands; died 24 Aug 1831, Zetten, , Gelderland, Netherlands. [Group Sheet]

Giacomo married IMPERADORE, Maria Clara [End of Branch] Bef 1730. Maria was born Bef 1715; died Bef 1815, Pollegio, Switzerland. [Group Sheet]

Antonio married Unknown, Unknown Bef 1737, Pollegio, Switzerland. Unknown was born Bef 1717, Pollegio, Switzerland; died Bef 1817, Pollegio, Switzerland. [Group Sheet]

Bartholomeus married Jansen, Engel Helena 10 May 1720, Elst, , Gelderland, Netherlands. Engel (daughter of Jansen, Cornelis and Verburght, Lijsbeth) was born Abt 1697, Elst, , Gelderland, Netherlands; died 13 Nov 1749, Elden, Gelderland, Netherlands. [Group Sheet]

Cornelis married Verburght, Lijsbeth Bef 1697, , , , Netherlands. Lijsbeth was born Abt 1670, , , , Netherlands; died Bef 1770, , , , Netherlands. [Group Sheet]