Family History

Here is a brief history of our family:

DEKKER FAMILY

Simon Theodore Dekker—Born April 18, 1916; Died May 24, 1993 (no siblings)

Johanna Fredericka Persenaire Dekker—Born Feb. 10, 1916; Died Oct. 16, 2012

Siblings:
1. Elizabeth Persenaire Olthoff—Born December 2, 1914; Died December 28, 2011
2. John Adrian Persenaire—Born June 30, 1917; Died Jan. 30, 1978
3. Cornelia Persenaire Carroll—Born August 31, 1921; Died May 30, 2012
4. Adrian Persenaire—Born August 4, 1923; Died May 6, 2001
5. Marion Persenaire—Born April 7, 1927; Died July 31, 2014

                                  

                     The first one pictured is Abram Dekker, father of Simon Dekker

                             Grandma Persenaire (Johanna's mother) with her children. 

Children of Simon and Johanna:

1. Arleen Lynn Dekker Kidd—Born Nov. 9, 1942

2. Bonita Gayle Dekker Griswold—Born June 29, 1947: Died April 1, 2015

3. Vernon Bruce Dekker—Born Aug. 6, 1950 (Papa)

4. Pamela June Dekker DeBruyn—Born June 23, 1952

                               Vern, Arleen, Pam, Bonnie and cousins Mary and Dave

Simon Dekker worked in the US Post Office and also sold eggs and was a cabinet maker. He loved to sing in the church choir. 

Johanna Dekker was a class valedictorian and worked as a librarian in the South Holland library. 

                                             

                                           Vern and his parents in 1951

Vern Dekker went to Purdue University and got his masters degree in Civil Engineering and graduated Summa Cum Laude  "with highest honors". He has been working at Black and Veatch since 1973. He attends Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Overland Park and loves to sing in the choir. He is also an avid gardener and loves to be outdoors working in the gardens and the yard. He has done a lot of landscaping to make the yard a beautiful place for our grandchildren who love to come out here and play. We also built a gazebo with roses--our place to relax and read.

Vern loves to do things for the grandchildren, He made trails around the yard and put in a zip line which the kids love! He also makes them Papa's Famous Monkey Bread when they come to spend the night. He once saved money for five whole years to take the whole family on a fantastic Alaskan Cruise! We were to cruise for a week and then take a 500 mile train ride into the heart of Alaska and stay in Princess Lodges while visiting Denali. He is the best Grandpa ever!!!

VAN ZUIDAM FAMILY

Loren Eugene Van Zuidam (Bud) —Born Jan. 3, 1931; Died April 9, 1991

Bud's Grandparents were:

Matthew and Cornelia (Eenigenberg) Van Zuidam
Martin and Anne (Lange) Breugmann

Bud's Parents were: John and Lauretta (Breugmann) Van Zuidam

Bud's Siblings:

1. Ellen Ruth Van Zuidam Kamstra—Born Aug. 23, 1928; Died Sept. 29, 2006

2. Lois Johnine Van Zuidam Fennema—Born April 19, 1933

3. Carole Ann Van Zuidam Turngren—Born May 18, 1938

4. Joneen Grace Van Zuidam Hagen —Born May 8, 1944; Died Mar. 23, 2004

                Bud, John and Joneen, Lauretta and Carole, Ellen and Lois VanZuidam

Lorraine Ruth Mossel Van Zuidam (Lori)—Born April 13, 1932; Died Nov. 11, 2007

Lori's grandparents were:

Frank and Rose Mossel
David and Cornelia (Santeford) Hoekstra

Lori's parents were:

Geroge and Clara (Hoekstra) Mossel

Lori's Siblings:

1. Mildred Mossel Yonkman—Born Nov. 8, 1928

2. Jacquelyn Mae Mossel Yonkman—Born May 9, 1943

3. George Robert Mossel—Born April 2, 1945

                          George and Clara Mossel with George, Lori, Millie, and Jacque

                                                  

Four generations: Cornelia Hoekstra, Clara Mossel, Lori VanZuidam, Diane VanZuidam

Bud VanZuidam was raised on a farm in Chicago Heights, and he was a real farm boy! He was driving tractors at a very young age. When he was in high school he started dating Lori Mossel and they got married when he was 19. They had Diane when he was 20. He had a job delivering eggs door to door and sometimes he would sell chicken too. Around Thanksgiving time he would sell turkeys. One time, some of the barn cats got into the refrigerated room and overnight they ate some of the turkeys. O. my. word. Bud got out the shotgun and killed them between the house and the barn.

Lori Mossel/VanZuidam was born and raised in South Holland Illinois. She had one older sister named Millie and and younger sister Jacque and a younger brother George. When it was time for my her to be born, instead of calling the doctor, her mom just told the next door neighbor and she came over and helped with the delivery! O my! 

Lori only went through eighth grade and did not get to go to high school. Then she got married at 18 and had five kids and it wasn’t until she was in her fifties that she got her GED and her high school diploma! 

Children of Bud and Lori VanZuidam:

1. Diane Lynne Van Zuidam Dekker—Born Dec. 22, 1951

2. David Loren Van Zuidam—Born Oct. 10, 1953; Died March 20, 2006

3. Larry Allen Van Zuidam—Born March 23, 1956

4. Tamara Sue Van Zuidam Roskamp—Born Jan. 3, 1959

5. Mark Alan Van Zuidam—Born Oct. 23, 1965

Diane VanZuidam/Dekker graduated second in her class from St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in Lafayette, Indiana. Later she went on  to Johnson County Community College and KU and graduated from KU with degrees in Philosophy and English Literature.  She was invited to join Phi Kappa Phi which is an honor society for academic excellence. 

Diane worked as a psychiatric nurse at Shawnee Mission Medical Center from 1975-1986. After that she taught piano lessons in her home until 2014. In 2008 she wrote Two Trees of Knowledge: A biblical case for the separation of school and state. Now she loves spending time with her grandchildren more than any other thing. She took the grandchildren one day a week for years so the moms could have a break and the kids could have cousin-bonding time. It was a win-win! She also taught piano lessons to the grandkids. 

VanZuidam Family at Vern and Diane's Wedding

                        

Children of Vern and Diane Dekker:

1. Kristen Mark Dekker — Born June 20, 1974
2. Rachel Beth Dekker/Keller — Born November 19, 1975

                                            Vern, Diane, Kris and Rachel Dekker

Children of Kristen Mark Dekker and Kimberly Swanson/Dekker

1. Katy Nicole Dekker — Born March 27, 2004
2. Meagan Noelle Dekker — Born December 28, 2005
3. Grady Andrew Dekker — Born February 22, 2008

Children of Travis Keller and Rachel Dekker/Keller

1. Alice Johanna Keller — Born October 5, 2000
2. Sadie Beth Keller —Born April 24, 2003
3. Kristen Grace Keller — Born February 1, 2007

    Grady Dekker, Sadie Keller, Katy Dekker, Meagan Dekker, Alice Keller, Kristen Keller

Additional interesting history:

John VanZuidam had a tough childhood. His dad was killed in an "accident" at work, but his mother had been warned by Union thugs earlier that one might occur if he did not stop fighting the unionization of the shop.  John was only 4 and the youngest of four.  His mother took in wash and ironing to help support herself.  John was only about 6 or 7 when he had to haul water to the outdoor washtubs sitting over burning coals.  Summer and winter his mother washed and John said her hands were always rough and bleeding!  When he was 11 grandma married a widower, Sander Smit, who came with 2 young daughters, 2 and 4, that were lice and flea bitten and filthy. He did not like Sander and ran away from home, ended up in Thornton and stayed with a relative of Lauretta Bruegmann for a while. Lauretta later became his wife. 

John and Lauretta Bruegmann/VanZuidam were the parents of Bud VanZuidam. Lauretta’s grandpa was a Lutheran preacher, Missouri Synod, near Alton, Illinois.  John and Lauretta were married on her birthday, August 6, 1927, and were married 37 years.  I think her grandparents may have come from Germany but not sure.  German was the main language until Lauretta and her siblings went to school.  She graduated from grade school but John VanZuidam never did graduate.  She was confirmed in the Lutheran Church and John was raised Christian Reformed.  When dating, he went with her to church on Sunday and the preacher said right from the pulpit, "We have a heretic with us today".  They left that church and never went back.  John was a Fuller Brush salesman for a while.

Several years after Lauretta died from a stroke at the age of 56, John Van Zuidam married Della Pals who was a widow. She was also ironically my mom’s (Lori Van Zuidam’s) aunt. So my dad’s step mom was my mom’s aunt which made my mom and dad first cousins by marriage. Hahaha! She (Lauretta) died on December 6 just a few weeks before I turned 13. She had a stroke the week before and was in a coma for a week before she had a second stroke and died.