John & Anna Braaksma

John and Anna Braaksma sat for a family photo with their grown family, probably in the 1930s or 40s. The date and the occasion for the photo are unknown. Picture front, Jenny, Anna, John and Jesse; back, Albert, Frank, Peter, Ray, John and Dewey, my grandfather.

We don't have a photo of John and Anna with their eight children when they arrived from Holland, so you will have to imagine this family of 10, including a baby (Albert) and a set of twins (Ray and Jesse), as they came to America. Grandpa Dewey was 17 at the time of the voyage.

The ship's manifest tells a few details about the family. After they cleared customs at Ellis Island, NY, they were destined for Cambria, Wis. It's recorded that John could read and write. The family travelled in steerage with a ticket cost of $244; the passage was paid by a friend.
John (Jan) and Anna (Antje) were 43 and 38 at the time of their voyage to America. The children were listed by their Dutch name and in birth order: Dewey (Doeke)-17; John (Jan)-15, Jesse (Tjitske)-11, Ray (Renze)-11, Jennie (Renske)-9, Peter (Pieter)-6, Frank (Folkert)-2, Albert-1. Ray and Jessie were twins.

The Rijndam's manifest dates the passage from April 10, 1909, departing from Rotterdam, Holland, their homeland.
Source: www.ellisisland.org

Front page of the Rijndam's manifest, listing the John Braaksma family

Back side of the Rijndam's manifest, listing the John Braaksma family