Articles, pictures, and history about the family. Search feature and email sign-up at the bottom of the page. (Van Antwerp, VanAntwerp, Van Antwerpen, VanAntwerpen)
This is my personal blog to attempt to digitize and share family history for the Van Antwerp(en) family primarily starting with Daniel Janse Van Antwerpen who was born in 1635 and came to the US. To get oriented, I’d suggest the following:
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If you have some time and want to help, look at the categories on the right side of the page and choose “Relative or Not?”…these are articles, pictures, or other mentions of people that I don’t know who they are or how to fit them into the tree
Ira was my 2nd cousin 3x removed. He was born in Nebraska and died in Washington. His parents were Ira Albert Van Antwerp (1851-1915) and Frances (Fanny) Wright (1848-1894).
He married Agnes Brown (1882-1971), and they had five children:
Maurice Albert Van Antwerp (1904-1987) married Jeanette Georgia Griffin
Marguerite C. Van Antwerp (1908-2000) married Everett Lyle Neil
Ruth Marie Van Antwerp (1910-2001) married Wallace Adam Sleness
Dorothy M. Van Antwerp (1914-1964) married Verroll Toby Henry
Robert Lorrain Van Antwerp (1918-1999) married Ruby Marguerite Smith
In the 1910 Census, he’s a dairy farmer in Nebraska living with his wife, his three oldest children and his father in Sequim, Washington. In the 1920 Census, he’s still a dairy farmer now living with his wife and all four children. His father has since passed away. By the 1930 Census, they’ve moved to 26 Avenue NE in Seattle where he’s a meat packer at a retail market. All five of their children are still living with them (ages 11-25). By the 1940 Census, he’s a traveling salesman living with his wife and their youngest son – Robert – who’s 21. And, in the 1950 Census, he’s living by himself (still at the house at 26 Avenue NE) and he’s working as a meat cutter. In his WWI draft card, he’s described as stout of medium height with light colored hair and blue eyes.
Agnes Brown’s parents were John Brown Jr. and Isabella Sinclair. I haven’t dug into them, but a quick view said they were born in Scotland, married in Australia, and then moved to the state of Washington in the US.
I found a few other things…
Here’s the wedding announcement for their daughter Dorothy from the Spokane Chronicle on April 23, 1937, pg. 21.
In this 1935 City Directory, you see Albert as a meat cutter at Beldon’s Market and his daughter Dorothy as a dairy worker at Graham’s Dairy Products. His daughter Marguerite is listed as a clerk.
Peter is my 4th cousin 5x removed. His parents were Samuel P. Van Antwerp (1802-1873) and Eliza Travers Waters. He married Mary Elizabeth Dodge and had three children – Charles (died young), Frederick Sherman, and Grace Irene. I found several things about him (but no picture yet). There’s some great biography material below about coming from NY to Nebraska.
Gertrude is my 5th cousin 4x removed. Her parents were Henry Franklin Skeel and Susannah Bond Van Antwerp (1842-1908). She married first Robert B. Taylor who died 2 years after they were married at age 37. [I didn’t find the cause of death.] She remarried to William Lewis Blessing who also died young at age 47 after surgery. They had four children – Madge, Frank, Jean, and Marion.
Here’s a few pictures of Gertrude and her obituary. I also found this strange commentary about her second husband.
Here’s her FindAGrave entry along with one for her husband and her mother.
I updated some information on Thaine Dorin Van Antwerp’s post about his family. In doing that, I received some more information about his sister’s – Doris Liberty Van Antwerp (1918-1973) – husband – Major William Walter Gabriel (1917-1963). [Doris was my 7th cousin 2x removed.]
I’ve talked about my Aunt Joan before who married Jack Shannon, but I realized that I’d never posted anything about him.
Here’s a brief bio I have on him…
Here’s a few pictures of him and Joan, one with the kids, a matchbook from his company, a wedding notice, and his obituary.
I also have this great bio on his father…
This biography is from Troy and Rensselaer County, New York, Volume III, by Rutherford Hayner, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., New York and Chicago, 1925. It was submitted by Debby Masterson.
HON. JOHN FRANCIS SHANNON—Few young men in the early thirties have accomplished so much in personal effort or have won so much in public honor as John F. Shannon, of Troy, New York, insurance executive, city assessor, and former representative to the State Assembly.
A native of the State of Connecticut, Mr. Shannon’s people have been prominent for several generations in the manufacturing interests of this State, his grandfather, John Shannon, coming to this country from Ireland in about the year 1853, and conducting a shoe manufacturing establishment on Bank Street, New London, Connecticut, before the Civil War. At the outbreak of hostilities at that time, he enlisted at Fort Trumbull, in the 2nd Connecticut Light Artillery, and served through several engagements during the war, and received his honorable discharge. His father, John Shannon, the eldest of five children, was born in New London, Connecticut, was a gunmaker by trade, and became a contractor in the manufacture of gun barrels for the Davenport Fire Arms Manufacturing Company of Norwich. His paternal uncle had also been a superintendent of lock manufacturing establishments and firearms plants in Norwich, Connecticut. John Shannon married Carrie Kniffen, who is now a resident of Troy.
John Francis Shannon was born at Norwich, Connecticut, March 3, 1889. His father died when he was five years of age, and when he was seven he came with his mother to the city of Troy, New York, and here attended Public School No. 14 until he was fourteen years of age. During these early days, days of struggle for his mother, he sold milk in the early mornings before going to school, and when he reached the age of fourteen he secured a position as messenger boy. Thus it appears that he began life with great seriousness, as it was presented to him through his mother’s struggle. When slightly older he secured a position in an electrical supply house as a helper, and the concern doing also an extensive business in the contracting line, Mr. Shannon learned the trade. During this time he completed his education by attending night schools, both in the public school buildings and at La Salle Institute, gaining much along technical lines and also reaching out into classical fields.
At the age of eighteen years Mr. Shannon became identified with the Home Telephone Company, as assistant wire chief, which position he filled for eight years. For six years thereafter, he was with the New York Telephone Company, this organization being the successor of the Home Telephone Company. On July 3, 1921, Mr. Shannon entered an entirely different field of business endeavor, opening an office where he has since been active in the general insurance and real estate business. He handles important interests in real estate, and in the insurance line represents the Travelers’ Insurance Company, of Hartford, Connecticut; the Queen Fire Underwriters of America; the Newark Fire Underwriters, of Newark, New Jersey; and the New Amsterdam Casualty Company, of New York, and Baltimore, Maryland; of which latter company he is general agent in Troy. He is achieving marked success in his business endeavors and is taking a leading position in his chosen field of activity.
Since his early youth, even before attaining his majority, Mr. Shannon felt a deep interest in public afifairs and was an active worker for the program of the Democratic party, of which he is still a loyal supporter and in which he has attained the position of a popular leader. In 1912-13 he acted as messenger to the Board of Aldermen of the city of Troy, and in 1913 was elected to the Board of Supervisors from the Fourteenth Ward, his term of service covering the years 1914-15. He had the distinction of being the first and only Democrat elected to this board from the Fourteenth Ward, and served also as chairman of the charity committee.
While serving as supervisor Mr. Shannon was elected to the New York State Assembly from the First Assembly District of Rensselaer County, and the quality and scope of his work in the public service is well appraised in the fact that he was reelected four times. During his first term in the Assembly he continued to fulfill the duties of supervisor until the expiration of his term in that office. He did much constructive legislative work, acting on important committees, and giving especially helpful service on committees that had to do with welfare activities along many lines. One of his first responsibilities at the State house was his appointment to the committees of commerce and navigation, and he also served on the railways committee for two years.
In 1918, during the World War, he was made a member of the committee on military affairs, and during that and the following year he served, too, on the ways and means committee. While at all times he was faithful to the interests of the State as a commonwealth and to its every section, he was instrumental in the effect of his influence, in the passage of a number of bills that bore directly on improvements or benefits for the city of Troy and its environs, and the county of his residence; yet in every case in which he distinguished himself in this connection, the result was of more than local benefit. He was instrumental in the abolishment of the toll system of the Congress Street Bridge in Troy, and through his efforts also, the Greenbush Bridge became a free thoroughfare. In both of these instances Mr. Shannon led the fight in the Assembly and held the deciding vote.
He also did much active and constructive work for the harbor and dock improvements in Troy and had passed the bill for the Front Street railway improvements. It was due to him also that the bill was passed changing the method of taxation in the city of Troy, which saves the city about $50,000 a year. On the humanitarian side he was one of the principal promoters of the Child Welfare Bill, which placed the State of New York among other progressive States of the union in the attitude taken on the care and oversight of the children of the Commonwealth. On the expiration of his fifth term as a legislator, Mr. Shannon was elected to the Board of Assessors of the city of Troy, his period of service beginning with the year 1920 and continuing for four years.
He was again elected in 1923 for another four-year term, and his work is doing much for the just and equitable distribution of the burden of public expense among the taxpayers of the city. Mr. Shannon is a member of the Young Men’s Democratic Club; and having served as a fireman for twelve years as a member of the Arba Read Steamer Company, and served as trustee for one term, he is now a member of the Exempt Firemen’s Association. During the World War he was elected president of the Fourteenth Ward Soldiers and Sailors Welfare League, and led a campaign and secured funds to erect a monument which stands in Prospect park, in memory of those sailors and soldiers from Ida Hill, who served during the World War.
He is a leading member of the Knights of Columbus, of Troy, and also holds the fourth degree in the Father Van Rensselaer Assembly of the same order. He is a member of St. Francis’ Roman Catholic Church, and is a leading figure in the organization of the church, particularly in the Holy Name Society, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. His recreations are athletics, and he has for a number of years been a well-known football player and boxer, fishing also being one of his relaxations.
Mr. Shannon married, on August 18, 1912, Elizabeth T. Fitzgerald, of Troy, and they have five children: Mary Elizabeth, Gertrude Antoinette, John Francis, Jr., all of whom are attending St. Francis’ School; Dorothy Josephine, attending public school No. 14; and William, an infant.
I don’t know a lot about Eli. He’s my 4th cousin 4x removed. I believe his parents were John Van Antwerp (1807-1892) and Gertrude Veeder. He married Elsie Blanchard. I believe he had three children – John, Marion, and Elizabeth (Libbie).
In the 1860 Census, he’s a farm laborer, married at age 22, living with Elise and two kids – John and Marion. In the 1870 and 1880 Census, he’s listed as a Farmer with John and Libbie as kids. I didn’t find the 1890 Census, but in the 1900 Census, he’s 64 and listed as living with his wife (Elsie) and working as a Fireman.
I found this reference to a bible that got me looking into him. This is from the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Bible Transcriptions…
I’ve only found a very brief mention of Laura in an obituary saying that she died and was cremated. She’s my 4th cousin 1x removed. Her parents are Thomas Lehman Van Antwerp (1896-1982) and Estelle Brown Corman.
She was married first to Giovanni Salvatore Greco in 1983 and second to Richard James Greig in 1993. I don’t know if she had any children.
Amos was my 6th cousin 3x removed. His parents were Cyrus Gilbert and Alice Adele Van Antwerp. He was married two or three times. First to Alice Avnernette Leach with whom he had a daughter Marion A Gilbert (Billings) (1910-1988). I believe he was also married to Adele and Lilly.
I found a few mentions of him…
Apparently, he tried some hoax about being robbed in 1911…
In FindAGrave, I also found this for his daughter…
And, I originally started down this path after finding this Jan 31, 1913 article saying that Marion had not been abandoned at age 3…
I was looking at my 6th cousin 3x removed yesterday – Osgood Otho Rawson (1906-1998) and saw he was married to an Ethelyn Romney. I’d only heard that name in light of Mitt Romney…but she was from Mexico.
I decided to quickly poke around. Well, it appears that Mitt Romney’s father was from the Mormon settlement in Mexico.
Here’s Mitt’s bio from Wikipedia (I met him at the airport one day when he was running for President and was on my flight)…
Here’s his father’s bio where you see the mention of the Mormon colony in Mexico.
It took a little more digging and building out the tree to find the link. Nothing close for me, but there may be a few cousins with a closer connection.
I previously posted about a Daisy Van Antwerp’s wedding in 1944 in Idaho to L. C. Biggerstaff. I haven’t been able to figure out who she is. I also found this article from Idaho in 1943 mentioning a Mrs. Daisy Van Antwerp.
I was then looking at Albert Eugene Van Antwerp and came across a tree that says he married a Lina Toe and had a daughter Daisy Wright Van Antwerp (born around 1879). I wasn’t able to find much else.
When I searched under Daisy Van Antwerp, I found this FindAGrave entry for a Daisy that lived from 1880-1978, but it doesn’t say who her parents were. I think that’s the Daisy Wright Van Antwerp mentioned above.
These mysteries intrigue me so I started digging on Daisy Van Antwerp. I found this auction in 1960 from Bucyrus, Ohio.
The Daisy in Bucyrus appears to be Daisy Garner who married Jay Shutt and later Milton Fenner Van Antwerp.
I found another Daisy Van Antwerp (maiden name Miller) mentioned in this obituary for her mother in 1916 in Freeport, Illinois.
And, all of these seem to be different than the Daisy Dean Van Antwerp who’s married to Claude Hamilton Van Antwerp mentioned here…
I found this article attached to Issac Z Van Antwerp (1842-1926) who’s my 5th cousin 4x removed. His parents were Isaac Merritt Van Antwerp (1813-1866) and Lany Ann Wormuth. I believe Albert Van Antwerp is his brother. P.W is Phillip W. Van Antwerp another brother. His sister Louisa Marjorie is Mrs. L.O. Moses. His other sister Addie is Mrs. J.K. Randall. I’ll have to spend a little more time mapping the others.
He has a nice FindAGrave memorial with two great pictures of him.
I believe these are all the same Nicholas Van Antwerp who’s my 4th cousin 5x removed, but if anyone can help with the disconnect in birth year, please let me know.
What I have in Ancestry is below (born 1822)…
But, on this Veteran record, it shows him as born in 1843…
The bio on FindAGrave seems to confirm this disconnect.
Sometime the people with the Van Antwerp middle name are hard to link to the family. Typically, it’s a mother or grandmother’s maiden name. I think one time it looked like it was more of an acknowledgement of a good friend. I just came across this one, and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a link to the Van Antwerp family…in case anyone knows.
He also had a grandson by the same name so it would seem to be some important link.
Jacob was my 3rd great-granduncle who lived from 1807-1874. I found a Venard-Van Antwerp genealogy book that has a few pictures and a bio on him. And, on his son Daniel Leroy Van Antwerp.
For anyone that’s part of this branch of the family, I want to make sure some of the other research doesn’t get lost so here’s some other parts of the book.
Cornelia Hicks (1828-1915) married my 4th cousin 5x removed – Lewis Van Antwerp Jr. (1825-1889). They had four children:
Ida Everett Van Antwerp (Smith/Hewlett)
Lewis W. Van Antwerp III
William M. Van Antwerp
Isabella Van Antwerp (died at age 5)
In reading her obituary, it pointed me to the town of Hicksville, NY which was named after her family – her great-granduncle Elias Hicks (to be specific).
I looked at the 10 Lillian Van Antwerp’s that I have in my tree, but none of them seem to match this article. This is about a man being accused of sending an obsence letter to Lillian.
I found this on Wikitree. I had Margaret in my tree as as my 3rd cousin 6x removed and marrying Cyrenius H. Beers, but I only had two children. And, I thought that Emma died as a young child. This post provides more information.
This is another Van Antwerp from Battle Creek, MI that I can’t identify. It say Chas (Charles?) Van Antwerp married Alice Cornell on May 11, 1910. But, I don’t know how they fit into the family.
I found this wedding notice, but I haven’t been able to find anything else other than an Ancestry.com entry about his year of birth and year of death. This is from the Battle Creek Michigan paper (June 23 1935) if that helps identify him.
I came across this article in the Detroit Free Press from Jan 13, 1895 about Inez Van Antwerp marrying H. C. Liddiard, but I don’t have either of them in my tree to understand the relationship. [Update – She’s my 6th cousin 3x removed. Her parents were Philip W. Van Antwerp (1840-1927) and Tamsin Brown.]
I did find a little more on FindAGrave.com, but it still doesn’t tell me her parents if anyone knows.
This may be the same Marie Van Antwerp as the ranch post, but I’m not sure. In a separate search, I’d found a Marie J. Van Antwerp House listed in a file for 544 10th St., Colusa, California. I believe it was a list of historic houses. I couldn’t find much more.
It did have an address which I was able to look up and at least see a picture…
In looking in Newspapers.com, I found a few mentions of Marie J. Van Antwerp including one about building this house. From that, I believe this is Marie Jensen who married Jimmie Van.
I found this article in The Sacramento Bee from Dec. 2, 1950 talking about the Van Antwerp Ranch being sold by a Marie Van Antwerp of Sacramento. I’m not sure who this is if anyone remembers a ranch being in their family.
I came across another religious member of the family this morning when I found this obituary for D.J. Van Antwerp (1868-1934) who is my 5th cousin 4x removed. His parents were Rev. Charles Thomas Van Antwerp (1834-1908) and Mary Jane Dobell.
Dempster married Ada McLanathan, and they had a daughter – Vera Van Antwerp (1893-1980). Vera married Herman Arthur Sayre and they had four children – Mariel, Betty, Helen, and Dean.
Van Antwerp Family History (and Relatives) 