The earliest Kokkeler I have is Berend Jan Kokkeler, who was born in the early to mid 1700's in Denekamp, County of Overijssel, Holland. He married Geeze Silderjans. I only have one son born to this marriage at this time. His name was Gerrit Jan Kokkeler, born in 1755 in Denekamp, Holland and he married Geertruida Rijkhof on June 26, 1795 in Denekamp, Holland. Gerrit Jan passed away January 20, 1836 in Denekamp, Holland. To the best of my knowledge, father and son both were farmers and/or farm laborers.
Gerrit Jan and Geertruida Rijkhof had eight children. One of the sons, Berend Jan, born March 4, 1812 in Denekamp, Holland, married Gertrud Scheerbeek May 12, 1839 at Denekamp, Holland. I have names of three children born to this union, one being Gerardus, born October 5, 1845. Gertrud passed away in 1847 and Berend married Joanna Margaretha Punt on July 27, 1949. To this union I have the names of four children, one being Gerrit Jan, born September 7, 1850 in Denekamp, Holland. Euphemia Lammers was born in Gildehaus, Germany on January 21, 1857. Gerrit Jan and Euphemia married November 13, 1877 at Emsburan, Germany. They lived a short time in Drievordan, Germany before settling in Salzbergen, Germany. Six sons were born in Salzbergen, Hermann Gerhard, born January 28, 1883; Bernard Albert, born November 3, 1884 and died August 19, 1885 of typhoid fever; Ludwig Albert (Louie), born July 23, 1886; Bernard Anton (Tony), born May 27, 1889; Johann Theodor (John), born March 23, 1894; and, Johann Gerhard (Gerhard), born October 8, 1897. Gerrit Jan and Euphemia and their five remaining sons came to America.
From information received from Maria Lammers Grondmann, they owned their own home in Salzbergen. The house apparently burned down, but they rebuilt it. Gerrit's brother wrote that they should come to America and he would give them as much help as he could. They had no extra money for passage, so they sold their home to afford passage to America for the whole family. To the best of my knowledge they departed Europe from Bremen, Germany on April 28, 1898 and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in May, 1898, with a little more than $30.00 in their pockets. They came over on a ship called Munchen of the Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen Steamship Company. By this time, trains were a common form of transportation and many immigrants came West by train. Upon arriving in Glen Ullin, they couldn't rely on Gerrit's brother because he didn't have any money to spare. Euphemia wrote home to
relatives that she was very downhearted about life in America and that they were having a very hard time. The family homesteaded in Oliver County, North Dakota in 1898.
Gerrit Jan and Euphemia's son, Bernard Anton (Tony), is my grandfather. He married Theresa Balog at Glen Ullin, ND on October 20, 1914. Theresa was born September 25, 1893 in Wetschehausen, Austria-Hungary to Nikolaus and Francesca Kozilek Balog. Eight children were born of this marriage. One of the sons is my Dad, Joseph (Joe) M. Kokkeler.
Joe was born March 22, 1917 at Blue Grass, Oliver County, ND. He married Barbara E. Schwartz on August 12, 1947 at Hebron, ND. Barbara was born April 14, 1924. Two children were born of this marriage. Marijo (myself) and my brother Craig.
Craig was born November 28, 1953 at Richardton, Stark County,
ND. He married Priscilla Keane on October 19, 1974 at
Mildenhall, Suffolk County, England. They have a son,
Ian James, born May 26, 1976 at Ft. Collins, Larimer
County, CO.
Ian James has a son, Kain Morrison, born 13 February 1999
in Indianapolis, IN.
So there you have nine generations of Kokkelers. |
