Who are John De Vos and Gertrude Van Der Mer? (Click here for full size image.)
I love this photo– John De Vos hamming it up with a bonnet on his head and flowers in his pocket; Gertrude Van Der Mer just can’t even . The building in the background says “Spiegel’s” and then “South Chicago” below it, with the slogan “We trust the people!”
Spiegel
Spiegel was an American direct marketing retailer founded in 1865 by Joseph Spiegel. Spiegel published a catalog, like its competitors Sears and Montgomery Ward, which advertised various brands of apparel, accessories, and footwear, as well as housewares, toys, tools, firearms, and electronics… They also operated brick-and-mortar stores.
Wikipedia
According to this report, Spiegel’s “We Trust the People!” advertising slogan was unveiled in about 1898, along with the company’s first branch store on the South Side of Chicago.
June 2024 Update
Note: I am going to color code the names to keep them straight.
I found another photo in the collection (right) with John De Vos and Gertrude “Gertie” Van Der Meer, along with Mary and Alice De Vos, and Jennie (Smith) Hine. Together with the Spiegel’s backdrop of the first photo and the fact that Jennie looks pretty young, that leads me to estimate these photos were taken sometime around 1910.
I also realized the 1900 US Census lists the De Vos family living next door to Richard Hine’s grandparents Dirk Van Vuuren and Maartje (Dejong) Van Vuuren on Michigan Avenue. The Van Vuurens lived at 10042 Michigan Ave. Jacob De Vos lived at 10050 Michigan Ave with his brother Arthur and sister Gertrude De Vos (aged 34, 33, and 30, respectively). And Peter Devos (age 36) lived at 10052 Michigan Ave with his wife Maggie and their children John, Mary, Richard, Alice, Margaretta, and Johanna.
Jacob, Arthur, Gertrude (of 10050), and Peter (of 10052) were the sons and daughter of Jan/John De Vos and Aaltje/Alice (Lagestee) De Vos. Peter De Vos married one of Dirk Van Vuuren and Maartje De Jong’s daughters, Maggeltje/Maggie Van Vuuren in 1887. Therefore, John, Mary, and Alice De Vos in the photos were first cousins of Richard Hine. They were all families of the First Christian Reformed Church of Roseland, neighbors, and kin.
Mystery
Now that we have that sorted out, who is Gertie Van Der Meer?
July 2024 Update
- Ann van Erden, b. 22 Jun 1890 in Chicago, was the daughter of Guurtje van Vuuren and John van Erden.
- Jennie Hine was my great-grandmother.
- Gertrude Pyle, unknown.
- Gertie van der Meer, unknown
- Mary (Maartje) de Vos, b. 13 Jan 1890, was the daughter of Maggeltje (Maggie) van Vuuren and Peter de Vos.
- Henrietta van Drent, unknown.
- Frank van den Berg was the husband of Ann van Erden.
- John de Vos, b. 4 Apr 1888, was the son of Maggeltje (Maggie) van Vuuren and Peter de Vos.
- Alice de Vos, b. 24 Dec 1893, was the daughter of Maggeltje (Maggie) van Vuuren and Peter de Vos.
