Jacob Smit (Jennie Hine’s father) and his twin sister Geertje were born on 22 Oct 1866 to Klaas Pieters Smit and Trientje Vogel. The parents were married on June 3 1857 and had seven children. Two died in childhood and five lived to adulthood. Their oldest daughter Trientje never left Groningen, but Jacob, Geertje, and their sister Reina and brother Pieter all emigrated to the US. Their mother Trientje also emigrated ten years after her husband died in Groningen. Lots of info and documents below, with all relationships oriented to Jacob Smith. But first, here are the birth records for Jacob and his twin Geertje:
Jacob’s father, Klaas Pieters Smit
- Born in Usquert, Groningen 10 Sep 1829
- Occupation: cobbler/shoemaker
- Father: Pieter Siemons Smit (birth? parents?)
- Mother: Geertje Jans Stollinga (birth? parents?)
- Married June 3, 1857 (aged 27 years) to Trientje Vogel in Warffum
- Died 5 June 1883 (age 53) in Warffum
Jacob’s mother, Trientje Vogel
- Born 3 April 1829 in Warffum, Groningen
- Father: Jakob Sikkes Vogel, a skipper, born 28 May 1797 to Sikke Harms Vogel and Grietje Jacobs, both day wage workers.
- Mother: Trientje Derks Dik, a maid, born 2 Dec 1792 to Derk Jans Dik and Trientje Geerts Groen, both skippers.
- Parents married 15 Jan 1825 in Warffum
- Married June 3, 1857 (aged 28 years) to Klaas Pieters Smit in Warffum
- Emigrated to Michigan about 1893 (age 64) and lived with daughter Reina Smith Knol and family
- Died 28 Feb 1904 in Grand Rapids Michigan (age 74)
Jacob’s siblings (other children of Klaas Pieters Smit and Trientje Vogel)
- Geertje Smit, b. 1 June 1858 in Warffum, d. 10 March 1863, age 5
- Trientje Smit, b. 26 Dec 1859 in Warffum, m. 11 May 1882 to Eltje Norg, a shoemaker from Thesinge, Ten Boer, d. 20 January 1932 (aged 72 years) in Middelstum, Groningen
- Reina Smit, b. 4 Nov 1861 in Warffum, m. 5 April 1893 to Jacob Knol, a tailor from Kantens, emigrated 17 May 1893 to Grand Rapids, Michigan with mother Trientje/Catharine Vogel Smit, had 9 children, d. 2 Aug 1940.
- Geertje Smit, b. 27 Sep 1864 in Warffum, d. 5 Oct 1865 in Warffum, age 1
- Jakob’s twin sister Geertje Smit, b. 22 Oct 1866 in Warffum, emigrated to Grand Rapids about 1892, m. John W Dykstra about 1895, d. 10 June 1935 (aged 68 years) in Grand Rapids of gallbladder empyema, an infection that caused her gallbladder to rupture
- Our ancestor Jakob Smit, b. 22 Oct 1866 in Warffum, m. 8 June 1889 to Auktje (Agnes) Alberda from Vliedorp, Ulrum
- Pieter Smit, b. 18 April 1872 in Warffum, emigrate about 1892, m. Anna Hockstra 19 April 1900, d. 4 May 1907 (age 35) in Grand Rapids MI
Jacob’s paternal aunts and uncles (other children of Klaas Pieters Smith’s parents Pieter Siemons Smit and Geertje Jans Stollenga)
- Simon Smit b. 29 October 1822 in Usquert
- Jantje Smit b. 6 Feb 1826 in Usquert, m. 28 Nov 1849 in Warffum to Klaas Jans Bonjernoor, a farmhand from Warffum
- Our ancestor Klaas Pieters Smit b. 10 Sep 1829 in Usquert
- Jan Smit b. 9 Dec 1833 in Usquert
- Freerk Smit b. 13 Mar 1837 in Usquert
- Reina Smit b. 12 Nov 1838 in Usquert
Jacob’s maternal aunts and uncles (other children of Trientje Vogel’s parents Jakob Sikkes Vogel and Trijntje Derks Dik)
- Sikke Vogel b. 1 Aug 1826 in Warffum, m. 6 Jul 1864 to Martje Bulthuis in Warffum
- Our ancestor Trientje Vogel b. 3 April 1829 in Warffum, m. 3 June 1857 to Klaas Smit n Warffum, emigrated to Michigan about 1893, d. 28 Feb 1904 in Grand Rapids MI, buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Grand Rapids
- Grietje Vogel b. 11 Dec 1831 in Warffum, d. 18 April 1907 (age 75) in Warffum, unmarried and unemployed
- Derktje Vogel b. 2 Sep 1833 in Warffum, m. 29 May 1868 to Julle van Hoorn in Warffum, m2. 11 Feb 1870 to Jakob Japenga in Warffum
Jacob’s paternal grandparents, Pieter Siemons Smit and Geertje Jans Stollenga
- Married 25 May 1822 in Uithuizermeeden, Groningen, Pieter was 26 years old working as a shoemaker, and Geertje was 22 years old working as a maid.
- Grandfather: Pieter Siemons Smit born 1 Jul 1795 in Oldenzijl to Simen Jakobs (carpenter) and Freerkje Klaassens (day wage worker)
- Grandmother: Geertje Jans Stollenga born to Jan Hindriks Stollenga and Reinewe Everts Zwier, both day wage workers.
Jacob’s paternal grandfather (Pieter Siemons Smit)’s parents
- Great Grandfather: Simen Jakobs
- Great Grandmother: Freerke Klassens
Jacob’s paternal grandmother (Geertje Jans Stollenga)’s parents
- Great Grandfather: Jan Hindriks Stollenga
- Great Grandmother: Reinwe Everts Zwier
Jacob’s maternal grandparents, Jakob Sikkes Vogel and Trijntje Derks Dik
- Trijntje Derks Dik born 2 Dec 1792 in Warffum
- Jakob Sikkes Vogel born 28 May 1797 in Warffum, d. 23 June 1878 (age 80 years) in Warffum
- Married 15 Jan 1825 in Warffum, Jakob, a peasant aged 27 years and Trijntje, a made aged 32 years
- They had four children (listed above)
Jacob’s maternal grandfather (Jakob Sikkes Vogel)’s parents
- Great Grandfather: Sikke Harms Vogel, b. about 1764 in Warffum to parents Harm Lammerts Vogel and Grietje Kornelis/Cornelius, d. 26 June 1845 (age 81 years) in Warffum. Siblings of Sikke Harms Vogel:
- Great Grandmother: Grietje Jacobs, a day wage worker, b. about 1774 in Westernieland, village of Eenrum, d. 17 Ocober 1847 (aged 73 years) in Warffum
Children of Harm Lammerts Vogel and Grietje Kornelis/Cornelius
- Trijntje, baptized 24 Nov 1771 in Warffum, m. Jakob Klaassen Werkman (?), d. 26 Jan 1844 in Warffum, aged 72 years
- Our ancestor Sikke Harms Vogel, b. about 1764 in Warffum
- Sijwke, baptized 11 Feb 1776 in Warffum
Jacob’s great-aunts and uncles (other children of Sikkes Harms Vogel and Grietje Jacobs)
- Harmke Sikkes Vogel, “peasant girl” b. 1792 in Rasquert, m. 30 November 1814 (aged 21 years) in Usquert to Douwe Jetses Jouwstra, a “worker” from Hiaure aged 39 years, d. 28 Oct 1836 (aged 45 years) in Westernieland, village of Eenrum
- Harm Sikkes Vogel, b. 1795
- Our ancestor Jacob Sikkes Vogel, b. 28 May 1797 in Warffum, d. 23 June 1878 (age 80 years) in Warffum
Jacob’s maternal grandmother (Trijntje Derks Dik)’s parents
- Great Grandfather: Derk Jans Dik
- Great Grandmother: Trientje Geerts Groen, b. about 1760 to Geert Jans Groen (father) and Stintje Jans (mother), d. 21 Aug 1820 in Warffum
- Married