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Richard Hine’s great-grandparents Roel and Grietje Van Vuuren were born in the Netherlands and emigrated to Chicago in 1848 at the age of 53 and 50 respectively. They traveled on the ship the “Oscar” spending six weeks at sea with eight of their children: Anna, 25; Lambert, 24; Teuntje, 23; Gerritje, 22; Neeltje, 18; Marrigje, 16; Dirk, 13; and Jannigje, 10. Their two oldest sons Arie and Chiel had died before they left the Netherlands. Chiel died in 1840 at the age of 19 and Arie died in 1841 at the age of 22. We are descended through 13-year-old Dirk, who later married Maartje De Jong.

Roel was a wealthy (source) farmer and purchased 600 acres of land in de Laage Prairie from Hendrik de Jong. It was north of the Little Calumet river east of Chicago road, and south of Sibley boulevard. He found a log cabin on the land when he bought it. Stock raising, farming, and fishing were his pursuits. He was a tall man and his wife was short. He is listed as a charter member of the First Reformed Church of South Holland when it was reorganized on 16 Oct 1853.

Roel died in 1859 at the age of 67 and Grietje died in 1864 at 68. They are buried in Homewood Memorial Gardens Cemetery in South Holland along with many of their children. Some of their children including our ancestor Dirk are buried in Mount Greenwood Cemetery.