Barsema Family of Holland

Effie Barsema and Marguerite Durr Barsema

Peter Barsema came to the United States 13 October 1873 in the ship Nevada. He was born in March of 1848 in Grotingen, Holland. He married Marguerite Durr. On the passenger list she is listed as "Greetja". Peter was a straw peddler in Chicago. He is listed in several books about the area.

Peter and Marguerite had nine children. Two must have died as infants as in the 1910 census it says Marguerite had nine children but only seven are living. Some of their children were Fannie (1874), Nellie (1877), Effie (1879), Theresa (1889), Louis (1891), and Clarence (1893). Apparently the three unknown children were born between Effie and Theresa.

Daughter Nellie married Fred C. Oldenberg 29 April 1896 in Chicago. Daughter Effie married Charles C. Kruse in 1904 in Chicago. Daughter Theresa married Charles Bennecke. Clarence married an Ida and Louis a Myrtle. Effie, Louis, and Clarence seem to stay in close touch and are either living in the same household or next door. Also next to Effie and Clarence in 1930 is a William Barsema family. William must be either a brother or cousin of Peter. Perhaps after Peter's death he is staying close to the family.

William is born in 1857 in Holland and is married to Nellie. They have children Cornelius, Nellie, Gertrude, Kathleen, Bertha, and William Jr. The Barsema families seem to remain in the Proviso, Cook, Illinois area.

Beginning Life in Clam Lake, Wisconsin

As this bad economic period begins it brings me back to the 1929 depression. My parents were married in 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. With the job losses at that time they decided to move to some land they owned in rural Wisconsin.

A train took them to the town of Glidden about 20 miles from their land. Irma was dressed for the train journey in a suit and high heels. A freight wagon was hired to haul their baggage but it would not take passengers. Irma and Clarence had to walk. The wife finally removed her shoes and walked barefoot. What an introduction to Clam Lake, Wisconsin.

Kafka Goes to Ireland #3 Kafka the Pioneer Dog Series

Kafka Goes to Ireland

#3 Kafka the Pioneer Dog Series

Karl and Kafka take a trip to Ireland on a cruise ship. Karl's mother was from Ireland and he had always wanted to travel there. In Wexford, Ireland Karl met his Donnelly cousins Chris and Lockey and their children Ian and Thomas. The family takes them to see the Shannon River, the Rock of Cashel, and the Cliffs of Moher. One weekend they went to Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. Here they saw the Liffey River and Trinitiy College. A favorite trip for all of them was the ferry boat to the Aran Islands.

Karl and Kafka hated to leave Ireland and their Donnelly cousins but they needed to travel back to Wisconsin. Kafka hopes Ian and Thomas will come and visit him.