I just learned today that Jacob's sister Tryntje - born in 1836 - also emigrated to Grand Rapids, MIchigan with her husband Klaas VanderVeen (married 12-Apr-1862) in 1866 aboard the Duisburg.  No doubt, the decision to emigrate was made easier by the fact that Tryntje had an elder brother here in Grand Rapids. 

I have photos of Tryntje but want permission from the owner of the photos prior to my posting. 

Interesting note: Klaas worked at a sawmill in 1880.  Did he and Jacob work together?

Believe I may have located the Jacob Derks Kruizenga 1860 US Census record.  Keeping in mind that Jacob and his wife Janna did not know English - they could neither read it, speak it, or write it.  For this reason the name(s) were transcribed by the Census taker the way they were understood.  Accuracy really didn't matter - only a head count.

There is a Jacob Krezegar living in 1860 within the 2nd Ward of Grand Rapids.  This is probably the first home of Jacob and his new family.  Two children are living with Jacob and Meena (transcriber): Yopka and Harriet (Carrie?) - both age 1.  I noticed that there were numerous children written as age 1 - rather than list the month.  Not knowing English, the transcriber would have either guessed at the age or wrote it down as understood.

Yopka (a hint at Jessie's real name?) and Harriet (Carrie) were born in late 1858 and early 1860 respectively.  I believe this is the true record.

What would this indicate?

1) that Jacob and Janna did immediately find their way to Grand Rapids soon after their emigration to New York (1857).
2) that Jacob and Janna remained in Grand Rapids their entire lives.
3) that both Jessie and Carrie were born in Michigan - as Jessie's death certificate states.
4) that Janna must be buried in Grand Rapids - somewhere.

Also note: there is no 1870 Census record for a Krezegar living anywhere in the States.  Leading me to believe that the name was recorded inaccurately.

In addition, using the basic rules relating to the Soundex system, Kruizenga and Krezegar both are given a K-622 indicating that they sound equivalent.  K (for the first letter of the last name), a '6' for the 'r', a '2' for the 'z', and a '2' for the 'g'.

I am posting this Census record to the Michigan page.

New information is coming to light on the Jacob Derk Kruizenga lineage.  I have begun a more thorough research into the lives of his daughter mentioned in the 1870 Federal Census and a lot of new information is coming to light. 

It is teaching me a lesson to never "assume" information to be true based on any one or more record.  There may be more to the story than one can see.  And that is the case with the 1870 Census.  I assumed several things to be true based on that one document - and verified by the 1880 Census.  However, what looked to be true was masking a deeper truth - the real truth - beneath it.

For instance, I assumed based on the 1870 Census that Jacob and Janna immediately made their way to Michigan where their first daughter Jane was born.  Based on the dates I had - emigration and birth dates - I made the erroneous assumption that Janna was pregnant with Jane before and during the trip overseas.  Not true.  Janna was not pregnant.

And looking through the list of daughters in the 1870 Census from oldest to youngest, one name had always puzzled me - Henrietta.  This is because of her transcribed age.  She is listed as being 15 - older than Jane and definitely out of place chronologically.  How could Henrietta - the alleged 2nd born - be older than the 1st born.  Certainly there was an error in the transcription process. 

Well... I have discovered that there was not an error made - and yes, Henrietta was 15.  Well how can that be? 

I am soon to make light of my new discoveries with *new* posts to the Jacob Derk page. 

The lesson here is to NEVER make assumptions, even if the information and sources are valid.  There may be a deeper truth waiting to be discovered.

Jacob would likely travel into town to work for the week - staying all week.  He had a 2nd location on Broadway St. where he stayed.  His daughter Carrie also stayed here for a while.  This too is where Frances would have met her husband as the Slooters lived/worked five houses up the street.  I have posted pictures and a map of this area.