Jennie had three marriages in her lifetime.

Marriage 1) Jan Witte (1859).  Staphorst, Overijssel, Netherlands.
3 Sons: Harm (Hiram) 1860; Hendrik (Henry) 1864?; and Jan (John) 1866.
Either Jentje's husband dies in Netherlands (post-1866 - pre-1868) or he
emigrated with family in 1868.

Marriage 2) Peter Bylsma (1870).  Grand Rapids, Michigan.
No Children together.

Marriage 3) Jacob Derks Kruizenga (1877).  Grand Rapids, Michigan.
1 Son: Derk Jacob Kruizenga, 1879.

As per Jennie's 3 sons from her first marriage, Jacob took them as his own.  He
must have really loved Jennie.  He even allowed Hiram and John to be buried on
the Kruizenga lot at Greenwood.

From an official Overijssel Emigration database it has been determined that Jan
Witte did accompany his wife Jentje and their 3 boys to the New World.  Have yet
to find ship registry.  Pending...

Jentje Kruizenga's Grandparents...

Paternal:
Jan Geugjes Wittink (m)
Geesjen Lamberts Compagner (f)

Maternal:
Egbert Plasjes (m)
Jentjen Berends (f)

Sisters & Marriages

Margje Wittink.
Married: Jan van Veen, age 31.
Age: 26.  Birthyear - 1841?
Date: Sept. 7, 1867.

Geesje Wittink.
Married: Jan Berends Crediet, age 29.
Age: 33.  Birthyear - 1834?
Date: Dec. 28, 1867.

Jantje Wittink.
Married: Andries Vos, age 25.
Age: 22.  Birthyear - 1848?
Date: Dec. 10, 1870.


1834 - Geesje
1836 - Jentje
1841 - Margje
1848 - Jantje

A few gaps in years.  Were there other children besides??

Parents

Father:
Hendrik Wittink.
18 December 1806 - 1873.

Mother:
Hendrikje Plasjes.  
13 February 1808 - 1877.

December 2, 1836 (this from two sources - her death certificate and her marriage
certificate).  Though, death certificate states the 1st of December rather than
the 2nd.  Tombstone gives inaccurate year of 1837.

I believe I have located the Dutch Civil Marriage record for Jennie.  It seems to fit the few details I know of her life.  The date of recording is Jan. 29, 1859.  This would fit in well with the date of the couple's first child in 1860.  The city of record is Staphorst.

Groom's name is Jan Witte.  April 27, 1832.  Born at Staphorst.
Father of Groom - Harm Witte.
Mother of Groom - Geertje Bos.

Bride's name is Jentje Wittink.  December 2, 1836.  Born at Staphorst.
Father of Bride - Hendrik Wittink.
Mother of Bride - Hendrikje Plasjes.

Fits with Dutch Naming.  First son (father's father) - Harm (Hiram).  Second son (mother's father) - Hendrik (Henry).  Third son named after father - Jan (John).

Everything fits.  Now need to find what happened to father.  Did he emigrate with family - or did he die some time prior? 

Jentje Wittink Witte is the proper name for our Jennie.  She emigrated to America with her three sons (maybe husband) in 1868.  Her first husband Jan died either in Holland or once he arrived Stateside.  Jennie remarried in 1870 to Peter Bylsma (Bylsma is an Anglicized name of the Dutch Bijlsma - a Friesland name).  Peter too must have died shortly thereafter.  She then marries her third husband, Jacob Derks Kruizenga.  She bears a single son to Jacob - Derk Jacob Kruizenga (the father to Jacob and Gerrit Kruizenga).

Much hinges on Jentje.  Just think of the many steps in her life - if but one had not been in place - we would not be here.  Had she not emigrated... had Peter Bylsma not died... had she chosen to remain a widower... had she not met Jacob.  I am thankful that I finally found information concerning her.  Ask and the door shall be opened... seek and ye shall find.

Staphorst

Staphorst is not a Groningen Province city.  It is in the province of Oveijssel.  Wikipedia reports that "Staphorst is famous for people wearing traditional dress. Furthermore, it is one of the most religious towns of the Netherlands, with a lot of people attending Calvinist church. Staphorst grinds to a halt on Sundays.

A large proportion of the population holds fundamentalist Christian beliefs, and oppose technologies such as television. This is in contrast to the permissive, libertarian tendency in Dutch law. Nevertheless, Staphorst has a big industrial area with small, but modern enterprises; on days other than Sundays, tourists are welcome."

And information shows that Jentje (Jennie) was religious.  She was a member of the First Reformed Church in Grand Rapids - as were two of her daughters. 

Dutch emigrants from Staphorst were about as Dutch as you can

My latest focus is on Jacob Derk Kruizenga's second wife - Jentha (Jennie) Witte.  I do know that she immigrated in 1868 - information gleaned from the 1880 US Census.  I also know that she had 3 sons from a prior marriage who were all born in the Netherlands.

I have yet to find Jennie's immigration information.  I have a couple "maybes" but nothing hard copy.  Jennie was married before - here in the States - shortly after her immigration.  Her husband was Peter Bylsma, born in 1820.  She married Mr. Bylsma on Aug. 9, 1870 (from her Marriage record).  Her name from the marriage record is "Jennie Winteint".  Jennie and Peter had no children together.

On the 1870 Federal Census Jennie is recorded as "Jane" - age 34.  Her sons, Hiram (9), Hung? (6), and John (4) are listed pinpointing this record as belonging to Jennie.

So we have several last names - Winteint, Wittirgt (name from Derk Jacob birth record), and Witte.  Which is correct?  One mark for the name Witte is that Hiram and John's gravestones bear this spelling.  However, this name may be an anglicized version of the actual Dutch spelling.

I shall continue until I find further information.  She is hard to trace because I do not have any record of her maiden name.  And "Witte" is not a common Dutch surname.  It is German.  Again... this may be an indicator that Witte could be the correct spelling because the Dutch province of Groningen is very close to the German border and they share a common bond. 

So what do we have as a timeline?

Dec. 1, 1836 - Jennie is born (from death certificate) - born in Netherlands.
1860 - Hiram Witte is born (dies in 1879).
1864? - Henry Witte is born.
1866 - John Witte is born (dies in 1887).
1868 - Jennie Witte (Winteint, Wittirgt) immigrated to US.  From where?  To where?  With whom?  Just her children?  Unlikely.
1870 - marries Peter Bylsma who dies a few years later (assumed).
1877 - marries Jacob Derk Kruizenga, a widower.
June 10, 1905 - Jennie dies of Chronic Nephritis - valvular disease of heart.

Death certificate states her father was Henry Witta (with an "a") - no mother listed.  Also states that Jennie is mother of 4 children - 2 living at her death (Henry and Derk).  She first married at age 22 (1858-1859).  What happened to her husband?  There has to be a record of that first marriage in the Netherlands.  Must find.