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Miriam Klassen's Texel Pages:
The following information was extracted from Miriam Klassen's
Texel Pages in November 2000. See links
to her site for additional information.
Van der Kloot
After the reclamation of Eierland, the owner Nicolas Joseph
de Cock hired craftsmen, like the carpenter Jacob van der Kloot
from Middelharnis and his brother Adriaan. Adriaan van der Kloot
was smith, and he moved around 1836 to Texel with his wife Maatje
Dominé and their six children Marinus, Teuntje, Matthijs,
Adriaantje, Jannetje and Martina.
Their oldest son Marinus married Meis Koning in 1849 Texel.
His wife was a descendant from an old Texel family, but nevertheless
they moved to the Haarlemmermeer. In 1868 Marinus emigrated with
his wife and six children to Chicago. He was the founder of the
South Halsted Street Iron Works.
The second son Matthijs also became a smith. His son Adrianus
(born 1852) emigrated August 1881 on his own, soon followed by
his fiancée Martha Tanis. Matthijs also emigrated with
his wife and four children in March 1886. The foundry of Marinus
van der Kloot in Chicago employed not only many of the sons of
Marinus, but also sons of Matthijs van der Kloot, like Adrianus.
Sources: Civil registration Texel, Staat van landverhuizers
provincie Noord-Holland, "Hijijij ... is naar Amerika",
"Werkers uit Goeree-Overflakkee en hun nakomelingen in de
Eierlandse polder". With thanks to Dave Jordan for his information.
Tanis
The oldest daughter of this couple
was Martha Tanis. She left Texel in 1881 or 1882, following
her fiancé Adrianus van der Kloot to Chicago, Illinois.
Miriam Klassen e-mail:
May 16, 2000: According to the Population Registration of
Texel Adrianus van der Kloot, born 1852, carpenter, emigrated
August 1881 on his own. Matthijs van der Kloot, born 1826, smith,
emigrated in March 1886 with his wife .... Smit and four children.
The roots of the Van der Kloot-family are situated in Middelharnis.
Around 1836 the master smith Adrianus van der Kloot, his wife
Maartje Domine and their six children Marinus, Teuntje, Matthijs,
Adriaantje, Jannetje and Martina moved to Texel. Adrianus and
his brother Jacob van der Kloot were hired by De Cock, one of
the owners of the new reclamation Eierland. In March 1856 they
moved to the Haarlemmermeer, another reclamation in the province
Noord-Holland. Only Teuntje stayed behind, because she married
23-6-1842 Texel with Aart Nieman.
Family Recollections
The following are recollections of Adrianus and Martha Vanderkloot by his daughters Aletta Schodrof and Grace Filipek, Grace's daughter Jeanne, Alette's son Harry Schodrof, and Marie's daughter Betsy. There are also additional recollections of Adrianus and Martha Vanderkloot in the Vanderkloot Stories and these can be read separately. These notes were assembled and written by Dave Jordan. The notes are in rough chronological order. Additional contributions are welcome.
- Adrianus van der Kloot was born April 16, 1852 in the Polder Eyerland, Texel, Noord Holland. His father was Matthijs van der Kloot and his mother was Trijntje Smit.
- Jeanne recalls that Adrianus won an award in school in Holland
for "Alkabra" (Algebra) since he was so good at it.
- Betsy recalled hearing the following story. Adrianus and Martha came home from a date and her uncle, Aarie Dros, had locked the door to his house (where she was staying). So Adrianus had Martha wait at the door while he walked the short distance to the VanderKloot blacksmith shop and got a hammer and a screwdriver. When he returned, he removed the door from its hinges and Martha went in. Then Adrianus put the door back in place. I heard this story many times from my mother, Aunt Alette, and Aunt Grace. We would laugh like maniacs!
- Jeanne recalled hearing that Grandpa Vanderkloot rode the
big wheel bikes in Holland before coming to Chicago. We visited
the bicycle museum in Chicago in 1995 and there was a mention
that the Dutch were active in that bicycle design in the late
1800s. Possibly Ardrianus, being skilled as a blacksmith and
metal worker, made his own bike as blacksmiths were instrumental
in constructing those first huge front wheel bikes.
- Jeanne recalled that Adrianus was "stone deaf"
since he was age 28.
- Harry recalls that Adrianus purchased the 7047 S. Ada Street
house in the early 1920s from a doctor. He never lived there
for long as Martha had died in 1920 and he then made the rounds
of living with his various daughters, Alette, Grace in Riverside,
and Marie.
- Grandma Grace and her husband Jim Filipek lived at 7047 S.
Ada from their marriage in 1920 until they moved to Riverside
in about 1925. About 1950 Grace and Jim moved back to 7047 S.
Ada. Alette was living upstairs and Jim and Grace moved downstairs.
After Grandpa Jim died in 1961, Grandma Grace stayed until about
1963. Alette moved out about the same time and the building was
sold.
- Jeanne said that Grandpa Vanderkloot would watch over her
and protect her with his cane from her sister Marjorie.
- Jeanne recalls that they would have chicken dinner every
Sunday in Riverside with Adrianus. He would always get one of
the two drumsticks. Occasionally he would give her and Marge
a dime to go to the movies in town.
- Jeanne recalls her Grandpa Adrianus was always in a suit pants and a dress. Many times the sleeves were too long so he wore external elastic to hold them up. During the depression, they were so poor that Harry had to wear Grandpa Adrianus' pants for his High School Graduation, which were way to long.
- Jeanne recalled that Grandpa Adrianus used to call her father Jim, Yim.
- Because he was deaf, Adrianus used to have his granddaughter Margie listen to the baseball games on the radio. Grandpa Jim Filipek made a big blackboard with a ball field and baseball diamond on it. Margie would then show him where the ball went and where the runners on the board and also write down the score.
- Jeanne recalled that her Grandfather Adrianus loved to play Bunco, a dice game in which each player tried to get 1s, then 2s, then 3s. It was a game Jeanne said they could play together since he was deaf. Both her and her sister, Marge, would play with him.
- Harry recalled Adrianus and about age 80 out in the yard at 7047 S. Ada, chipping in and digging fence posts.
- Adrianus Vanderkloot's sea chest was down in the basement
of 7047 S. Ada Street when Dave was a boy. It was made of wood
and painted black and was brought over from Holland. It was about
belt high with rounded top. Harry Schodrof kept his old Sporting
News inside from the 1930s. One day in the 50s, we found a BB
gun inside. Harry thought it was his cousin's who would sometimes
shoot out the basement window. He would then hide it in the chest.
Quotes from Harry Schodrof July 11, 1977
- Adrianus was very interested in baseball.
- He was stone deaf or near deaf for many years, certainly
from the time Harry was a young boy in the 1920s. Possibly this
was working in the foundry.
- Wore glasses for as long as Harry could remember.
- Loved Dominoes and Bunco.
- Trip from Holland then was about $75.
Physical Description
- When old, Adrianus was rather stooped, slender, about 5'10'
or 5' 11", not broad shouldered, but wiry.
- Always wore shirt and tie and vest.
Interests
- Loved Dominoes and Bunco.
Favorite Foods
- Adrianus would smoke cigars on Sunday, only Dutch Masters,
sometimes during the evening.
- He had a leather pouch where he would keep 5 or 6 cigars.
He couldn't stand cigarette smoke.
- Harry Schodrof couldn't remember him drinking.
- He was not a big eater but a good eater.
- He used to drink postum instead of coffee.
- He loved Dutch Rusk or Holland Rusk. It was about 1 inch
thick and 4-5 inches in diameter. It was toasted bread and came
ten in a package.
- For breakfast he liked Postum, Rusk, cheese, and soft boiled
eggs.
- He liked Wilted Lettuce Salad [which consisted of brown bacon
in little cubes, bacon grease and egg over lettuce with vinegar.
- He loved Kahat (Meat Loaf).
- Every Sunday he had to have roast chicken, and always got
the leg.
Memorabilia
- Harry Schodrof has Adrianus' cane.
- Dick Denker has Adrianus' gold watch.
- The sea chest was left at 7047 S. Ada when Alette moved out
in the mid-60s. Harry Schodrof would have made the decision to
leave it. It was thought to be falling apart.
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