Rutgert Brinks (1798 - abt. 1862)

Born 21 Jul 1798 in Drouwenerveen, Borger-Odoorn, Drenthe, Netherlands

Ancestors

Husband of Jantje Hilbrandt — married 7 May 1825 in Gasselte, Aa en Hunze, Drenthe, Netherlands

Descendants

Died about 28 Jun 1862 at about age 63 in Vastenow, Emmen, Drenthe, Netherlands

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Biography

Rutgert was born in 1798. Rutgert Brinks ... He passed away in 1858.^[1][2][3][4]

Rotgert Berents, born in Drouwenderveen (Borger), 27 years old, residing in Bronninger (Borger), boereknegt by profession, married Jantien Geerts Hilbrands, born in Buinerveen (Borger), 21 years old, on May 7, 1825 in Gasselte.^[5]

"In the Netherlands, people were given surnames in accordance to their location occupation, or farms on which they lived. The family name, Brinks, originated from their location, as they lived near the brink of the village of Drouwen, Province Drenthe, Netherlands.

Rutgert Brinks was born in the Netherlands in 1798. He lost both of his parents when we was quite young; and so began working for others at the age of thirteen. Later he married Jantje Hilbrandt, who was born in the Netherlands in 1802. They had four children: Berend, Geert, Jan, and Harm. Rutgert Brinks had very little schooling, but was determined that his four children should be educated. He was a keeper of bees. He died in 1862 at the age of sixty-four years.^[6]

Nine years later in 1867, Mrs. Rutgert Brinks and the three youngest sons, Geert, who married Margien Martens and their three children (Ralph, Annie and John), and Jan and Harm, who were not married, left the Netherlands for America. They made the trip in nine and a half days. They settled near Black Lake, were the boys worked for Knoll and Vredeveld, making cord wood and peeling bark.

Soon after they bought a one hundred and forty-five acre farm around what was then known as Hopkins Dock and now would be located in the northwest part of Laketown township, county of Allegan, State of Michigan. Kalamazoo was the big city at that time and many of the young girls and boys went there to work to earn money, which they saved and later used to buy their farms.

The oldest son, Berend Brinks, who was born Nov 3, 1825, in the Netherlands, married Hilgiena Ottens, who was born April 17, 1826, in the Netherlands. Eight children were born to them: Rutgert, Taal, Jennie, Gertie, Maggie, Hattie, Grace, and John. They lived in New Dordrecht, Province Drenthe, Netherlands. Their occupation was farming. This family came to America in 1871 when John, the youngest child was three years old.

It took them thirty-one days to make their trip. They left their home on April 28, 1871, and reached Holland, Mich. on May 29. They journeyed by wagon from their home at Dordrecht to Groningen where they boarded the train for Harlingen, Province Vriesland, Netherlands. From here on May 1st, on a Sunday morning, they crossed the North Sea and landed at Hull, England. A train took them from Hull to Liverpool, which they reached after midnight about 1:00 a.m. Here they waited until Thursday for the boat, "Pennsylvania," which sailed to America. They sailed for nineteen days on the Atlantic Ocean, landing in New York harbor on a Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Small boats took them to Castle Garden, which was a stopping place for immigrants. Here they stayed for one and a half days to have their goods inspected, money exchanged, and to register. On Wednesday evening they boarded a train for Holland, Mich., passing through the following cities: New York, Albany, Buffalo, Clinton, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, and reached Holland on May 29. They saw the Niagara Falls from the train windows.

In Holland, Mich. They soon found his mother and three brothers near Black Lake and remained with them two years. In 1873 Berend Brinks bought a forty-acre farm in Fillmore Township, County of Allegan, State of Michigan, which is four and a half miles south of Graafschap, later owned by his son, Rutgert J. Brinks, but which is now [1934] the property of a grandson, George R. Brinks.

Berend Brinks was an honest and industrious farmer and a loyal citizen of his adopted country. He and his wife were members of the Christian Reformed Church of East Saugatuck. Mrs. Berend Brinks, nee Hilgiena Ottens, died Oct 13, 1901, at the age of seventy-five years and six months, Berend Brinks survived his wife a little more than three years. he died December 10, 1904. He left seven children to mourn for him: Rutgert J., Taal, Gertie, Maggie, Hattie, Grace, and John, all of whom were married. Jennie or Mrs. Peter Brink, the oldest daughter, having died Dec 17, 1876, when her only son, Leonard P. , was fourteen years old. This "L. P. Brink" became a missionary to the Indians in New Mexico in 1900. He is now [1934] located at Farmington, New Mexico.

In 1879, when Jan Brinks married Hendrikje Twenker and Harm Brinks married Zwwantje Beerends, the one hundred and forty-five acre farm was divided into three parts so each boy, that is Geert, Jan and Harm, had a farm. The mother [Jantje] lived with her son, Geert, until she died in 1875 at the age of seventy-three years.

In the fall of 1882 Geert Brinks sold his farm and moved to Vogel Center, Mich., where he bought an eighty-acre farm. Geert Brinks and his wife, Margien Martens, had nine children: Ralph, Annie, John, Jane, Maggie, George, Helen, Susan, and Ben. They worked hard on this new farm. They cut down the trees and without clearing the land they planted potatoes between the logs with a hoe, making a hole just big enough to put the potato in. For planting corn and oats they cut the trees into logs, piled them and then burned them. Next they fastened a yoke of oxen to a shovel plow and worked the soil among the stumps The seed was then planted. After Ralph G. Brinks, the oldest son, married Rica Van Der Mey, April 6, 1885, he lived with his folks and helped his father work the farm.

Geert Brinks and his wife were members of the Christian Reformed Church in Vogel Center, Mich. He served as elder a number of years. he died in Vogel Center, Mich.,, August 1, 1891, at the age of a58 years, leaving his wife and seven children to mourn for him: Ralph, Annie, John, Jane, Maggie, George and Ben. A month and two days later, Sept. 3, 1891, George, one of his sons, died at the age of 16 years and about 2 months.

After Sept 18, 1895, when Mrs. Geert Brinks [Margien Martens] married Jan Van Der Mey, the Geert Brinks farm was sold to Jasper Van Der Mey, a son of Jan, and then Ralph and his family went with his mother and Jan Van Der Mey to Jan Van Der Mey’s farm. Mrs. Van Der Mey, nee Margien Martens, died Jan 11 1907 at the age of 66 years and 8 months in Vogel Center, Michigan. Mr. Jan Van Der Mey survived his wife a little more than one year as he died Feb 13, 1908, at the age of 66 years and 18 days. Ralph G. Brinks then owned the Van Der Mey farm and stayed there until 1917 when his son George bought the farm. Then Ralph and Rica bought a house and lot in Vogel Center, Mich. Here they have a few cows and some chickens and work a little land beside. They are both members of the Christian Reformed Church at Vogel Center, Mich. Ralph G. Brink died Dec 29, 1934, leaving to mourn for him his wife Rica, one daughter, Mrs. Bert Jager, and four sons, George, John Wm., Joseph and Herman Brinks.

Jan Brinks, the third son of Rutgert and Jantje Hilbrandt Brinks who was born Dec 2, 1839, in Drouwen, Netherlands, Married Hendrikje Twenker, who was born in 1846 in Drenthe, Netherlands. They had four boys, Ralph, Dck, Jans, who died, and John. Jan Brinks sold his farm near Black Lake also in 1882 and went to Vogel Center, Mich. where he bought an eighty-acre farm. With the help of his two boys, Ralph and Dick, they soon cleared the land and made a living for themselves. Eighteen years later, Dec 30, 1900, Jan Brinks died at the age of 61 years, 1 month and 29 days. he left to mourn for him his wife and three sons, Ralph, Dick, and John. Ralph and Dick were married so John, the youngest, stayed with his mother until she died in 1910 at the age of 64 years and 11 months. Mr. and Mrs. Jan Brinks were members of the Christian Reformed Church at Vogel Center, MI.

Harm Brinks, the youngest and fourth son of Rutgert and Jantje Hilbrandt, was born in Drouwen, Netherlands, Jan. 27. 1852. In 1879 he married Zwaantje Beerens, who was born April 27, 1852 in Graafschap, Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Harm Brinks also sold their farm near Black Lake in 1882 and went to Vogel Center, Mich. where they bought a forty acre farm and later another eighty acres. They were members of the Christian Reformed Church at Vogel Center, where Mr. Harm Brinks was an elder, Sunday School and catechism teacher for a number of years. he also served on the school board and had charge of the road-work in the township in which he lived. Harm Brinks was killed accidentally when a tree fell on him as he was cutting it down, on June 13, 1896. Besides his wife, he left to mourn for him seven sons: Ralph, George, John, Henry, Ben, Herman, and Harry. John, another son, died before. Mrs. Harm Brinks and her sons kept on farming until she married Mr. Helms a few years later. They then moved to Grand Rapids, Mich. Mrs. Zwaantje Beerens Brinks Helms died on Dec 18, 1928. Mr. Helms died in Grand Rapids."^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Brinks Family Tree; page 2 (Gladys Mys VanTuinen, 2009)
2. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/56988563/person/36016742012/facts
3. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/3407586/person/140002084176/facts
4. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/8481271/person/6061943723/facts
5. ↑ https://www.openarch.nl/show.php?archive=dar&identifier=16e2fe08-4067-4506-9d6a-975a4591bc5c&lang=en&six=2 Drenthe Archive in Assen (Netherlands), Civil registration marriages Gasselte, archive 166.011, inventory number 1825, May 7, 1825, record number 3]
6. ↑ Death 1862
7. ↑ From the Rutgert Brinks Family History and Record of His Descendants 1794-1934.