Ottink & Liefbroer Page  
Pictured Below are Nellie Liefbroer and her husband Jan Ottink

This picture has hung for decades in the home of R. Kole <[email protected]>, son of Cornelia Otting. He kindly allowed us to photograph his grandparent's picture (see his hand holding it) in September 1999.

This Family

Beren O. Ottink was born in 1827 in Uelsen, Niedersachsen, Germany. He immigrated in 1882 to Allegan Co., Michigan. He died in 1912 in Michigan. He was buried in 1912 in Allendale, Blendon Twp., Ottawa Co., Michigan.

Geertien (Truida) (Gertrude) Veldthuis (daughter of John Velthouse) was born in 1832 in Halle, Niedersachsen, Germany. She immigrated in 1882 to Allegan Co., Michigan, with her husband and children.  She died in 1899 in Ottawa Co., Michigan.

Beren O. Ottink and Geertien Veldthuis had the following children:

 +2 i. Hanna "Anna" Ottink.
 +3 ii. Jan Ottink.

Hanna Ottink was born in 1857 in Uelsen, Niedersachsen, Germany.  She died on 4 Oct 1891. And was buried in The Old Overisel Twp. Cemetery, Michigan.

Jan Ottink (pictured above) was born on 10 Oct 1871 in Uelsen, Niedersachsen, Germany.  This is a German town on the boarder between Germany and the Netherlands. He died on 1 Jan 1940 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co., Michigan.  He was buried  in Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Ottawa Co., Michigan. 

He was married to Nellie Liefbroer, daughter of Cornelius Liefbroer and Ms. Hendricks, (pictured above) before 1891 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. Nellie Liefbroer was born on 15 Oct 1869 in the Netherlands.  She died on 17 Feb 1931 in Ottawa Co., Michigan.

On her daughter Cornelia's birth record it says her name is "Nella Leifboer" and her age is given as 37 years old.  At that time (1907) she had given birth to nine children, eight of whom were living.

In stories she related to her own children, Nellie would talk about living near "The Hague" in the Netherlands. She spoke of going there to ski as a child.  "The Hague" (capital) is located in 's-Gravenhage, on the North Sea.  Jan Ottink and Nellie Liefbroer had the following children:

 Benjamin Otting 1891-1986
 Lena Otting 1893-1964
 Gertrude Otting 1894-1981
 Cornelius "Neal" Otting 1896- 1964
 Jennie Otting 1900-1954
 Marinus Otting 1902-1982
 Minnie Otting 1904-
 Cornelia Otting 1906-1987
 John Otting Jr. 1909-1972
 Joseph "Joe" Otting 1911- 
 

SOURCES

  • Swenna Harger and Loren Lemmen.  The County of Bentheim and her Emigrants to North America.  Swenna Harger C.G.; Holland, Michigan; 1990.
  • Minnie Roossien nee Otting and her son David Roossien.  Thanksgiving Dinner 1995.
  • Death Records for Ottawa County, Michigan.
  • Recordings of Overisel Township Cemeteries.
  • Lawrence Howard & his wife Genevieve.
  • Marriage Index for Kent County (MI).
  • Birth Records for Ottawa County, Michigan.
  • Nora Dozeman nee Otting.
  • Reidsma.  Birth Records of Zeeland Township, Ottawa County, Michigan 1906 -1960?.
  • Newspaper Obituary.


Our Many Thanks to R. Kole, first cousin once removed of Brian Howard, our common ancestors being Jan Ottink & his wife Nellie - pictured above