J.D. ten Brummelaar letter dated 9 Sep 1864

Amsterdam Sept. 9, 1864

Dear Children,

With sorrow we have looked forward to this day for a long time our departure from you. Under the guidance of God it would be better for us and hopefully good for you too. With this letter, we again say goodbye to our loving children.

We may have no gold or silver, but our wishes and prayers are for your well being, that the good Lord may bless you richly, also your marriage partner and loving children. He, the Almighty, will give you many years and give prosperity and luck and give you all a happy old age.

Stay together when things go right or wrong. Let no hatred remain with you. Love each other and always watch what you are doing and do to others as you want them to do to you. Think about us constantly as your loving parents, who, from another part of the world, still care and pray for you.

We look forward to see Jan Albert and Mietje next year with us.

The Lord will take care of you, and in case we might not meet again here on this earth, we will have the hope of a hereafter for Christians. With courage from the Lord in the so many fears and in all ways of life, we will trust in Him, and we will undertake this trip under His guidance, and we will remain praying for all of you, until death does us part.

Your loving parents,

J.D. ten Brummelaar and Willemina Vierdag

To our loving children……….Goodbye.

This letter, originally written in Dutch, was translated by Mr. Visser, Comptroller of the Ram Co., Sturgis, Mich., Feb. 25, 1976.Apparently several of the children were born in Kampen, Overjiessel Province, in The Netherlands. Perhaps the family moved to Amsterdam or this letter was written in the Port City from which Jon Dirk and Willemina sailed to America with their daughter Johanna and her husband the Rev. Van der Werp, in Sept. 1864. Jon Dirk lived only a year in Michigan and he and his wife were both buried on the VanderWerp Plot in the Graafschap Cemetery, near Holland, Michigan. He did not live to see many of his children, some with families, also leave The Netherlands, and come to Michigan.