John Jousma

Great grandfather John was a first generation American. John was born May 16, 1892 in Michigan. The first record I have found so far is from the 1900 census. He was eight years old at the time of the census. At the time the family lived in the Township of Grand Rapids, now Grand Rapids Charter Township.

In the 1910 census he was 18 years old and lived in the city of Grand Rapids, though probably in the rural areas of the city. By that year John had finished school and was working on the family farm. The 1910 census tells us that the family spoke Dutch in the home. The record says Holland, so it’s hard to know if the parents ever spoke Frisian. At the very least they would have spoken Dutch to the children and possibly used Frisian as a secondary language they’d use between themselves.

On 16 September 1914 in Grand Rapids, Michigan John married Jennie Moerland (also a first generation American with parents from the Netherlands). By the 1920 census the two were living in Gaines Township, Kent County, Michigan. They had two children by this time, Winifred (named after John’s mother) and John. The census record says that John and Jennie’s mother tongue was Dutch.

The United States joined World War I on April 6, 1917. The United State’s military had only about 215,000 members in 1914 (Army and National Guard). With the help of the Selective Service Act of 1917 passed on May 18, 1917 military forces to well over 4.5 million (2 million who served enlisted without being drafted). There were three registrations during the war. The first was on June 5, 1917 for all men between the ages of 21 and 30. That was the day that John registered for the draft.
His card notes that he has a wife and one child (Winifred). He did not claim an exemption from the draft. The registrar’s report says that he was tall, slender, had blue eyes, dark brown hair, not bald, with no disabilities. As far as records show, John was never drafted nor did he volunteer to serve as there are no records of him ever serving in the military.

On the 1930 census the family was living in Caledonia Township, Kent County, Michigan. At this point there were 7 children, the youngest not even a year old yet. The family owned their own farm. And more specifically, a dairy farm. My great uncle Bill (John & Jennie’s youngest son) would be a dairy farm until late in his life.

In the 1940 census the family was on a farm in an unincorporated area of Caledonia Township called Alaska.

The United States joined World War II on December 7, 1941. John registered in 1942 on the 4th Registration also known as the “Old Man’s Registration” or the “Old Man’s Draft” for those men whose year of birth was from April 28, 1877 to February 16, 1897. Once again, John was not drafted nor did he voluntarily serve.

John Jousma died March 6, 1951 in Caledonia Township, Kent County, Michigan, USA. He was only 58 years old.