Peter Jouwsma

Peter Jouwsma was my 2x great grandpa. He was born in 1862 in Fryslân (Friesland), Netherlands.

Records show that Peter’s father died when he was about 13 and his mother died when he was 19. I am not yet sure how many siblings Peter had. Currently I know of just one other who died the year she was born. Peter probably grew up in Kubaard, Hennaarderadeel (now part of Littenseradiel), Fryslân as that is where both of his parents died.

Peter married Winnifred (Wypkjen) May 18, 1887 in Hennaarderadeel, Fryslân . Below you can see the wedding announcements of Peter and Winnifred along with what looks like Winnifred’s brother along with other relatives. Included is Peter and Winnifred’s wedding certificate (in 4 sections to make it easier to read). And if it is not clear, Peter and Winnifred are first cousins.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

It is unclear exactly when Peter and Winnifred moved to the United States. The 1900 census says that they arrived in 1892. Their son Webb became a naturalized citizen in 1922. In his application for citizenship he stated that he arrived in the United States on February 10, 1891 on the Rotterdam. I did see a list someone transcribed of the Kent County Citizenship Index, 1840-1932 and see that Peter and his son Charles were denied citizenship. I will need to look into why they were denied. Possibly they were accepted another time they tried. Webb applied in 1918 and the application for Charles and Peter was submitted in 1909 and denied in 1916.
If they arrived in 1891 in New York City they would have been processed at the Barge Office which was located where Battery Park is now. If they arrived in 1892 they would have arrived at the docks on Manhattan and then the steerage passengers were ferried over to Ellis Island for processing. I have not found my grandparents at Ellis Island. I have to wonder why they were not on the list if the records say they arrived in 1892.

Two interesting pieces of information from the 1900 and 1910 census was whether Peter could read or write or if he rented or owned his farm. In 1900 it states that they cannnot read and write. I can only assume this means they cannot read or write in English. By the 1910 they noted that they can read and write in English. Possibly their reading and writing skills weren’t up to a certain level by the time of the 1900 census, but they were up to the correct level by 1910. Also, in 1900 he rented his farm and in 1910 he owned his farm and had a mortgage.

Peter died November 18, 1927 at the age of 65. He is buried in Alaska Cemetery, in Alaska, Michigan.