Person:Aaltje Kelder (2)

Aaltje (Ida) Kelder was born in Middlestum Groningen, Netherlands in 1865, to Thomas Kelder and Elske Zwijhuizen Kelder. She had an older brother John, a younger sister Fenne and younger brother Pieter.After both parents died, the children came to the United States in 1880, and lived with their relatives the Zigtermans and the Kelders in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan.

She married at 18,to Egbert Smitter and they traveled to North Dakota for the "free land".They had two children,Catherine "Katie" and Lammert.In 1899, they returned to Cauldwell Township Missuakee County, MI to live with her husbands parents. They had a third child Thomas.In 1900, Egbert died of TB.

She married her second husband, Folkert "Frank" Vanderwal, two years later and bore him 4 more children.He had 6 children and was a widow. Together they had 4 more children: John who died shortly after birth, Elsie, Hattie and May.She lived to the age of 95 years old, dying in 1960.

1. ↑ Geboorten, in Kantens, Groningen, Netherlands. Burgerlijke Stand
   Akte 62, 1865.

   Alle Groningers

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Buried, in Find A Grave
   1960.

   Aaltje "Ida" Kelder Smitter Vanderwal