Person:Gerharda Nijenhuis (1)

Before coming to America in 1847 from Winterswijk in Gelderland, Dorcas Newhouse was Gerharda Aleida Nijenhuis, born 2 January 1831, daughter of Jan Hendrik Nijenhuis and Hilleken Sieverdink.

In 1910, at the age of 79, she wrote this short memoir: "Dorcas A. Newhouse was born in Winterswijk, Holland, January 2nd 1830 [sic] and came to this country at the age of seventeen. Father died when I was only nine months old. Mother lived as a widow for five years then married G.W. Hesselink, by whom she had four children. Two boys and two girls. Little Mary, 'most six years old died on board and was buried in the sea the night before we shipwrecked. The Pilot going to sleep let the vessel drift onto rocks, from which we were taken in rowboats as no larger ones could get to us. We were taken to the Island Cuby (Cuba?) where we had to stay about a week before a vessel came along to take us to New Orleans. We got off there from the vessel onto a boat and landed in St. Louis in January where in March my blest mother died, a devoted Christian mother - think of so soon in a strange country being left without a mother. A few days before she left us she told me she would not live long. I cried and said, 'Mother, what would I do?' She said, 'My child, God will take care of you.' He has, Glory be to His name. But the family are all gone but one brother and myself and I expect ere long to meet them."

The family included her stepfather Gerrit Willem Hesselink, born 13 January 1807 in Aalten, Gelderland; her mother Hilleken Sieverdink, born 4 September 1808 in Amsterdam, North Holland; and her half-siblings, Johanna Hendrika Hesselink, born 16 March 1837; Gerrit Hendrik Hesselink, born 25 October 1838; Maria Elizabeth (little Mary), born 6 May 1841; and Gerrit Willem, born 19 September 1844. With the family were Jan Willem ten Bokkel, born 15 January 1815, and Janna Geertruida Rooks, born 30 April 1823. The emigration list from Winterswijk gave Gerda Aleida's birthdate as being 2 January 1831.

In the United States, after the death of Hilleken, Gerrit Willem married with Janna Geertruida Rooks. They settled in Westfield, NY, where he was employed in the textile industry. They became the parents of another five children: Helen Mary, Henrietta/Hannah, John, Abner, & George. In 1850 Gerharda Aleida Nijenhuis had changed her name to Dorcas Newhouse and was employed as a domestic by a family in Clymer, New York.

By 1855 Dorcas had married Sanford Fox, was the mother of a daughter, Emily, and was living in Harmony. Later, daughter Julie was added to the family. Sanford died 4 October 1893 and Dorcas died 3 September 1910. Both are buried in Union Cemetery, Panama, NY.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Nijenhuis, Gerharda Aleida (Dorcas) [1], in Dutch Genealogy [2].
2. ↑ Winterswijk, Gelderland, Netherlands. Burgerlijke Stand.

   Geboorte Gerharda Aleida Nijenhuis, 02-01-1831
   Aktenummer: 1
   Aktedatum: 03-01-1831
   Akteplaats: Winterswijk
   Geboortedatum: 02-01-1831
   Geboorteplaats: Winterswijk
   Kind: Gerharda Aleida Nijenhuis
   Moeder: Hilleken Sieverdink
   Leeftijd: 25
   Geslacht: Vrouw
   Beroep: geen beroep vermeld
   Vader: Jan Hendrik Nijenhuis
   Leeftijd: 25
   Geslacht: Man
   Beroep: timmerman
   Aktesoort: Normaal
   Toegangsnummer: 0207 Burgerlijke stand Gelderland, dubbelen
   Inventarisnummer: 2493

   https://permalink.geldersarchief.nl/EB367C6621F94742B2C22F26F76DF080

3. ↑ Dorcas A. Fox [3], in Find A Grave.
4.   Nijenhuis, Gerharda Aleida (Dorcas) [4], in Dutch Genealogy [5].
5. ↑ The transcription of her memoir gives her birth date as 2 January 1830. This is also the birth date recorded on her death certificate. However her memoir also states that her father died nine months after her birth. Public records in the Netherlands indicate that she was born in January 1831 and her father died in November 1831. The 1830 birth date given in her memoir and her death certificate is incorrect.