Family Listing Scheme

Home
Our Purpose
Becoming a Member
Contact Us
Reunion Notice 2011
RSPV Form
Family Listing Scheme
2nd Gen Family Lists
(TBA) Minutes
Frankenmuth Map
Misc.

This Web site utilizes the personnel enumerating approach that was devised by Lawrence Hoornstra (B6d) for the family history books that were originally published in 1978. Lawrence did not have PCs with software that would organize names and display them in grand, connected family trees. So he had to devise a method that eveyone could understand and that would lend itself to manual data-logging. His simple alpha-numeric sequence meets those requirements.

The numbering sequence starts with Jan Jakobs Hoornstra, who is designated (H). His sons, Wiebe Jans and Jacob Jansz are designated (H1) and (H2), respectively. (H1) Wiebe Jans sired two sons and three daughters. His elder son, (H1a) Sjoerd Wiebe, married Elizabeth Dirks Visser in ~1839, and they raised five sons and a daughter (listed below).

Elizabeth died in Amsterdam.  Sjoerd and their first four sons emigrated to Chippewa County, Michigan, to form the nucleus of our Hoornstra family in America.  Sjoerd Wiebe is the only one of his generation to emigrate to America.

To delineate the American Hoornstras, Lawrence enumerated the first emigrant generation with the letters A,B,C,D,E,F. The first four sons established families in Chippewa County, and we have good records of their descendants. However, (E) Willem changed his name and dropped out of sight, while (F) Trijnje remained in Holland; so we lack knowledge of their descendants.

So the children of (H1a) Sjoerd & Elizabeth Hoornstra are:

(A) Dirk Sjoerds Hoornstra, (B) Jan Sjoerds Hoornstra, (C) Wiebe Sjoerds Hoornstra, (D) Phillip Sjoerds Hoornstra, (E) Willem Sjoerds Hoornstra, and (F) Trijnje Sjoerds Hoornstra.

Returning to the numbering scheme, each successive generation picks up an additional alpha-numeric designator, usually in birth-order. For example Lawrence (B6d) is the fourth child of David Charles (B6), who is the the sixth child of Jan Sjoerds (B). It follows that Lawrence's eldest child, Joseph, is (B6d1). By this scheme we can find anyone in the family by name and generation.

Eventually (H1a) Sjoerd's first four sons became known as "The Four Dutchman," an appellation that continues in the records today. The abbreviated family listings provided in successive pages in this Web page stem from those four brothers. The abbreviations listed below are utilized herein.

So what became of the folks who remained in Holland? Well, they married and gave in marriage and raised up sons and daughters, as expected. Their story is writ elsewhere, but it's worth mentioning that their family listings continued with the original "H" designation. So my fifth cousin is (H2h3d2a) Thomas Gerardus Hoornstra, who lives in Amsterdam. His father (dec.) assisted Elton and Lawrence Hoornstra in preparing the first Hoorstra booklets, and Tom has assisted us with the new booklet. We in America certainly appreciate their contributions and all-round good will.

Abbreviations:

b: born: hospital, City, & date
c: christened: location & date of baptism
a: adoption date & birth surname
d: died: place & date
p: pathogen: cause of death
i: interred (name & location of cemetery)
e: education: degree & certs, Univ., date
o: occupation: company, title or activity, and years of service
m: married: date, place, officiating minister
div: divorced / separated on [date]

Hoornstra Dutch Heritage Society - USA - 110521