Doctor Grandma

Martin & Trena Brink immigrated & had 5 daughters, Fannie Flora, Martha, Clara, Cena. I remember Aunt Fannie. She always wore long black dresses, & like most of the Dutch women I remember from my childhood, always seemed happy. She wore her hair pulled back into a sort of bun. I remember her smiling.

Learned she was born in Holland– Hetbildt, Holland to be exact. She married at age 20 a Hermann Bouwkamp. He is the ancestor of Bouwkamp Realty in Lafayette. I also remember many of the Bouwkamps & used to go to family picnics w/ them.

Fannie never became a citizen of the US, from what I see in the census. She and Hermann had 5 BOYS, and then– lo & behond– a GIRL. The GIRL was named “Rena” and then “Lena” in the census. I finally figured out, THIS WAS MY GREAT AUNT TINA, who befriended my mom in her last few years, never rejected her for her alcohol problem & in fact brought her back into the Dutch Reformed church & they used to have Bible study together. I have the utmost respect for my Aunt Tina. She was a great lady. She outlived my mom— and I never heard anything of her death, but through this research today, learned she died in 2011— 4 years after my mom— at the age of 98.

Hermann Bouwkamp became a citizen, always listed himself as a “farmer” or “farm laborer” and could not write English in 1900.