Dutch Americans -- Michigan -- Grand Rapids

Abstract The Christian Meyer (Meijer) postcards is a small collection of 65 postcards, most of which were sent in 1912/1913 by Chris Meyer, along with his traveling companion Jurien Kuiper, back to the Meijer family in Leiden, Netherlands. The postcards document the immigration of these two young men to the United States and to Grand Rapids, Michigan. They provide a glimpse into the life changing experience of immigrating to a new country and a new life. The cards depict scenes from Hoboken, New...

Abstract The Haan family papers consist mainly of photographs of the Herman and Susan (O'Connor) Haan family. Herman Haan was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Albert and Margaret (Sikkenga) Haan, shortly after their immigration from the Netherlands in 1867. Susan O'Connor was born in 1866, in Ionia County, Michigan to Cornelius and Susan (O'Laughlin) O'Connor, Irish Catholic immigrants. Together they had seven known children. Herman passed away July 4 of 1928 and Susan July 8, 1952. They are buried...

Abstract Klaas Groothuis kept this diary during his military service in World War I. Born in 1898 in Loppersum, Netherlands, Klaas immigrated to the United States in 1912, lived and worked as a laborer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and returned to Europe in 1918 to serve. His diary touches on the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, as well as the Armistice on November 11, 1918, and the influenza pandemic, which killed him in 1919. Groothuis is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His diary may be of interest to...