Friday, April 02, 2010

Funeral Card Friday: George Edward Benjamin DeVRIES





Funeral card of George Edward Benjamin (a.k.a. Jarig Egbert Binnes) DeVries, Grand Rapids, Michigan, citing services on 26 February 1959; DeVries Family Papers, digitized and privately held by Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Spokane, Washington. This item was passed from the estate of Adrian and Ruth (Hoekstra) DeVries to their granddaughter, Miriam Robbins Midkiff in 2008.

This is the funeral card of my (step) great-grandfather, George Edward Benjamin DeVRIES. He was born in the Netherlands and his original Dutch name was Jarig Egbert Binnes DeVRIES. He came to the United States in 1897 with his widowed mother and two younger siblings, and they are the only family I have that came through Ellis Island (all my other immigrant ancestors came much earlier and most passed through Castle Garden).  You can read more about George/Jarig in the AnceStory I have written on my website here.

Thanks to Dee Akard Welborn for this great Friday theme!