Updated to March 24, 2006.    Please send additions and corrections to ahofstee@sympatico.ca


A KRAMER family of Franeker

Up until March 2006 little was known about the forebears of Romke Douwes Kramer and Antje Gilles (Gillis, Gelis) who married in Franeker on 10 January 1773. In March 2006 Jaap de Ruiter sent me some information which confirmed some names that I had found in the new database of births/baptisms on the Friesian archive site (Tresoar). We were able to add three generations of ancestors.. Douwe Ypes and Dieucke Douwes were listed on 5 July 1668 as being members of the church in Hijlaard. The baptismal register of Hijlaard did not give the mother's name. Douwe may have been married twice but since neither the marriage register nor the birth register go back far enough I was unable to confirm that. known children: 1. Aeltie, c. Hijlaard 5-2-1671 2. Romcke, c. Hijlaard 14-12-1673. He married Jannetje Johannes. 3. Jantie, c. Hijlaard 4-5-1676 4. Jantien, c. Hijlaard 31-8-1679 Romke Douwes and Jannetie Johannes (Jantie Johans) must have married sometime between 12 May 1699 and 18 July 1700, probably in Jorwerd. Romke Douwes was christened in Hijlaard on 14 December 1673. On 24 February 1699 he became a member of the church in Hijlaard. He was listed as bachelor. His wife-to-be became a member on 12-5-1699. She was listed as maiden. On 18 July 1700 Romke Douwes and Jannetie Johannes, his housewife, became members of the church in Jorwerd. children: 1. Douwe, c. Jorwerd 13 October 1700 2. Johannes, c. Jorwerd 19 November 1702. He married in Weidum on 21 January 1731 with Grietje Martens. 3. Douwe, c. Jorwerd 19 October 1704. He married Wytske Hendriks 4. Aal, c. Jorwerd 27 March 1707 Douwe Romkes was christened 19 October 1704 in Jorwerd. On 15 April 1740 he and his wife Wytsche were added to the membership of the church in Schalsum. They came from Peins. Unfortunately the membership list of Peins has a lot of gaps in it and I could not find anything about Douwe and his wife in Peins. Douwe and his wife must have died shortly after or in 1744. Douwe Romkes and Wytske Hendriks married on 16 October 1735 in Wier. children: 1. Romke, c. Sint Annaparochie 5-8-1736 2. Grietje, c. Schalsum 20-7-1738 3. Hendrik, c. Schalsum 28-2-1740 4. Dueke (Doeke?), c. Schalsum 23-7-1741 5. Doutsen, c. Schalsum 8-3-1744 Romke Douwes Kramer was baptized in Sint Annaparochie on 5 August 1736. He was a merchant (koopman) and married in Franeker on 10 January 1773 with Antje Gelis (Gillis). children: 1. Douwe, c. Franeker 29 December 1773. 2. Geele, c. Franeker 17 March 1775. It is possible that he married Mayke Jans Tadema. 3. Wytske, c. Franeker 30 June 1777. 4. Wytze, c. Franeker 11 August 1778. 5. Wytze, c. Franeker 25 April 1784. He was born 18 April 1784. Wytze Romkes Kramer married on 8 June 1806 in Franeker with Rinske Hendricks (Bollema). Rinske was born on 20 April 1786 in Franeker and christened 14 May 1786, daughter of Hendrick Pieters and Tjietske Wytzes (Pieters). Wytze was a shoemaker. He died in the 'huis van reclusie en tuchtiging' in Leeuwarden on 7 February 1842. Rinske died on 24 December 1827 in Wijk EW #96 Franeker. children: 1. Romke, c. Franeker 12 April 1807. He died on 24 September 1807. 2. Hendrik, b. Franeker 26 November 1811. 3. Tjietske, b. Franeker 2 November 1820. 4. Anne, b. Franeker 18 January 1825. Hendrik Wytzes Kramer married on 1 July 1840 in Menaldum with Geeltje Oepkes Boomsma. Geeltje was born 18 November 1805 in Dronrijp, daughter of Oepke Ulbes Boomsma and Geeske Hendrika van Gorcum. She was christened on 8 December 1805. Hendrick died on 27 March 1885 in Opsterland and Geeltje died 19 March 1876 in Opsterland as well. children: 1. Wytze, b. Menaldumadeel 22 May 1841 2. Rintje, b. Dronrijp 5 March 1844. 3. Rinske, b. Menaldumadeel 17 April 1847 Anne Wytzes Kramer married in Wonseradeel on 17 October 1850. He was living in Witmarsum at the time of marriage but had lived in Dronrijp. He was a smith. His spouse was Antje Reinders Klein, born 29 December 1826 in Makkum. She was the daughter of Reinder Pieters Klein, 'schulpvisser' and Hinke Piers Hidma. Both her parents were still living when Antje married. Wytze died in Kubaard on 20 August 1879. Antje died there on 6 May 1899. children: 1. Hinke, b. Witmarsum 25 September 1851. 2. Rinske, b. 25 May 1853. She died on 18 June 1928. She married in 1882 with Jacob Stap. He died in Kubaard on 27 October 1928. 3. Doetje, b. 11 January 1856. She died on 15 July 1923. She married on 17 May 1882 with Cornelis Jacobs de Jong. Cornelis died in Kubaard on 8 December 1934. 4. Wietske, b. 18 June 1858. She died on 18 October 1863. 5. Reinder, b. 17 March 1860. 6. Wietse, b. 28 December 1863. Wietse was known as Willem in the United States. He lived in the Chicago area. Rintje Hendriks Kramer married in Opsterland on 11 June 1874 with Hinke Annes Kramer. Rintje died in Terwispel on 28 April 1888. Hinke died on 27 November 1927 in Oldeboorn. After the death of Rintje, Hinke married with BindertRuurds Meijer. children: 1. Hendrick, b. Terwsipel 31 January 1876. He married with Metje Rinkema on 30 November 1922 in Opsterland. 2. Antje, b. Terwispel 1 June 1878. She died on 14 April 1935. She married on 20 January 1902 with Engel Dekens. Many of her descendants live in the United States. 3. Geeltje, b. Terwispel 28 September 1879. She died in 1965. She married in 1900 with Nantro (Nicolaas) Hoving, also known as Nanning Hoving. Many of her descendants live in the Chicago area 4. Anne, b. Terwispel 3 February 1883. Reinder Hendriks Kramer moved to the Chicago area in the United States. He was known there as Richard. He died on 7 March 1937. He was twice married. First he married in Hennaarderadeel on 16 May 1888 with Sietske van der Molen. Sietske was born in Wonseradeel on 16 June 1866, daughter of Wybe Lourens van der Molen and Geertje Rinks Hania. His second marriage was with Cornelia Althuisius. Reinder and Cornelia and their three daughters moved to California in the 1920's. Reinder's children by his first marriage remained in the Chicago area. children of first marriage: 1. Anne (Andrew?), b. Hennaarderadeel 16 March 1889, d. Chicago 1904 2. Geertje (Margaret), b. Hennaarderadeel 2 June 1890 3. Wybe (Walter), b. Hennaarderadeel 27 October 1891 4. Rose 5. Rita children of second marriage: 1. Betty, b. Chicago, Illinois 18 August 1901, married Clarence Berger. 2. Dorothy, b. Chicago, Illinois 14 December 1906, married Joe Bultman. 3. Agnes, b. Chicago, Illinois 24 November 1909, d. Simi Valley, California 8 November 2001, married Neil Westrate.