Grietje Tjakkes (1783-1863)

Grietje Tjakkes (Dutch link) was born 2 Dec 1783, 234 years ago, in Nieuwe Pekela. She is the sister of my third-great-grandfather on my mother’s side, who at some point adopted the surname Kleinhuis.

She married Hendrik Oldenburger in 1820, as his second wife. Hendrik is also distantly related to me: he is my 1st cousin 5x removed. He had two children with his first wife, and they would have three more together, before he drowned at sea in 1834.

She was a laborer, like most women. No staying home with the children. And they were not well-off.  In 1826, Grietje Tjakkes, wife of Hindrik Berends Oldenburger, seaman, and Teupke Harms Huls, wife of the daylaborer Jacobus Harms Sijp, sue Jurjen Jannes Polter, because he accused them of stealing his buckwheat. In 1835, after Hindrik’s death,  G. Tjakkes Kleinhuis, widow of H. B. Oldenburger, received a one-time welfare check from the town. ⁽¹⁾

Life was hard in those days. But her children lived to adulthood, although her daughters died before her: Dina after 3 children, Metje in childbirth. Grietje died 17 Jun 1863 at the age of 79

For a map of Nieuwe Pekela in 1868, see here

(1) Kuil, Dick, Compiler Overzicht van de Ingekomen Stukken van Nieuwe Pekela 1815-1914 Wikipekela.nl, online: http://www.wikipekela.nl/doku.php?id=nieuwe_pekela_-_ingekomen_stukken_1811-1850. (pg. 14, 33)