Helena Bartelink (1837-1916)

Helena Bartelink was born 23 Jan 1837 in Almelo, the third daughter and sixth child of Hendricus P.W. Bartelink (dutch link) and Fredrica ten Bruggencate. In 1880 she married, as his second wife, Hermanus Benjamin ter Braake, who was her 3rd cousin once removed. She is my 1st cousin 3x removed, as well as 8 other relationships. He was the son of Benjamin ter Braake (dutch link) and Hermina ten Cate

Her husband was living in Enschede, and had six children with his first wife, the youngest was six, the oldest 25 (he was a witness at his father’s marriage). He was a pastry baker; his oldest son followed in his footsteps.

One of the things I find interesting, is that frequently (at least in my family) the second wife is a relative. Sometimes she was never married, sometimes she was widowed herself. It is as if the family decided “you need a mother for your children, this relation is available, you might as well marry her.” According to the marriage certificate, Helena had been living in Manchester, England, what did she give up to marry her third cousin and care for his children?

Sometimes I’m sure, the marriage worked out, and sometimes it didn’t. In this case I think it did work out, as in 1913 we find Helena in The Hague, as the widow H.B. ter Braake, nee Bartelink, living with two of her stepdaughters. Her husband had died in 1904 in the Hague. She died there in 1916.

Why did they move from Enschede? And why to The Hague? We find quite a few ter Braakes in the population registers of The Hague in the 1913-1939 period. Did H.B and Helena move to be near his children? Were other family members already living there? Questions, that might never be answered, but are worth some investigation.

And isn’t that the joy of genealogy?