Jenneke ten Bruggencate (1821-1905)

Jenneke (dutch link) was born 5 Jan 1821 in Lonneker, Overijssel, 197 years ago, daughter of Hermannus ten Bruggencate and Janna Doeschot. She is my 2nd cousin 4x removed (as well as my 4th cousin 3x and 4x removed). Her grandfather had left Almelo, and had settled in Hengelo, from there family members had moved on to other places, like Enschede, Lonneker and Goor. Not that this was that far away, Hengelo is about 25 km away from Almelo; Enschede about 10 from Hengelo; Lonneker 5 km from Enschede. Jenneke’s eldest sister was born in Goor, the children below her in Enschede.

Jenneke married Berend Jan Averink in 1854, and died in 1905. She survives all her seven siblings, three died as infants, two as young adults. Her brother Frederik married and died at age 36, and left two children; her sister Geertruid lives until 1893, she married, and had children, of which two died young, and four married.

Jenneke had 3 pregnancies (as far as I know), the first was a stillborn in 1857; daughter Griete Johanna (born as Johanna in 1859) married in 1883; and the third, a boy, was born in 1861 and died 9 months later.

Again, so much loss, in her life, and that of her relatives. The stories of their lives makes you realize yet again, that the good old days weren’t always that great.