Today my mom, aunt and cousin went to this big flower show down by Leiden, so I went to the Amsterdam archives to look up whatever information I could find about my 3rd great grandmother, Keetje Benjamins. As far as my Dutch ancestry research goes Keetje sticks out because she is the closest, as far as how distant a relative she is dead end I have. She really shouldn’t be such as mystery since I have been able to find information on all my other Dutch branches which take me back at least as far as about 1730. From various online sources I have access to I have only ever been able to find her burial site (which mentions her father’s name being Mozes Israel), who she married, and some information about her children. For a while now I have thought I found her father’s family but after visiting the archives I am not so sure, but more on that in a minute. When I arrived there I was told to sit at a desk and sign in, which I did. However as I was looking over the names that were signed in I noticed the names of a married couple I have come across in the past, Renier and Dirjke Bobbe. They own a family tree website that I visit from time to time to see if any of the new connections I am finding are connected to them as well as because there site includes the family of a good friend of mine and for a while I was trying to figure out if we are connected (we are but I didn’t find it there.) Any way when I mentioned something to one of the people who worked there he called over Renier and I introduced myself to him and subsequently his wife. I told him why I was in Holland, mentioned the connection to the close friend, and showed off the big tree I had printed. Eventually the aide who helps with genealogical records was able to help me. First we found the birth record for Keetje for whom I apparently had the birthdate wrong. It also listed her parents, Mozes Benjamins and Elizabeth Marcus van Lier. I had her mother as Elizabeth Marcus from someone who was able to find a bunch of information for me, but the surname is more helpful. I also attempted to find the marriage records for Keetje and Samuel Isaac Lob, as well as her parents Mozes and Elizabeth van Lier, however I was unsuccessful though the aide did give me some suggestions on where to look. I did eventually go to Dutchjewry.org to see if I found anything, which I did. I saw that she had at least one sister, Sophie born in 1835 about 10 years later which leads me to believe there were other children. So as I mentioned earlier I thought her father was from one family, the Hena/Zischesh family. However after looking at the Dutchjewry website I found that he actually may be from the Wing family, his full name being, Mozes Benjamin Bendit Benjamins Wing, a family I had a feeling we had a closer connection to rather than just as an in-law family. So once I get home I will be pursuing this lead. I do wish I had had some money on me though so I could get copies of the records I could find. Maybe if I ask a cousin or e-mail Renier and Dirjke….
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