Wordless Wednesday - Us Mem in Leeuwarden

Broersma Family Crest?

I recently got to take a trip to the Netherlands with my dad to visit the towns and villages where our family was from. On one stop we were looking around in the church in Allingawier, which is in Wonseradeel in the province of Friesland.


Inside the church in the entry way, up on the tower was this coat of arms and inscription:

Alsmen schref 1634 en een
heeft Jelle Tiercks Broersma van
Allinvier aen dese toere geleyt
den eersten sten tot momory
van het heeft hi sin wapen hier
boven geset den 3 Yulyo
1635

It basically says that on the 3rd of July 1634, Jelle Tjerks Broersma laid the first stone in the tower when it was being constructed. Now we haven't been able to connect this Broersma to our Broersma line. Our Broersmas did live in Allingawier and the neighboring villages, but if this Jelle Tjerks is a part of our line, then he would be at least 2 generations further than we have documented in our direct line, and more likely 3 generations back.

I would love to connect to this Broersma, but I kinda think that we won't be able to. You would probably have to be rich to get the privilege of laying the first stone in a tower and getting an inscription about you. Also there is a coat of arms which would be awesome to have.

RIP Grandma Wisner

A few days ago, on 22 June 2013, my wife's grandmother Jennie Allene (Orrell) Wisner passed away. She was 89 years old. She had a nice laugh, kind of like a chuckle that I will always remember.