Funeral Card Friday - Lawrence Broersma

27 years ago today my great grandfather Lawrence Broersma passed away. He was 85 years old.

Amanuensis Monday - JC Hawver's 1878 Diary - March

More from the 1878 diary of JC Hawver. Here are his entries from March:

3-2 How glad I am to be home with Lutie and here in bed waiting for her to come. She is taking her bath, I have just had mine.

3-3 Tom threw me off this morning, he took objection to the belly band of the saddle bags. Nobody hurt more than a frightening.

3-4 Mother commences her 54th year today so I stay to take breakfast at home in which there were 18 Robins (she had 19 children but only 8 survived). I bought Mother my present, really one she needed, a set of glass ware. This day passed pleasured indeed.

3-7 This evening Lutie and I attended N Bloomfield Lodge. We had a very pleasant meeting with the members and witnessed an initiation also heard a very enlightened remarks made by Bro. Richard Jones.

3-10 Tried to be Luties beau in the afternoon taking her to see the air compressor and Burley drill in the MBGM Co. Tunnel at shaft #7, it is a complicated machine making ____ feet per month.

3-11 Moved my engine and things down to Edwards Hotel so that I might keep Lutie company while I have work to do and as I was expecting to get to clean Katies teeth, but she went to school in the afternoon we arrived to avoid having them cleaned (her mother is an Irish man you can bet the world). The Double Shaft struck blue gravel last night.

3-12 Had callers and Lutie and I visit a woman with three children.

3-16 Lutie went down in the Stage and I rode Tom down home though we both walked from the west edge of the turning of the Stage Road. Lutie was up with me for 11 days and our bill was $5.50.

3-20 How good it is to arrive home where everything is cherished, pleasant and comfortable.

3-21 It seemed harder than ever to leave Lutie and start for Humbug to work.

3-28 I left N. Bloomfield this morning with the purpose of going to spend another week with Dr. Leonard, have him fill my teeth and see him perform more plate work. But when I got home I did not get off in time for the Stage so here I am at home with Lutie.

Lutie = Lucretia, JC's wife
Stasia = Anastasia Hawver, JC's sister
Tom = JC's horse
Dr. JC Leonard = JC's teacher of dentistry

Father Abraham had many sons...but I am not one of them.

One of my favorite songs to sing in church when I was growing up was "Father Abraham." There is no real deep spiritual significance to the words, but being able to move your arms around sure made it fun to sing.

Father Abraham had many sons
And many sons had father Abraham
I am one of them, and so are you
So lets just praise the Lord! (right arm, left arm and so on)

Somewhat recently I was looking up some stuff about DNA and how much it would cost to do some genetic research on my ancestry. Since both of my parents descend from ancestors in the Netherlands (mostly from Friesland) I don't think there would be much new information I could get out of doing the test, except maybe find some genetic relatives or something.

Based on what others have posted, and also info on Wikipedia, it looks like my Y chromosome haplogroup would most likely be R1b, which is the most frequently occurring haplogroup in western Europe.


So I compared this information with the Table of Nations in Genesis 10, and what scholars have traditionally said about it. The Table of Nations is the passage in the Bible that talks about the descendants of the 3 sons of Noah after the great flood that destroyed every living thing on the earth that wasn't in the ark. They are Shem, Ham and Japeth. Here is a map that shows the approximate areas of the descendants of Noah's sons according to Genesis 10.


The descendants of Shem are Shemites or Semetic people (Jews, Arabs, middle east and Asia regions). One side note on this that I don't understand is that Semetic people include what would now include Islamic nations, and Islamic nations are anti-Semetic right? I thought anti-Semetism was hatred toward Jews, but it looks like it should include all descendants of Shem. And since the Muslims traditionally descend from Ishmael, son of Abraham and Isaac's half brother, they would definitely be included in that. I think they should come up with a better name for it, or maybe just stop hating people. It maybe also be that not all Muslims actually descend from Ishmael, they just follow.

The sons of Ham traditionally settled Canaan, Egypt and eventually Africa. I am pretty white. It's fairly obvious I don't have any Ham in me. I think it's interesting that the genetic material in Shem, Ham and Japeth (and their wives) had the genetic information for all the variety of people there are in the world. I'm sure that many would disagree that all the people in the world came from the descendants of Noah, but I would argue that even if they all came from the first humans that sprung out of east Africa (as seems to be the prevailing theory these days), my thought is still the same, it's interesting how the people of the world all have a common ancestry even though skin color and eye shape are different.

So it looks like I would be a descendant of Japeth then. I'm not from the middle east and definitely not from Africa. But Abraham is not a descendant of Japeth, which means I'm not a son of Abraham. How can I in good conscience swing my arms and legs while singing about being a son of Abraham when I am not? I guess I need to start singing about Japeth then. It just doesn't roll off the tongue as nice though, Father Ja-apeth...

Wordless Wednesday - Lollipops

Amanuensis Monday - JC Hawver's 1878 Diary - February

Here is the continuing saga of JC Hawver's daily life in his own words. These are his entries from February 1878

2-1 Saw numerous friends in No Bloomfield, thinking it would justify I concluded to take my instruments up by stage in the morning. Brought Lutie home a pair of of rubber over shoes lined with flannel and buckling in front of the ankle a unbleached cloth. Brought Mother home three balls of knitting cord for # 1 I got five linen collars #15 of course my favorite style. Father was as indulgent as ever this morning. I told him how Mother thought he humored me to much.

2-4 Reached N Bloomfield some where about noon, was hospitably received by Mr. Smith and his deserving daughters Nellie and Tillie and son Fulton. I saw Tom (horse) in good comfortable quarters then took dinner and went to work. It took all day as there was much decayed teeth. 2-5 Continued work, and attended lecture of Mr. Leland and his reorganization of North Bloomfield Lodge #460 of the I.O.G.T.

2-6 This morning I stepped into the first snow I have met with this season. The south wind came near severing the roof as it did about blow it off. This at Victors house where I slept for the night and where I slept and roomed with McAllister during the winter of 73-4.

2-7, 8 & 9 Put in gold fillings and cleaned teeth, spent the evenings with friends.

2-9 Had an appointment with a man for this afternoon but he failed to appear so I mounted Tom and headed straight for home, where I was glad to get and glad to be welcomed back. Lutie, Stasia and I went to lodge where we were elected to different jobs.

2-10 The fornoon had slipped away before I had any thing done but to taking my bath. Lutie and Mother went with me as far as the edge of the Diggings as I went to Columbia Hill where I did some work.

2-11 How hard work it was for me to leave Lutie and the pleasantness of home this morning as I got ready to start for Humbug. When I reach my journeys end safely about one pm for all it rained steady since morning. But taking the tops of a pair of gum-boots for leggings and a blue cloak with Tom to ride I came out all dry. Many thanks to Mr. Kallenburger the barber for his room and use of his new chair. I did much good work.

2-18 Edwards Hotel in Humbug is the only place in town that will comfortable enough for Lutie when she comes to stay.

2-20 Played cards at the Barber shop and took a lesson to not encourage card playing. Wish Lutie was here!

2-22 It is not many years since I could lay in bed and hear dancing going on over my head. (Washington’s Birthday Dance in the Hotel where he stayed).

2-24 Have many friends in N San Juan but barely any work. Instead of spending my money for cards and liquor, I will spend it to improve my instruments and do better work.

Lutie = Lucretia, JC's wife
Stasia = Anastasia Hawver, JC's sister
Tom = JC's horse
Dr. JC Leonard = JC's teacher of dentistry

Four Generation Friday - 5 Generations!

I think four generation pictures are pretty cool, but this one is 20% better - It has five generations!


Marinus Wichers (1871-1962)
Martha (Wichers) Visser (1895-1980)
Bernice (Visser) VanDalen (b. 1924)
Alvin John VanDalen (b. 1942)
Alvin Scott VanDalen (b. 1961)

Amanuensis Monday - JC Hawver's 1878 Diary - January

This weekend I visited the Doris Foley Library in Nevada City, CA. I went with my dad and he was checking out some maps of the area and property maps of where his house is. While he was doing that I took a quick look at the card index to see if there was anything on the Hawvers that lived in the area, and there was.

There was a transcription of the 1878 diary of JC Hawver, who was a local dentist and later became a prominent person in Auburn. This transcription was done by his great great granddaughter. I took some pictures of the transcription and later read through it at home. I found out a couple bits of information that I didn't know, and the entries even though they were pretty short painted a picture of his daily life in the foothills that I thought was pretty interesting. So I thought others would be interested to read what he had written. Here are his entries for January 1878.

1-1 Bro. Brall--- traveled over 120,000 miles while working in the cause of temperance, will never know the good accomplished.

1-22 Shouldered my Engine and packed it up to Columbia Hill. Cleaned Pat Farrel teeth, charged him two dollars, the first work I have done out side the Family. Put a nice gold filling for Eva Hallowell, what a feat, one that Dr. Harris of Grass Valley had put in came out. Got home just in time for supper though it rained like spit. Just at dusk we set out a lard can in a fair place to catch the rain, that we might see about how much rain falls. Recd. a letter from Dr. J.C. Leonard.

1-23 Put in another gold filling for Mrs. Hallowell. I think I have made a success of the work done for her which amounted to $5.00. Finished the day on Emerson Fowler’s teeth. Got home through less rain. Lutie and Stasia washed but stand a poor chance to get the clothes dry.

1-24 Finished Emerson Fowler’s teeth using New Amalgum and Hills White Stopping to fill his teeth with, charged $10.00 with the understanding that when they got the money I would take out the stopping in the front teeth and fill them with gold for $5.00 more.

1-25 Packed my traps over to Mr. Hulband’s house. Found a splendid room to work in, well lit and warm. Filled two cavities with amalgam for Mrs. Hulband. Got home hungry as I quit Fowlers to soon for dinner and to Hulbands to late.

1-26 Repaired tree cavities and filled them with gold for Hulbands, finishing the job of filling then pulled a root for Anne and a lower right molar for Nellie. I called their bill $23.00. Took a walk up to the post office and back and packed my instruments home through the rain. Spent the rest of the day listless enough.

1-27 I had intended to go to N San Juan today but it looked so much like rain and a late start caused me to stay at home. I pitched quarts with Henry and shoot a revolver at a marker with Stephens, they both beat me. I was about as successful a beau for Lutie in the end, but I will always be her friend. And how did it rain! Mr. Wm Stephens did the most for our entertainment but in consequence had to go home in a coat that I loaned him.

1-28 Went to N San Juan and back home. Father fixed up Tom (horse) all good and nice for me to ride him to N San Juan, could not say what I appreciated for his kindness, Leonard gave me the rest of my instruments which have just come from Philadelphia. Gilbert had my new _______ boots done, they are roomy for sure. The roads are fearfully rutted up from last nights rain, two inches fell.

1-29 Lined my box that holds my instruments (Forceps, Pluggers, Points, Etc.) with red felt, it makes an improvement. It took all day to putter as above and clean all by tricks and put them in good shape. A huge washing entertained the girls in the rear part of the house.

1-30 Put in a square day in the kitchen on two photograph frames shaped and covered with white beans, green and brown coffee, small white rocks, and four o’clock seeds. Covered with glass ground in small pieces. The last one looks much the prettiest and mother’s picture will be put into it and hung in Luties and my room. Lutie and Stasia ironed a large washing.

1-31 The sun broke out about noon today and on remarking that I was going up town Lutie and Stasia said they were going along. So up town we three went, no adventuring as Luties over shoes with mud on the trail which had been covered full of loose mud. Stasia staid all night with Mrs. Clay. Katie came a pace down the reservoir bank with Lutie and I as we came home from Mrs. Brauchers. Sent to San Juan for a money order of $2.57.

Lutie = Lucretia, JC's wife
Stasia = Anastasia Hawver, JC's sister
Tom = JC's horse
Dr. JC Leonard = JC's teacher of dentistry