What follows is the online version of my Reinink family tree. Could you be a relative? Hmmm..... There is an Reinink Family Index of Names, if you care to look. Maybe your ancestor or, perhaps, you are on my list. You may be surprised!

I would like to thank Harriet Kennon, John DeGroot, Jerry Reinink, Great Uncle Pete Reinink, and the many other descendants of Geert and Harmina Reinink for their help on finding information for our Reinink Tree. While I believe I have found our Reinink relatives in the Netherlands, I don't have enough documentation to prove it as of yet, so this information will be at the end of the tree, and you can decide for yourself whether we are indeed related.

I met with Ruth Licari, a granddaughter of George Reinink and Maggie Hoekwater in August of 2001. As well as information of George's line of the family, she had in her posession, a copy of a letter written in June of 1962. This letter had to do with the Family Reinink in Westerbork, the Netherlands. Below, find a transcript of part of that letter:

Westerbork, June 5-1962

Letter 1564
Subject: Information Family Reinink
.....Between 1876 and 1880 departed (probably immigrated) from the residence Mantinge 285, Geert Reinink, born May 13-1838, Married on April 27-1872 with Harmina Elders, born June 06-1846, Their sons Lambert, born August 15-1873 and Jan, born Jan, 23-1876.
.....Geert (George Reinink had a sister, who lived at the same residence (Family Farm) namely Lammigje, born May 6-1836. Died on May 13-1876 and who was married to Geert Vos. .....Descendants from Geert Vos and Lammigje Reinink are still living at Mantinge, namely Geert Vos, born April 26-1918, residing on Mantinge K 19.
.....The Family tree of Geert Reinink is as follows:

Hilbrand Reinink & Lammigje Sturing
--------------------------------------
Lambert Reinink & Grietje Nijens
Born 01-12-1804
Died 03-09-1871
--------------------------------------
Geert Reinink & Harmina Elders
Born 05-13-1838 Born 06-06-1848
--------------------------------------
Lambert Reinink & Jan Reinink
Born 08-15-1873...Born 01-23-1876
--------------------------------------
Lammigje Reinink & Geert Vos
Born 05-06-1836
Died 05-13-1876
--------------------------------------
.....I have not been able to find the relationship with Mrs J. Westra-Reinink Zandhoeklaa 24, at Westerbork. This Reinink Family lived at Elp and not at Mantinge. Her Family tree is as follows:
Berend Reinink & Lammigje
--------------------------------------
Hilbrand Reinink & Grietje Vos
Born 08-06-1829....Born 11-10-1831
--------------------------------------
Berend Reinink Born 02-29-1861

Roeleije Reinink Born 02-01-1864

Lammigje Reinink Born 06-17-1867

Jantje Reinink Born 12-20-1871
Married to R. Westra...."

...While preparing this family tree, I wrote a letter to my great uncle Pete Reinink. Pete lives in Cadillac, MI. As of this date, he is still building chalets for a living. I asked Uncle Pete what he knew of the Reinink family, and what follows is his reply:

"My Dad's name was Bert, a Dutch nickname for his real name, Lambertus. My Dad's family came from the Netherlands about 1882 when my Dad was less than one year old. There were four boys, George, John, Lambert, and my dad, Lambertus. One girl, Maggie, was born in Michigan.

There was an orphan girl living with them and their departure was held up a couple of weeks, because they had to legally adopt her before taking her out of the Netherlands. Whey they arrived at Jamestown, they learned that the ship they had intended to sail on was lost at sea, with all of the immigrants.

My Dad's family lived on the Muskegon River (actually Clam River) near Vogel Center, MI. My Uncle Lambert drowned in the river when he was eighteen years old. (Courthouse records show Lambert was 14 years 8 months 25 days, according to information found by Jerry Reinink at the Missaukee County Court House. He died on 20 May 1888. Family bible records show he died when he was 17 years old, which would have been in 1890.) He was crossing the river on a log jam when he slipped between the logs and could not get back up on top. (Later learned from Uncle Pete that his body was lost for three weeks. A family member had a dream that pointed him to where to find the body).

I am 81 years old now, and the last of our family. John, Hermina, Jeanette, George, and Margaret are all gone."

It may interest you to know the how and why of the naming of the Dutch. Here are some translations and information on some of the names.

The Dutch were one of the last nationalities to use last names. They picked their last names according to where they lived or what they did for a living. That is why the je suffix was used then at the end of first names, to keep track of who belonged to who.

The following is taken from an e-mail from John DeGroot, a great grandson of Hendrikus Elders (brother of Harmina Elders) and Janna Reinink:
"Just a couple of additional bits of information, while some family names did exist prior to  1811, the adoption of family names was decreed by Napoleon circa 1811. A English  translation was found on www.asksam-nl.com (not sure whether the site is still active). I can  send you a copy if you are interested. Also (www.vanaken.org/netherlands.htm) provides  some interesting detail on the naming conventions which were so prevalent in early Dutch  families. On your web page you mentioned some background on names. Particularly the use of "je"   Note from the many Dutch names that the difference between a boy an girls name is simply in  the addition of "je" or "the".  Boys names Jan or Jans - girls names were Jantje or Jansje.  Adding those letter to the end of a boys name creates a girls name. There are many  exceptions, for instance the girls name "Grietje". As the girl became older it may become  "Griet". Thus your observation of "junior" or " a young person" is also correct in that the name  became shortened as they became older. However i don't recall the "je" or "the" being use in  boys names. Another example"Harm (boys name)   Harmtien   (girls name) In this case the  addition is a "tien", but could also have been Harmtje.  " Marge" could also be found spelled  as "Marchje" but also called "Margien"  I believe that the latter name is more the provincial  dialect influence and that "Margje" was a more proper Dutch version.  An example of  provincial/dialect influence is my sisters name. Her first name is "Wietske" This is the Frisian  (Province of Friesland). My maternal grandparents, being from the Province of Drenthe called her "Wiesje", today she uses the name "Wies".  Regards John."

Most of our Reinink ancestors are buried in Prosper Cemetery, Falmouth Cemetery, and Vogel Center Cemetery, all in Missaukee County, MI.

1. HILBRAND REININK married LAMMIGJE LAMBERTS STURING. According to the Latter Day Saints web site, Hilbrand and Lammigje were married about 1803.

The only documented child so far of Hilbrand Reinink and Lammigje Sturing is:

2....i. LAMBERT REININK

2. LAMBERT REININK was born 12 Jan 1804 (birth date found on Latter Day Saints web site) and died 10 March 1871 in Westerbork, Drenthe, NTH. He married GRIETJE EVERTS NIJENS on 9 May 1835 in Westerbork, Drenthe, NTH. Grietje was born c 1807. She was the daughter of Evert Nijens and Jantje Frericks.

Children of Lambert Reinink and Grietje Nijens are:

3....i. LAMMIGJE REININK
4...ii. GEERT REININK

3. LAMMIGJE REININK was born c 1837 in Mantinge, Westerbork, Drenthe, NTH. She married GEERT VOS on 22 Jan 1859 in Westerbork, Drenthe, HTH. Geert was born c 1829 in Galinge, Westerbork, Drenthe, NTH. He was the son of Lambert Vos and Geesje Derks. Children Unknown at this time.

4. GEERT REININK was born 13 May 1838 (birthdate found on LDS web site) in Westerbork, Drenthe, NTH. He died 19 Sept 1908 in Michigan. Geert married HERMINA ELDERS on 27 April 1872 in Westerbork, Drenthe, NTH. Hermina was born c 1847 in Oosterhessden, Drenthe, NTH. She was the daughter of Jan Elders and Lammechien Eefting. (See information at the end of this family tree for the ancestors of Hermina Elders). Geert Reinink, along with his wife and children originally settled in Jamestown, MI. I am sorry that I don't have the date of their move to Missaukee County, but Jerry Reinink did find some information on the purchase of property by Geert. It is as follows:

Geert Reinink bought his property from Auldert Egging and Jantenn. Geert, at the time of the sale lived in Jamestown, Ottawa Co, MI. The property is located at the west 1/2 of S.E. 1/4 of Section 27 on the Clam River. He purchased 74 acres at the price of $600. This was recorded in the presence of Hiram Shepear, Justice of the Peace.

Ruth Licari had a printed copy that was passed down to her that, I assume, came out of the family bible of Harmina and Geert Reinink. It was in Dutch, and she typed it in Dutch. I went to a site on the internet and translated the words that I could to better assist us in understanding what it means. I will give the Dutch words and their English meanings, then will give the actual entries as Ruth had them typed. Take note that the entry for Lambert was a typo, and he was actually born in 1873, not 1878.