Emigration

Henderikus J. Bot and Gerada J. Peters 1908 Hero W. Bot en Anna Paagman

William Bot (brother in law of Jacobus Tjaarts Alma) emigrates in 1886 with his wife Deborah Schreuder and eight children to Ghent in Lyon County, Minnesota, after two of his sons (Bernard and Hero) explored the situation a season in 1884 as a farmhand. William becomes the forefather ancestor of a flowering branch of the Bot family in the US Two sons of William and Deborah (Hero and Henderikus ) return to the Netherlands in 1907 to marry there with a Dutch bride. The two new couples go back to the US in August 1907 on the USS Rijndam and take nephew Kornelis Bot (until that time shopkeeper in Bedum) along on their journey. The family relationships between these people are shown in the figure below. The year of departure is shown in blue. ST ELOI In 1983 a book was published about the history of Ghent, Minnesota. In particular, of the parish of St. Eloi (s). Below what they write about William Bot and his wife Debora : BOT, WILLIAM H. AND DEBORA (SCHREUDER) BOT William H. Bot Sr. was born March 12, 1836, in Warfhuizen, Provence of Groningen, Holland. His marriage to Debora Schreuder took place November 25, 1859. Debora was born at Leermens, Holland in October of 1839. While in Holland, Mr. Bot was a wholesale merchant of dry goods and wearing apparel. He was active in civic affairs and architect of the Catholic Church in Luppersum. Because William's sons wanted to farm, and available land was scarce in Holland, in 1884, two of the boys, Bernard and Hero, came across the ocean to decide if they would like farming in America. Two years later, Mr. and Mrs. Bot settled in Lyon County accompanied by their children, all of whom were born in Holland, namely: Hero (1861); Bernard (1864); Reinier (1866); Theresa (1870); Kathryn (1873); Henry (1876); John (1879); William H. II, (1880). The Bots bought a farm from Mr. B. F. Jellison; after purchasing the 480 acres of land in Grandview Township (one and one quarter miles from Ghent) and paying cash for it, they had the sum total of 38 cents cash left. However, game being very plentiful on their land and the boys being good marksmen, they managed to survive on wild game, plus their own dairy and farm products. As was typical of the customs of the time, after each harvest a "celebration" took place; treats included "chocola" (a hot-chocolate drink), and a huge bowl of dried prunes placed in the center of the table. The Bot's farm home was unique for America but very typically European. It was built piecemeal with the living area on one end; the chicken coop attached to the side of the house; the barn attached to the chicken coop, and lastly, the familiar "out house" was "in" —in the barn. Mr. Bot prospered on the farm, and at the time of his death on April 2, 1906, was the owner of 1200 acres of Lyon County farm land. Soon after her husband's death, Mrs. Bot moved to the Village of Ghent, making her home with her son, Hero. Two sons, John and William II, rented part of the home farm for a couple years, John later taking full charge and buying the place. Mrs. Bot died on February 21, 1922, at the age of 81 years. Many of the descendants of William and Deborah continue to live in Ghent. They are also described in the same book. For these descriptions, I refer to the detailed reports on the last page of this part of the website.

WILLEM HERO BOT and DEBORAH SCHREUDER

USS

RIJNDAM

August 19-26

1907

Willem Bot 1836-1906 Deborah Schreuder 1839-1922 Heere Berends Bot 1800-1848 Catharina Willems Bos 1814-1882 X 1832 X 1859 1886 Hero Bot 1861-1948 Anna Elisabeth Paagman 1867-1949 X 1907 Henderikus Josephus Bot 1876-1941 Gerada Jantina Peters 1885-1966 X 1907 Bernardus Bot 1833-1912 Anna Maria Poelma 1850-1926 Kornelis Bot 1878-? 1886 X 1870

EMIGRATION