Somsen Family
Reunion - Aalten, August, 1997
Photo Pages and Newspaper Articles
The following pictures were taken
during reunion week in Aalten and the following two weeks spent
touring Europe. The first two digits in each picture indicate the
day in August on which it was taken, the second two the
chronological order. Clicking on the Photo Page will bring up the thumbnails of the photos
shown, clicking on the picture identifier (00-00) will bring up that individual picture.
Photo
Page One
07-00 Family Reunion Logo
08-01 Theo Somsen shows us how the Dutch eat
herring at Volendam
08-03 Hosts Derk and Alie Somsen in their garden
at Doetinchem
09-01 Family Reunion at Erve Kots with 450
Somsens in attendance
09-02 Jeanne Connell and Janet Somsen at the
reunion
09-03 Derk and John Somsen working hard at the
Somsen-market
10-01 St.Helenakerk in Aalten where Geert and
Megtelt were married in 1689.
10-02 Planting the lime tree at the Japikshuis
in IJzerlo (notice covered plaque)
Photo
Page One A
09-04 Family Reunion at Erve Kots
09-05 Klompen dancers put on exhibition
09-06 The klompen dancers decide that the
Somsens should participate
09-07 A square dancing demonstration by the
American Somsens
09-08 Mary Somsen-Gilbert leads a demonstration
of line dancing
09-09 Paula Crist, Alex Zavracky and Cindy and
Ron Zignego square dance
09-10 Paula and Alex "swing your
partners"
09-11 Everyone gets into the swing
Photo
Page One B
08-91 Arrival in Holland - land of our ancestors
12-91 Johan Somsen entertains after the
Vragender swamp visit
08-92 Sightseeing in Volendam by the Zuider Zee
08-93 De Gelderse Achterhoek - region of our
ancestors
10-91 Sint Helenakerk - Church of our
forefathers
10-92 WWII memorial to the 7 Aalten resistance
fighters who lost their lives
12-92 Jeanie Somsen-Jacobson's rescue from the
swamp
Photo
Page Two
10-03 Japikshuis from which Aaltjen &
Hendrik Jan Somsen emigrated to America in 1847-51
10-06 Somsenhuis barn in IJzerlo on the farm
from which our family evolved
10-07 The new farmhouse at Somsenhuis built in
1945 (note the sign)
11-04 Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem - an example of
the farmhouses of our ancestors
11-08 Ernst Jan & Ellen Somsen visit us in
Doetinchem just before their wedding day
12-01 Broekse Hoeve (Oud Reinders) in Lintelo
from which Jan Hendrik left in 1881
12-02 Somp expedition to the Vragender swamp
near Lichtenvoorde
12-03 We really are discovering where we came
from - not a casual stroll
Photo
Page Two A
09-0534 During the afternoon-market at Erve Kots.
09-0604 Dutch relatives wearing Somsen-Reunion
T-shirts.
09-0535 The Somsen orchestra giving a superb
performance.
09-1111 The Somsen orchestra and
autograph-collector Maarten Stadler [176].
10-0629 On the left Johan [1089] and on the right
Theo [227] Somsen during the memorial service in the old Sint
Helenachurch in Aalten.
10-0620 Some of the relatives present in the old
Sint Helenachurch in Aalten.
Photo
Page Two B
10-0621 The 'Berkseth-girls' sitting in the
'Somsen Pew' (A71), third row from the front, which was purchased
in 1883.
10-1212 Derk Somsen [130] and Bert Alberts [1383]
playing the organ and trumpet during the memorial service in the
old Sint Helenachurch in Aalten.
10-0205 Planting the Somsen tree at the Japikshuis
in the presence of a large audience.
10-0216 Johan Somsen [1089] as a translator of the
Dutch texts.
10-0221 Theo Somsen [227] appoints the present
owner and occupant of the Japikshuis, Mr. Veerbeek, to be keeper
of the Somsen linden tree.
10-0218 Stephen D. Somsen [2459] from Edmonds, WA.
USA planting the Somsen linden tree at the Japikshuis.
Photo
Page Two C
10-1313 The relatives who offered the Somsen
linden tree to the Reunion committee, from left, are: Paulien
Middelhuis [3722] and Hennie Somsen [1861], Michel Stadler [174]
and Tineke Somsen [135].
10-1414 Having a nice cup of coffee and a chat at
the campsite 't Hoftijzer after planting the Somsen linden tree.
Photo
Page Three
12-04 Somsens take over the marketplace at
Lichtenvoorde after the expedition
12-05 John Howard Somsen shows proof that he was
christened in the swamp
12-06 Johan Somsen entertains us all with music
on his squeeze box
13-01 Archaeological park in Xanten, Germany,
with rebuilt Roman ruins
13-02 Gravestones of Roman soldiers discovered
around Xanten
13-04 The marketplace in Xanten near the
Cathedral of Xanten
13-05 The grounds of Anholt Castle in Germany
13-07 Schloss Anholt or Anholt Castle
Photo
Page Four
14-01 Roel and Ida (niece of Derk Jan Somsen)
Kassies of Aalten - our second host family
14-04 Janet and Dirkje (Dikky) Somsen relax
during reunion week
14-05 The transfer of the family geneology from
Derk Jan to John Howard Somsen
14-06 The barn at Frerikshuus in Aalten
14-07 Frerikshuus, the museum of antiquities in
Aalten
14-08 The water tower in Aalten. The view from
the top extens far into Germany
14-09 The pub, Het Noorden, near the water tower
provides a needed break
14-10 More Somsens relaxing after another busy
day
Photo
Page Five
14-11 The playground at the pub, Het Noorden,
with the swinging Somsen family
14-12 Johan Somsen shows us the proper way to
slide
15-01 Departure day from the Netherlands - with
our hosts
15-02 John Howard and Janet Somsen in front of
our hotel in Paris
15-07 Frederico and Janet Somsen enjoy lunch at
a sidewalk cafe
18-05 Jeanie, Ana, Fred and Janet at the Arc De
La Defense in Paris
18-10 Dinner at the Bistro Romain in Paris
19-13 With our host family, the Boisnets, in
Grenoble
Photo
Page Six
19-14 Sophie and Estelle Boisnet review the
day's pictures with John
22-03 John and Fred enjoy dinner in Barcelona
22-04 Ana, Janet and Jeannie at dinner in
Barcelona
24-01 Frederico, our accountant, tallies up the
check
24-03 Fred has his caracature drawn at the Plaza
Mayor in Madrid
25-07 John, Janet and Fred with Tia Maria and
Tio Henrique in Braganca, Portugal
25-09 Frederico shows off the carved ivory tusks
at Ana's parents home in Braganca
26-12 Fred and Janet cool off in the river at
Outeiro, Portugal
Photo
Page Seven
27-09 Fred, Tereza, John, Janet and Arie Somsen
in Lisbon
27-10 Dina Somsen enjoys the pictures at her
parents' home
27-12 Reviewing the pictures of the trip
28-06 Fred stands in front of his record
company, Ananana, in Lisbon
28-07 The front of the record store that Fred
manages in Lisbon
28-15 Frederico presents the final bill for the
car, rooms, etc.
28-19 Dinner by the ocean near Ad and Tereza's
home on the last night
28-20 Janet and Ad enjoy a laugh together
Pen and Ink
Drawings
St.Helenakerk in Aalten
Broekse
Hoeve (Oud Reinders) in
Lintelo
DIS Magazine (Nov 1997)
Newspaper
Articles and Letters (in Dutch)
Dagblad
de Gelderlander (3 Aug)
Kloek boek over de Achterhoekse familie Somsen
Dagblad
de Gelderlander (11 Aug)
Internet brengt familie Somsen bij elkaar
Het
Gelders Dagblad Tubantia (11 Aug) I am a salesman bij het Japikshuis
Aalten
Vooruit (13 Aug) Ruim
vierhonderd Somsens vanuit hele wereld bijeen
Baldwin
Bulletin (? Sep) Somsen
world-wide reunion held in Holland
Impressie
(30 Aug) Gree A. J. van
Daatselaar-Somsen
History Bouwfasen van de oude Sint Helenakerk aan
de Markt te Aalten
Newspaper Articles and Letters (in English)
Daily
paper de Gelderlander (3 Aug) Substantial book about the Somsen family from the
Achterhoek
Daily
paper de Gelderlander (11 Aug) Internet brings Somsen family
together
The
Gelders Dagblad Tubantia (11 Aug) I am a salesman at the Japikshuis
Aalten
Vooruit (13 Aug) More than
400 Somsens from all over the world brought together
Baldwin
Bulletin (? Sep) Somsen
world-wide reunion held in Holland
Impressions
(30 Aug) Gree A. J. van
Daatselaar-Somsen
History Stages in Building of the Old Saint Helena
Church on the Markt in Aalten