ZWEEP Geessina 1876-1931

This that you are NOW reading is overflow.   Photos are added after the below text.
This is a continuation of http://dstfelix.tribalpages.com/family-tree/dstfelix/759/244/Geessina-ZWEEP-Family

MORE photos will be added below.

Transcribers of various official records have greatly mis-transcribed her first and last name per their best guess of hand written records.  The correct spelling is as shown on this page.

Father: Jan ZWEEP 1851-1926

Mother: Uuntje BIJL 1852-1926
Spouse: Augustinus Franciscus FLINT, aka Frank 1881-1937
Children: 7 (5 males, 2 females)

Per the 1920 passport: Hair: Fair; Eyebrows: Fair; Eyes: Blue; Nose: Regular; Religion: Protestant. 

1876 - Birth: Geessina ZWEEP was born on Monday, 12 June 1876 at Oude Pekela, Groningen, Netherlands to Jan ZWEEP and Uuntji BIJL. 

1900:  Around 1900, maybe sooner or later, Geessina went to work for the Jacabous Johannes FLINT family as a maid or possibly housekeeper.  This is where she met Augustinus, the son to Jacobus Johannes FLINT, soon to be her husband.  His family was not happy with the marriage at all.  Thoughts of Geessina’s children are that Jacobus thought Geessina was beneath their family standing.  Per Marie, daughter to Geessina, her dad (Augustinus) saw a beautiful young woman and fell in love.  She also said her hair was blond, which it was not per photos.

1901 – Marriage:  Geessina ZWEEP and Augustinus Franciscus FLINT were married on Wednesday, 4 Dec 1901 at Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.  On the official record there are the signatures of Geesina and her father Jan ZWEEP plus the signatures of Augustinus and his father Jacobus FLINT.  Geessina's sister Gepke had married seven days earlier on Wednesday, Nov 27.
It is said that the father to Augustinus was not happy with the marriage and that all communication ended after the marriage.  Son Ben said they never saw their grandfather and that only a day or so before Augustinus was to leave for the USA, Jacobus stopped by the house.

1902:  On 29 Aug 1902 the mother-in-law to Geesina, Marie Elisabeth van BEEK, wife to Jacobus Johannes FLINT, died at Zaandam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.

1903: On 19 Feb 1903 Geessina’s father-in-law, Jacobus remarried at Zaandam and started a new family in the Netherlands.

1920 – Immigration:  Geessina (ZWEEP) FLINT left the Netherlands from Rotterdam and arrived at Ellis Island, New York, New York with her six youngest children on 7 Sept 1920.  Her husband and oldest son were already in the USA.  According to a note that son John wrote in the passport, they were on the ‘Holland America Line, S.S. New Amsterdam [Nieuw Amsterdam]’ and they stayed in the ‘third cabin’, but he didn’t state at what level of the ship.

A story that survives from the move to the USA is that Geessina was nursing Anne, the youngest child.  There was a woman on the ship that was so sea sick she could not nurse.  It was said she had twins but the records don’t show twins.  Geesina ended up nursing the other child/twins for the journey.  I do think the story was to mean that between Anna and the other child, it was like nursing twins. The passport has been uploaded to ancestry.com.  Check ZWEEP and FLINT.  Non-blank pages are also shown below.

1924: Son Jacobus lists his mom as 'Jennie' on his marriage application in 1924.  This is most likely the Dutch pronunciation as the person taking the information understood it as 'Jake' had a very strong Dutch accent.

1926: Geessina lost both of her parents in death this year.

On 5 Jan 1926 Geessina’s mother, Uuntje BIJL died at Oude Pekela.  Geessina was really upset per a letter that she wrote that does survive in Holland with the descendants of one of her sisters.

On 19 Nov 1926 Geessina’s father Jan ZWEEP died at Oude Pekela.

1930 – Census: With names listed as shown on the 1930 census.   The 15th US Federal Census, all information was to reflect the status of each question as of Apr 1.  The family was questioned on April 26.  Augustinus Franciscus is now known as Frank.

The Frank FLINT (Augustinus Franciscus FLINT) family is found in East Detroit, Erin Township, Macomb Co. Michigan at 25 Melrose.  Found within the home are six family members and one lodger.  Stated is that all family members were born in Holland and all spoke Dutch before coming to the United States.  The home is rented for $25 a month.  The family does have a radio.  Stated is all family members came to the US in 1920 and all are aliens [not naturalized].

Frank, the head of household, is age 48.  Stated is he was age 20 at his first [their] marriage.  He can read, write and speak English.  Frank is working as a fireman for the city fire department.

Anna [Geezina], his wife, is older than he being age 53.  She is not working.  Stated is she can read, write and speak English.

Frank, their son, is age 18 and working as a messenger for Western Union.

Benjamin, their son, is age 16.

Mary [Marie], their daughter, is age 14.

Anna, their daughter, is age 10.

The boarder is George KLINE age 40.  Stated is he and his parents were all born in Ohio.  He is working as a laborer in an auto factory.

1931 – Death:  Geessina, age 55y 3m 13d, died on 25 Sep 1931 at Detroit, Wayne Co., Michigan.  Her name is currently [2014] transcribed at familysearch.org as ‘Gegiena Flint’.

Burial:  Burial was at FORESTLAWN in at Van Dyke in Detroit, Michigan.  The funeral director card that survived says ‘Funeral Director: A.W. Petipren Co.   12701 Gratiot Ave at Waltham   Detroit, Michigan; PH: Arlington 1166; R.F. POTREKUS assistant’.

Geessina and her husband Augustinus Franciscus FLINT are not buried side by side.  I was told there is no headstone for Geessina, maybe both.  She is in a paupers grave and there is more information to yet get from Michigan archives concerning her death/burial.  The burial locations are: Geessina (ZWEEP) FLINT  Lot No. 589  Sec 32, death Sept 25, 1931 and Augustinus Franciscus FLINT Lot No. 595, Sec 36, death June 15, 1937, per information Jake, son to Geessina & Augustinus, wrote down.  

Notes per others:

2001 June 9 by Ruth FLINT, wife to Ben:  Ben [FLINT, son to Geezina] says he can’t exactly remember, but the color of the hair [his mom, Geezina] was not red, more a light brown.  I [wife, Ruth] asked him if he ever saw his mother wearing beads like she is doing in the [25th wedding anniversary] photo and he said ‘Yes’.  

Told by Marie FLINT, daughter to Geessina:  When my mom was sick her skin was real dark.  They would ride the bus and he would get off ahead of her and walk ahead of her as he was ashamed to be seen with her.  It was said that she had cirrhosis of the liver per the 1932 diagnosis.

Mentioned in conversation with Ruth FLINT:  When Geessina was ill, not long before her death, son Ben came home and she called from the bedroom saying ‘Is that you Ben’.  He said ‘Yes mother it is me’ and she said ‘Lock the door’.  I was never able to clarify if the conversation was in English.

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PHOTOGRAPHS: More to be added below.

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Passport for Geezina (ZWEEP) FLINT and the six youngest children.  Pages 10 thru 23 are blank and not shown below.

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Enlargement of TWO  photos taken for the 1920 passport.  One was used.  It appears in the one not used that the tallest son, John, is sitting down on the far right in the other.  The clothes are different also.  Of the one used on the passport a view is shown WITH names.

Following is the 1926, the 25th wedding anniversary photo.  Nick holds the 'color' negative I made this from.  It is unknown who has the original photo.

1922: Geessina with daughters, Marie and Anne.