About

Welkom! Greetings. This blog is dedicated to Dutch Family History, Roots and Identity. These subjects have been swirling around in my head for years.

Years ago, I raised questions with my father (Meine) about our family roots and quickly discovered that most of the information about these had faded from memory with the many moves my ancestors made over the centuries.

With the help of others, eventually I learnt even the exact address of my paternal ancestors in the year 1700. We (my father and I) were guided on tour by an enthusiastic local Stellingwerf history buff who took us to this exact address along with a few other locations from before 1800.

This research taught me to interpret the information, look for connections to the times in which they lived (local and regional history) and the general context.

It is my hope that I can help others bridge the Atlantic, that I can assist in the Dutch and English language divide, as well as the generational gap. So the idea for this blog was born.

Until August 2012, when The Windmill Herald, our newspaper for the Dutch in America, folded, we regularly published articles on the above named subjects. We still have copies available of the series on Dutch surnames.

My surname is Van der Heide and I am known by friends and family as Albert.