Hendrikvan Hanegem

NOTE: Henry evidently changed his name shortly after his marriage to VanHeneghan or some variation thereof. No family member whom I interviewed ever knew him as Henehan, but that is what shows on his marriage record (ref. rocord #28). Variations of the spelling of VanHaneghan pop up through the years. The spelling shown in this database is taken from Barbara's Social Security record.

Feb. 3, 2003 Note:

While communicating via Email with Agatha Vasseur of Holland about my first cousin, Howard I. Fisher and his Dutch ancestors named Vasseur, I asked Agatha how the name Van Heneghan could possibly be mistaken for Henehan, as I found it on the marriage record. Here is her response (message of Jan. 30, 2003).

"I do have a clue how Van Haneghem or Van Hanegem became Henehen.
My guess is that "Van" in America could be considered to be a second first name.
Haneghem must have sounded in the American ears like Henehan when it was spoken in one of the several Dutch dialects. By the way: Here we have a very famous
now retired football player, later coach, called Willem van Hanegem.

The second 'h' in the name Haneghem was there sometimes because of the spelling rules that are oldfashioned now.
(Later):
Oke Bob, I have been checking a few things and found some valuable information for you.
Now Henry Henehan, age 23 years in 1906 is very likely to be
Hendrik van Hanegem, son of Hendrik van Hanegem and Louise Koole (remark: I can see how Koole in writing could be read as Roob too)
This son Hendrik is as far as I can see the only child of this couple.
He was born on 6 Nov 1883 in Cadzand.
He emigrated, 18 years old, from the port of Rotterdam, arriving on 4 Nov 1901 in New York.
His first destination was Uncle Fokke in Rochester NY. This Uncle Fokke, in Dutch named Focke, must be the one that emigrated with his family around 2 March 1897. Uncle Fokke was married to Sara van Hanegem, probably a sister of his father. Haven't looked into that.
The parents of Hendrik, or Henry, emigrated to America too, arriving on 23 March 1902. The funny thing is that on this very same ship were our greatgreatgrandmother, her youngest son Anthony (26 years), as well as her youngest daughter Sara's
family".

Henry died early in life; Helen Isselhard can't recall details about him, but in January of 1996, Rosemary Romeis Strohmeyer gave Mary Ann Abella some documents that were in her father's possession when he died. Among the documents was the following:
An envelope dated April 27, 1935 and postmarked Rochester, sent to Mary Romeis, Richardson Dug. (Probably Dugway. That road now runs from Landing Rd. South of Blossom down thru Ellison Park), Penfield NY. On the back side of the envelope is the notation: if not return to 611 Portland Ave. Rochester NY.
Inside the envelope was the following handwritten note on a small scrap of paper and over the text of the note was drawn a small cross:

Well ma we hate to do this but I guess we will have to my mother wants her share of what Pa left behind your giving it to some and not to the orthers [sic] Why not give my mother her share With out trouble [turnover]

(Oppposite side of paper):

I was to see a lawyer allready (sic) and all I have to do take mother up there to sign the papers and he will go ahead with the case I will give you till Wensday (sic) to come over and squar (sic) up thursday will be to (sic) late an (Anna Romeis Helfer?) and Lena swore false
Henry Van Haneghan

The 'Pa' being referred to is most likely Jacob 'Pa' Romeis, who died in December, 1929. The Mary Romeis to whom the note is addressed is most likely 'Ma' Romeis, since her daughter Mary would have been Mary Isselhard during that period of time. But who wrote the letter? Henry and Barbara had a son Henry, for whom a date of birth is unknown (at this time). But the letter is more likely to have been written by Barbara's husband, Henry, even though he uses the term 'mother' rather than 'wife'. What is also most interesting and points to the father as the author rather than the son is his use of the cross over the beginning of the text. In Germany (and probably the Netherlands, where Henry was born) a cross is used to designate a person's death, so Henry probably used that symbol as a further means of intimidating his mother-in-law, Ma Romeis.
(Above documents stored in Schwager, Anna Maria folder)

On 6/13/96, I visited John Van Haneghan, the adopted son of Henry and Barbara Romeis. He had an old bilble, printed in the Dutch language and dated around 1785. The bible had the notation written in i
t: Hendrik Van Henehan, Geboren ___ 30th Juli 1858, Died 1924? (Not sure of date). This person would probably have been Henry's father (RFW).


Event:OccupationTeamster

Event:Burial08 May 1957Irondequoit Cemetery

Occupation: Teamster

-- GEDCOM (INDI) --1 ALIA VanHeneghan

-- GEDCOM (FAM) --1 CHIL @I00498@2 _FREL Natural2 _MREL Natural1 CHIL @I00499@2 _FREL Natural2 _MREL Natural1 CHIL @I00500@2 _FREL Natural2 _MREL Natural1 CHIL @I00501@2 _FREL Natural2 _MREL Natural1 CHIL @I00503@2 _FREL Natural2 _MREL Natural