Surname Saturday - 1:Huigens

Wow, has it really been that long since my last post? My research kinda got sidetracked by the holidays. In order to increase my blog-rate, I'm going to try and participate in some of the standard genealogy blogging themes.

One of the ways I organize my research is by surnames. I had the insight a while back that new surnames appear in an ahfentahl on the odd-numbered people, which are the females. Kind of obvious since each woman brings a new maiden name to the family tree. (This ignores the problems introduced by Swedish patronymics, but I'll deal with that when I get to it.)

So first up in my surname list is my surname: HUIGENS.

1. Kevin Joseph HUIGENS

2. Joseph Anthony HUIGENS
3. Shirley Ann OGDEN

4. Joseph Andrew HUIGENS (b. 1891 in Knox Co., NE, d. 1957 in Sheridan Co., NE)
5. Mary Julia KAIN (b. 1896 in Knox Co., NE, d. 1979 in Sheridan Co., NE)

8. John Edward HUIGENS (b. 1862 in Marshall Co., IL, d. 1949 in Knox Co., NE)
9. Mary FITZLER (b. 1866 in Marshall Co., IL, d. 1949 in Knox Co., NE)

16. And here is where it gets tricky. (b. 1827 in Holland, Netherlands, d. 1864 in Marshall Co.,IL)
17. Catherine TOEMMES (b. 1827 in Trassem, Saarburg, Trier, Prussia, d. 1899 in Morgan Co., IL)

I've written before about the difficulties surrounding my Dutch great-great-grandfather's name here. His first name was most likely "Evert" or "Everett." This was Anglicized to "Edward" and Germanized to "Eberhard." His name on the index card to his naturalization papers in the NARA's Soundex Naturalization Index (Microfilm Publication M1285) is "Evert HEUIGEN." His name on his grave marker is "Eberhard HEIGENS." This information was probably provided by his German-born wife. Edward was my great-grandfather's middle name and both he and his brother named a son Edward.

If my great-great-grandparents followed traditional naming patterns, Evert's parents' names would be "Bernard" and "Maria." Their first born daughter was named Mary Julia. This matches my great-great-grandmother, Maria (SCHMITT) TOEMMES. Their first son was named Bernard. Their second son, my great-grandfather, was named John which would match my great-great-grandmother's father, Johann TOEMMES. His second daughter, known only through a baptism record discussed here, was named Maria. They named his first daughter and second son after Katherine's parent's, so it is likely that his first son and second daughter were named after his parents. So #32 in my afentahl is most likely Bernard HUIGEN.

Future research plans for this family line include obtaining Evert's naturalization papers, land records and probate records from the court house in Lacon, Marshall Co., IL. I'm hoping to find some trace of relatives or details of where he came from other than just the imprecise "Holland." It would be great if he signed his naturalization papers legibly. Most likely, I'll just find more variations on his name.