These are the descendants of Dirk and Gerredina Huisman Bultman.
There may be additional information available under the Web Page column.

HISTORY:

Dirk was born April 3, 1865, in Oldebroek, Netherlands, the eldest son of Jan Bultman and Jannigje Knul. When he was older he worked for a time at a brick factory in Germany. Later he lived in Hattem where he had a grocery store, and he delivered groceries with a wheelbarrow.

Dirk married Gerredina Huisman, daughter of Lieffert Huisman and Elizabeth Schakelaar, on August 17, 1893, in Hattem. They had three children, Jan (John), Elizabeth (Lizzy) and Lieffert Johannes (Louis). DirkØs wife, Gerredina, died around 1904, apparently from a bout of pneumonia. It is said that Dirk was interested in marrying a sister of his wife, but the family was not in agreement, so he remained a widower until his death.

Some time in 1910, Dirk set out with his three children from Holland to Liverpool, England, where they boarded the Lusitania bound for America. They arrived in America at Ellis Island on May 13, 1910.

For a time Dirk and his children settled in Patterson, New Jersey, where he worked in a silk factory. He then packed up his family and moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin (date unknown). In Kenosha he worked for Simmons mattress factory for a number of years.

Dirk was then enticed by a slick realtor, as well as being encouraged by the local pastor who was interested in building a church in the Ringle/Birnamwood, Wisconsin area, to look at farms during the winter while there was snow on the ground, and to buy a farm in that area. Dirk purchased a farm, and the move to north central Wisconsin took place about 1915. Son Louis was sent at age 15 to the lumbering area, where he skidded logs all winter with a team of horses. When the spring came they discovered not all the tall snow structures had been drifts, but some were large boulders. So began a life-long struggle between man and boulders as well as the work of building a house and barn, drilling a well, putting in crops, and milking cows.

Apparently things went fairly well for a number of years, but then the great drought and depression hit. The debt was too great for Dirk, and his son Louis, by this time married to Hattie Fraaza, took over the farm and the debt and struggled until 1955 when he left the farm and started working in sales. When Louis took over the farm Dirk moved in with his daughter Elizabeth Suwyn and her family and stayed with them until his death.

In 1944 daughter Elizabeth SuwynØs family along with Dirk, son LouisØ family and DirkØs brother Gerrit Bultman, Sr.Øs family packed up and moved to sunny California, where they lived until April of 1947 when they moved back to north central Wisconsin (who knows why). Apparently they just couldnØt stand the pleasant southern California weather and enjoyed digging out boulders, hauling cow manure and milking in weather that varied from three months of summer to 40 degree below zero winters. WeØll never know why, but then the Bultman gang was a little different! During the stay in California Dirk apparently worked somewhere and did get some Social Security.

During the time Louis farmed in Birnamwood, Wisconsin he picked up his father Dirk from his sister LizzyØs house and returned him there five days a week so Dirk would have something to occupy his time. Dirk was mechanically inclined and helped by building by hand some of the machinery they used to work the farm.

After Louis quit farming in 1955, Dirk had little to do. On December 25, 1959, at the age of 94, he passed away after his Christmas dinner.

We're glad you came to visit and if you have any questions, feel free to email Richard Bultman. Our sincere thanks to Dirk's grandson John Bultman and Dirk's great granddaughter Deborah Bultman for their help in our project and writing this history.

For a full view picture of Dirk Bultman and his children CLICK HERE. Warning, the file size is about 150k and may take a little time to load.

Jenny Frazza
Born: Unknown
Married: Unknown
Died: Unknown

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Children are:
Gertrude, John, Dorothy.
John's children are:
Leon, Barry, Sheldon, Deborah

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All Rights Reserved Worldwide - ©2002 SCVWEB and Bultman/McFarland families - Photos may not be reproduced
without permission.All information contained on this site is proprietary to the families involved in this site
and may not be used without permission.To add, clarify or help in this project, please email Richard Bultman