1st row: Donald Crone, Julie Jansz, Neil Trent, Valerie Katz, Penny Jansz Harvey, Dennis Ling, Willem (Bill) CP Jansz
2nd row: Martha Jansz, Martha Jansz Kuyper, Marie Jansz Deane, Cora Jansz Hollebrands, Kevin Moorfield, Denise Moorfield, Christy Brand, Brittany, Jenny Brand, Pam Jansz, Eveline Jansz
3rd row: Lili Crone, David Crone, Diane Conely, Mary Ellen Jansz Trent, Greg Cooper, Marva Hollabrands, Steve Hollabrands, Jim Harvey, Sam Deane, Adrienne Ling. And that's not all of them! Photo circa 1988 since that was the year of Superbowl XXII.

According to all I could find on Ancestry.com, the Jansz family goes back to Pieter Jansz 1688. A trip to Holland and a search of records there could possibly turn up earlier dates and names. But recently, I started researching on WikiTree, and several members have been very helpful in finding more information as well as translating many of the postcards.

Speaking no English, Derk Anton Lourens Jansz, traveled to America and settled in Pella Iowa. The year was 1906. When he had saved enough money for passage for his wife Gerritje, and two children; Martha, age 4 and Bill, age 2, he sent for them. Not one of the three spoke English. They landed at Ellis Island and after passing all the disease tests they too were off to Pella. Soon enough there were three more children... Bert, Cora and Marie. More about this in Marie's story. An aside about Marie, her name is Helena Marie, or Marie Helena, and depending upon who you talk to Marie could also be spelled Maree. Her nickname was Re, as you will see in stories and letters. More on this... According to a recently found cousin, well, she actually found us, Marie is always spelled Marie and the nick name would be Rie. Letters to Marie From her big brother Bill, while he was in the Navy, would see him calling her Ree, so I guess you can just call her Marie. She was the last of her brothers and sisters to pass. She died December 8, 2012... she was 94.

Eventually Grandpa Jansz was known as Dick and Grandma was called Gertrude or Gertie, which is how her Dutch name is pronounced, but spelled Gerrtjie... I think. But the Jansz history started much earlier... hope you enjoy the site.

Jansz Family Tree
I'm in the process of adding all the old, and some new, photos I have into albums on the web. Once that is complete I will add links to those albums. If you want to scan photos and documents and send them to me I'll get them in the proper album.