Akke (ALTHUSIUS) NIJDAM

In their later years, Akke and Sietze lived in a small house in Andijk close to the Calvinist church. They were being supported by Uilke and Ietje, which was customary in cases such as theirs where they didn't have any resources themselves. Sietze worked for his son-in-law Uilke DIJKSTRA on the farm. Sietze and Akke moved sometime after 1928 to Andyk. First they stayed for a time with their daughter Pietje (Tante Piet) in Woudsend, Friesland, later moving to Andijk. Before moving into the small house, they stayed with Uilke and Ietje in the "green room" of their house. They often joined the family on special occasions and their grandson remembers many fun times with them.

Before marrying Sietze, Akke had a child out of wedlock named Jikke (pronounced "YICK-eh"), who d. at age 32 of a mouth infection.

Akke had an older sister named Kee (pronounced "Kaye") and possibly another sister (who went to Chicago area, check w/kids of Tante Piet [ATSMA]; Willem, Arte/Chum [m/f mar.]). Kee emigrated to California c1900, working for a widower (named KRAMER?) taking care of his 6 children. She later married him and they had 3 more children (all daughters). Of the daughters, Dorothy? m. a German man named BERGEN (? or BULTMANN, BULTHAUS), Agnes m. a Dutchman, the 3rd dau m. an American named WESTSTRACH (meaning 'west street'). They settled in Artesia, CA (Los Angles area).

Akke was of French Huguenot ancestry, but the exact lineage is unknown as of yet. As an interesting sidenote, Althusius of Westphalia in Germany (1557-1638) was an influential Calvinist political theorist. I found this reference in the book; The Emergence of Liberty in the Modern World by Douglas F. Kelly. Further info from Jonathan Israel's book The Dutch Republic: Johannes Althusius, political writer, was brought to Emden 1604 as secretary (i.e. mayor) by local Calvinists. He was "the pre-eminent German [Westphalian] Calvinist political writer and arch-defender of civic rights and local privileges against princely absolutism. His famous book Politics (1603) approved of 'freedom of conscience' while rejecting 'freedom of practice' for Catholics, dissenters and Jews ... [he was, like most Calvinists] eager to regulate doctrinal disputes within the public church."

Hmmm, alt link shows her dates as 1866-1964 so not quite 98yo. Also gives particular dates/places of birth/death shown above, more detailed into on Akke's parents and that Akke's occupation was 'dienstmeid' (service maid?). The pages are managed by Gesina Marijke Norma EFDE.

Source: family memories and alt link above