Well we brought the kids golf clubs on the trip and have promised to occassionally
get them out to play but have not made the time until today. So, all five of us played a 3 par course called Fondulac Golf Course in East Peoria and had a great time. We did have to let a couple groups play through our "five-some" as we were taking our time hitting a few extra balls. Tanner and Sterling both pared one hole which was a highlight.
Before we
left Peoria I wanted to be sure to visit the Springdale Cemetery where a few Hulsebus' are buried. On this trip the boys, and Cindi and I for that matter, have been learning a tremendous amount of history. I wanted to use this opportunity to have us all learn more about our own family history. As I mentioned yesterday my dad, which my kids call "Pop" and my grandpa were both born in Peoria. What I need to also mention is that my great-grandfather Bernhard L. Hulsebus, the original "Pop" was the one who came to Peoria. Here is where the fa
mily history lesson starts. I asked my dad to help out so the current "Pop" deserves some of the credit for today's blog.
Bernhard Lubertus Hulsebus was born is Burlington, Iowa on April 22, 1876. Pop died on September 24, 1957 (buried in Springdale Cemetery). Pop's father (my great-great-grandfather) was Bernhard Hulsebus (b. 9/25/1842 in Leer, Germany and d. 3/5/1919 - interned in Springdale Cemetery - Peoria) was one of seven children of Peter Berends Hulsebus (my great-great-great grandfather b. 4/4/1814; d. 3/5/1891) and Ettje Jansen Budde - both from Leer Germany who came over in 1864 from Germany on the ship
"Hansa" a vessel driven by power and sails, and owned by North German Lloyd (NGL) - a big shipping company still in business today.
The original Pop had one brother and three sisters. He was born in Iowa but at age 14 left home and went to Peoria to find work in order to earn enough money to enroll as a student of architecture at University of Illinois. When in Peoria, he started work as a carpenter apprentice but soon was named foreman of a crew because of his carpenter skill and layout, and design work. He graduated from U of I in 1899. Pop move back to Peoria and quickly became a most highly recognized architect, designing many personal residences and large buildings (Jefferson Building). He became the most prominent architect in Peoria and the surrounding territory between 1907 and 1932. His first wife died in 1932 and later he moved to Pasadena, California where he built his home and married his second wife that family knew as "Mimi." When in Peoria in 1932, Pop was the President of Peoria Rotary Club.
Pop had 2 children, my grandpa (Everett Bernard Hulsebus, b. 6/23/1909; d. 11/18/1993 and "Dady" - Gretchen Ruth Hulsebus Iben, b. 10/3/1900). Grandpa graduated with a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from the University of Illinois and then went on to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his Masters. Because of the depression, he had to return home to Peoria just before graduation. Grandpa married Martha Marie Price on May 6, 1933. They were also prominent Peoria citizens. Grandpa was department head of Peoria Federal Savings and Loan, President of the local chapter of the Building and Loan Association and also president of the Peoria Kiwanis Club. Martha graduated with a degree in Journalism from Bradley in 1931 and was society editor of the Peoria Star newspaper. Grandpa later became Director of Engineering and Facilities for a large department store chain (Bergner's) headquartered in Peoria. Unfortunately Martha tragically died of cancer at 34 when my dad was only 5 and my Uncle Jim was only 3. My grandpa did remarry to my current grandma (Edith Stegee Hulsebus) who we all visited in the Los Angeles area at the start of our trip.
Wow... that was a lot but there is so much more.
We then drove to St. Louis and are excited to be here for the next couple of days.
