This section is a gateway to the captivating lives of our ancestors. Here, you’ll find intriguing stories, historical details, and personal accounts that add depth to our family history.
Born on October 2, 1870, in Terneuzen, as the youngest of 15 children, Jan Reinier Hendrik de Smidt‘s early life was marked by fragility—he weighed only three pounds at birth and was kept warm near a bakery oven in a breadbasket. Despite this delicate start, he grew into a towering man of nearly two meters and became a larger-than-life figure in many ways.
Jozinus Maria van Arenthals was born on April 20, 1889, in Hengstdijk, the son of Machiel Willem van Arenthals and Janna Vis. His career as a teacher had just begun when his life was cut short at the age of 20. He passed away in Zierikzee on May 10, 1909, likely not long after completing his training.
This ancestral record provides a detailed lineage of Peter Wilhelm Fritz von Grandidier, born on July 10, 1908, in Libau. The document traces his ancestry through prominent families of the Kurländische Ritterschaft, documenting generations of noble heritage rooted in the Baltic region.