Meeting Minutes (04/24/2004)

The Bentheimers International Society held a meeting in the Hazel Hayes Auditorium in the Herrick District Library, 372 S. River Ave., Holland, MI on Saturday, April 24 at 2 PM. The following are the minutes of the meeting:

Loren Lemmen, a member of the board of directors welcomed the audience. Loren introduced secretary Mary Drenten who read the minutes of the meeting held on Jan. 31, 2004. Loren then introduced Brian Kollen, treasurer, who gave the treasurer's report that the society had an income of $4,053.44 from donations and dues; expenditures of $2, 673.75; leaving a sub total of $1,379.69. There was income of 120 Euros from Germany members bringing our balance to $1,499.69. Brian gave the membership report. We now have 80 memberships; 60 in Michigan, 7 in other states, 2 in Canada and 11 in Germany. Don Johnson, newsletter editor, introduced the first portion of the afternoon program, Bernie and Dina Klompmaker. The Klompmakers spoke of their early life in Germany, their struggle with the decision to leave their homeland and their one week trip by ship to join relatives in the Holland Michigan area in 1954, ten days after their wedding. Bernie and Dina also displayed pictures of their family home in Germany and the ship that brought them to America. For the text of their presentation see below. Loren then introduced the name tag activity. Members of the audience added their Bentheim ancestor surnames to their name tags and mingled to find others with connections to their family. Loren introduced Don Johnson who then spoke briefly about how to begin your genealogy research. He suggested the use of the library genealogy department. Materials available are obituaries, cemetery records, ship lists, newspapers on microfilm and church records. Other resources that are available are county clerk records, register of deed records and the internet. Use of the four generation chart is also a good way to begin. Harvey Pastunink, vice president, lead an information and question time. He mentioned the upcoming picnic in August. There was a question regarding members sharing of information about families that is already completed so that members would not need to travel the same ground that others have already covered. There was a question about how far records go back in Germany. Church records go back to 1700 and tax records even further. At the close of the meeting there was distribution of the newsletter, sign up for the picnic in August and receiving of new memberships, 12 of which were received. Submitted by Mary Drenten, Secretary April 27, 2004

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