Van Dam family Cemetery:
Provided to me by Sandra Anderson: sva60@yahoo.com
Overisel Township, Allegan County
located on the Gary Van Rhee farm,
in the vicinity of 147th Avenue and 42nd Street.
This cemetery was used for only a few years, specifically 1863-1875, by the Van Dam Family. It was started when there were few other options available to the early Dutch settlers. The first person to be buried there was Jan Van Dam himself, born in 1801 in Haren, Province of Groningen, Netherlands. In the next few years (in 1865, 1866 and 1869) three of his grandchildren were also buried there. And finally in 1875 his wife, Geesje Jans Meinders from Gieterveen, Province of Drenthe, Netherlands, was put to rest next to her husband.
The details of the individuals buried in this cemetery, still legible on the tombstones, and recreated in bronze in the year 1993 when a family reunion was held at this site, are as follows:
Jan Jr, son of J. and J.V. Vand Dam
Born: 15 July 1863
Died: 17 August 1865
Nickklaas, son of E. and C.B. Van Dam
Born: 6 December 1863
Died: 24 October 1866
Jan Jr, son of J. and J.V. Van Dam
Born: 19 November 1865
Died: 28 January 1869
Geesje Jans Meinders, wife of Jan Van Dam
Born: 4 May 1801 in Gieterveen, Province of Drenthe, Netherlands
Died: 7 October 1875