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John Baptiste VandenHouten
John Baptiste VandenHouten
John Baptiste was born on February 3, 1841 in Overijse, southeast of Brussels in the Flemish speaking area of Brabant, Belgium. He attended school in Belgium until he was 15 years old.
The Immigration
John Baptiste immigrated to the US with his parents, Guillaume “William” & Petronella (Vanderveken) VandenHouten and siblings. They left Belgium in August 1856 on a 45 day voyage landing in New York, NY. They traveled mostly by boat to Green Bay and settled south of Tonet in Kewaunee County. This is the 1876 Tonet Area Plat Map the J.B. VandenHouten farm is in Section 5.
Family Homestead
John Baptiste remained on the family farm after the other children left. When his father died in 1864, he ran the farm. The original home was destroyed by fire in 1869 two years before the Great Fire. This is the family homestead in 1897. John Baptiste owned up to 320 acres of land.
Marriage to Victorine B. Jacque
On May 15, 1865, John Baptiste married Victorine B Jacque, daughter of Remy Jacque and Marie Latour at St Amand Catholic Church in Walhain. John Baptiste held many local offices including Luxemburg Town Supervisor, Assessor, Justice of the Peace and Street Commissioner. He served as Luxemburg Grain Company Director and was appointed Pond Master and to the Board of Health. He served as Garfield School clerk for 25 years.
Children
John Baptiste and Victorine had 10 children: Mary – 1862-1868: Josephine (later Collins) – 1865-1948; Elizabeth – 1868-1880 or later; Joseph “John” – 1866-1950: Eli Joseph – 1868-1951; Eugene – 1871-1947; Frank – 1873-1951; Louis Joseph – 1878-1948; George – 1884-1961; Benjamin – 1885-1939
Family Business
John Baptiste’s brother, Franciscus, owned the store and cheese factory in Tonet. Later it was operated by John's son, Frank, and Franciscus daughter, Clementine. In 1916 the Tonet Farmers Co. leased it and it was owned by local stockholders including five of John's sons.
A Welcoming Home
John Baptiste and Victorine were caring people and opened their home to others. A male school teacher from Garfield lived with them for a period of time.
Effie Lacourt
John and Victorine took in Effie Louise Lacourt after her mother died when she was only 18 months old. Effie was born April 6, 1892 in Escanaba, Michigan. She stayed with the VandenHouten’s until the age of 14.
Henry Bertrand
When John's niece, Josephine, died at an early age, John Baptiste and Victorine took in her son, Henry Bertrand to live with them.
Henry Bertrand’s mother, Josephine
John's niece, Josephine, wife of Peter Bertrand
Daughter Josephine and her grandson Joe Collins
Josephine VandenHouten married Benjamin Joseph Collins, son of Jean Antoine and Marie Elizabeth (Vandervest) Collins on July 26, 1883. She is pictured here with her grandson.
Son Eugene and wife Odile
Eugene and Odlile (Dart) VandenHouten on June 30, 1897. Odile was the daughter of Eugene and Josephine (Hermans) Dart.
Son Frank and wife Clementine
Frank and Clementine VandenHouten married in 1897. Clementine was Frank’s first cousin and also a VandenHouten. Clementine was the daughter of Franciscus “Frank” and Stephanie (Bertrand) VandenHouten.
Son Louis and wife Desiera
Louis and Desiera (Dart) married on June 17, 1903. Desiera was the daughter of Eugene and Josephine (Hermans) Dart and sister of Odile who married Eugene.
Sister of John Baptiste
Johanna VandenHouten, wife of Julius Adams
Sister of John Baptiste
Maria Eugenia "Jennie" Vandenouten, wife of Johannes Philip Bruffaerts
At Rest
John Baptiste and Victorine are buried at St. Martin’s cemetery in Tonet next to his mother, Petronella. John Baptiste died on March 11, 1922 and Victorine died December 30, 1925.
Van's Lumber
Van's Lumber in Dyckesville is owned and operated by John's descendants.
Overijse, Belgium
St. Martinus Catholic Church. This is not the original church.
Baptismal
Ivo DeBoeck, Head of Overijse Historical Society, showing Gary VandenHouten the baptismal that John Baptiste and his parents were baptized in.
Return to Belgium
Gary visited Overijse in 2006 to celebrate the 150th year since the VandenHouten family immigrated to Wisconsin.