Gerrit Schaap, his wife and two sons arrived in America in 1880. The Grand Rapids, Michigan, City Directory of 1883 & 1884 lists Gerrit Schaap as a car repairer on the Grand Rapids Interurban Railroad. They lived at 4395 Jefferson Street. Before 1891 they moved to a farm in Lamont, MI. Fourteen years later they left for Overisel where Gerrit became a McNess salesman.

An August 1979 letter from III. H.b. Trudy Ellis writes: "When I was twelve or thirteen Great Uncle Gerrit visited us at our house in Chicago. He was nearly eighty at the time but in top shape. One day he said he'd race me to the corner (of our block). We made a bet. He beat!! He was super. As events developed, my sis, Esther, and I drove home with him to Overisel in Michigan where I bacame homesick (Idiot!).

I recall going to church with Uncle Gerrit, a tiny white church (Chr. Ref.) hardly more than a stone's throw from his house. Everybody in the village said "Hi" whether they knew you or not. Along the way a city block or two was a heretical church (Reformed) where a relative of Uncle Gerit's attended (Aunt Gertie?). Uncle Gerrit said we were not to darken it's doors. We didn't.

We loved it at Aunt "Gerties" though. There was a barn, animals, bees, and friendly, happy people. I cannot remember "Gerties"' husband's name, but I loved him. Their three daughters were wonderful kids. The older girls were saving their berry-picking money for college. The little girl was a plucky little thing and both Esther and I enjoyed her company and farm knowledge. Some days when I am hungry I can still taste "

Also I remember taking a bath at Uncle Gerrits. He had a folding bathtub of sorts which had to be kettle-poured. This of course, was a Saturday night ritual.

Uncle Gerrit was composed mostly of humor, as I recall. One story he loved was that he was from a family of four and a half-dozen chldren: four + six. (How well I know that story)

This letter Jan 23 1983 from June Pomp Mack, granddaughter of Gerrit, one of the berry-picking girls. Excerpts are as follows:
"Grandpa had cars before any of his neighbors, but he never really learned to drive, he was a terrible driver and used to scare me stiff, even when I was younger and braver than I am now. He'd park in our back yard and when he left he'd floor the accelerator and roar out leaving behind two long black strips where the grass had been. He'd zip around in traffic as if he were the only car on the road. Grandpa had an Overland, Whippet and a Star, a Reo? Probably a few more that I've forgotten. I rode to Grand Rapids with him in the Star, a little coupe, and he had five dozen eggs for Aunt Anna (Anna Molhoek III. C. 5.) in the trunk. At that time the road went through Wyoming Park to Burton Street and crossed a lot of railroad tracks. Grandpa never slowed down for anything, so went bouncing across all those tracks. When we got to Aunt Anna's there were 29 unbroken eggs left."

He was a wonderful gardener, and he really understood plants. He grew beautiful heavy clusters of grapes, Concords, Niagaras, Delawares, Catawbas, made his own wine. I think his family had done so in the old country also.  (continued on page 16)

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