Chapter
2
Frederik Wilhelm Giesendanner
1853
- 1924 
My Grandfather had five sisters and only one of them was to be
older than one year. He was the first born son of Frederik
Wilhelm Giesendanner (* May 20, 1853) and Maartje Zonderland
(* August 1, 1864 in Westzaan). They married in Amsterdam on
Thursday January 22, 1885 when he was 31 and she was 20 years
old.
According to Aunt Coba (*1911):
The dowry of 1500 guilders was a custom in her family to be
given to all children that married. In this case it was used
to start a furniture store on the Prinsengracht 100 and they
could even afford a maid to do the house-keeping.
The Zonderland family were well bred, Aunt Coba remembers
them, that is to say the girls, they were always wearing
bonnets, veils and gloves and when bringing gifts,
these were ever so handsomely wrapped.
Too bad this marriage was abruptly ended when Maartje
Zonderland died in 1901, in the same year as their last
child died, a baby girl that was born in 1900
under the name Margaretha.
The first born girl Catharina (* 1885, + 1885) and third born
Frederika Wilhelmina (* 1888, + 1888) as well as fifth born
Maria (*1895, + 1896) give us the impression, they were not
very fortunate or happy.
The story runs in the family that:
Frederik Wilhelm did not have a very successful marriage, due
to his drinking problem, they had even been separated for a
while, when Maartje Zonderland took her children to live in
the Kattenburgerdwarsstraat.
Maartje Zonderland was a very beautiful young girl as we can
see in the picture that's in the possession of his oldest
grandchild Jacoba Boon, the daughter of the only female child
of Frederik Wilhelm, his fourth child Jacoba Wilhelmina
(*1886, + 1971).
Her daughter Coba (*1911) told me:
She was a upfront lady, who always reminded her father of his
wife's unhappiness and became angry when he teased
her that he was going to marry again. He never did.
Jacoba Wilhelmina had influence on things, my grandfather
could get a good piece of her mind too, when visiting his
sister. She was never too reluctant to tell him why he should
keep his work instead of being unemployed.
The picture of her daughter, Jacoba Boon with her grandfather
Wilhelm Frederik was made in 1912 on the occasion of her
mother's birthday. (see next chapter, above is same Jacoba in 1946)
Frederik Wilhelm was at that time 58 years
of age and his only grandchild, the apple of his eye, Jacoba
Boon was 18 months old. When little Jacoba was about 8 years
old an inheritance from Maartje Zonderland's family was divi-
ded amongst her living children. Both Aunt Coba and my grand-
father got 500 Dutch guilders. A very large sum for those
days, when one earned 12,50 for a weeks work and the house
rent was 2,50.
In 1923, on August 31 (?) Queen Wilhelmina had her 25 Year
Jubilee as a Ruler. At that time Frederik Wilhelm (*1853)
was in hospital and on this occasion was given a remembrance
cloth, which is now in my possession.
After my father was born in 1923, being the first grandson, he
soon took the place of Jacoba and became the favourite grand-
child of Frederik Wilhelm.
Frederik Wilhelm (*1853) died 7th July, 1924 at 11 o'clock in
the evening at the age of 71. His funeral-card , of which I
have an original, says:
Herewith we fulfil the sad duty to inform you
of the death of our beloved Father, Father in Law and Grand-
father
Frederik Wilhelm Giesendanner
Widower of MAARTJE ZONDERLAND
after a short suffering, at the age of a full 71 years
F W GIESENDANNER
J W GIESENDANNER-LOWIES
J BOON
J BOON-GIESENDANNER
and Grandchildren
AMSTERDAM, July 20, 1924
Ratelwachtsteeg 11 11
The funeral will take place Wednesday 23 of this month,
at 10.45 hours, at the burial-place "Vredenhof",
Departure house of mourning 10 o'clock.
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Subject: family 1853
----------------------------------------------------------
Frederik Wilhelm Giesendanner, born in Amsterdam
May 20, 1853, died there Jul 20, 1924, son of
Jacobus Giesendanner and Catharina van Emden.
He was married in Amsterdam Jan 22, 1885 to
Maartje Zonderland, born in Westzaan Aug 01, 1864,
died ñ Mar 1901, daughter of Cornelis Zonderland
and Teuntje Kraaier.
From this marriage:
1 Catharina Jacoba, born in Amsterdam Oct 31, 1885,
died there Nov 23, 1885.
2 Jacoba Catharina, born in Amsterdam Sep 25, 1886,
died there Feb 14, 1971.
(see picture (1946) above)
She was married in Amsterdam Jun 22, 1910 to
Jacob Boon, born in Amsterdam Mar 04, 1880,
died there Feb 15, 1956.
3 Frederika Wilhelmina, born in Amsterdam
May 07, 1888, died there Jun 24, 1888.
4 Frederik Wilhelm, born in Amsterdam
Nov 27, 1889, died there Nov 29, 1966.
He entered a notice of marriage in Amsterdam
and was married there Dec 15, 1915 to
Johanna Wilhelmina Lowies, born in Amsterdam
Apr 16, 1897, died there Dec 14, 1955,
buried in Amsterdam on Nieuwe Oosterbegraafplaats,
daughter of Johannes Jacobus Wilhelmus
Josephus Lowies and Geertrui Elfrink.
5 Maria, born in Amsterdam 1895,
died there Dec 12, 1896.
6 Margaretha, born in Amsterdam ñ Feb 1901,
died there Aug 11, 1901, buried in Amsterdam.
Chapter 3