Elise Henrietta Walvoord
Elise Henrietta Walvoord was the ninth child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Walvoord, was born on January 27, 1881 at Cedar Grove, Wisconsin near Amsterdam on Lake Michigan. This was the winter of the greatest snow storms. Roads were lost. People rode over rail fences. Snow was found in fence corners very late in the spring.
Elise attended the Amsterdam one-room country school. Later she attended the upper room in a two-room country school south of Cedar Grove.
She took organ lessons in Sheboygan and wanted to be a church organist.
She married Jacob “Jack” Blekkink of Oostburg, Wisconsin on July 10, 1902 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin at Henry Walvoord’s home on Michigan Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Street.
Wedding photo of Jack & Elise Blekkink c. 1902
Emma Blekkink (sister of Jacob) and William Walvoord (Elise’s brother) were their attendants.
Elise and Jacob lived in St. Paul, Minnesota since their marriage.
Jacob Blekkink was born September 27, 1877 in Oostburg, Wisconsin. Elise died January 6, 1957. Jack died June 23, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Elise and Jacob had three children: Marguerite, Lillian and John.
Marguerite Henrietta Blekkink, born April 29, 1903, married Willard Schmid and had three children: Sally Louise, Gretchen Matilda and Susan Elise.
Lillian Louise Blekkink, born October 10, 1906, married Stephen Osborn and had two children: Merritt Armstrong and Thomas Walvoord.
John Jacob Blekkink, born in October of 1916, married Mrs. Frances Isabella Read. They had two children.