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Rolle Bolle
| | Alphonse
VANGAMPELAERE
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Alphonse
VANGAMPELAERE (seated) along with his friend, Prosper VANDER HEYDEN, came to
America from Belgium in 1902. This picture was taken at a portrait studio
in Belle Plaine, Iowa. |
My
grandfather, Alphonse VANGAMPELAERE,
was born October 29, 1877, to parents
John Francis VANGAMPELAERE and
Rosalia Isabella VANDER VENTTEN.
He was the
only boy born to a family
of seven children from Aeltre, Belgium.
As a young man, just 25 years old,
Alphonse journeyed to America
aboard the SS Kensington (Antwerp
to New York). He
landed in the
United States on March 1, 1902.
Alphonse used his Belgian
skills
as a landbouwer to become
an American farmer.
MIGRATION:
8067 Alphonse VanGampelaere, age 25,
from St. Laureins, farmer. Travels to
Victor, Iowa, to Ivon Verbrugge, who
is settled there as
a farmer since 15
years. Takes 200 Belgian francs with
him. Speaks Flemish.
Source: J.
Vanderhaege and others, Emigranten naar Amerika,
(Antwerpen, Vlaamse
Vereniging voor Familiekunde-Afdeling
Antwerpen v.z.w., 1992), p. 427.
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SS
KENSINGTON |
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The “Kensington”
was built by J & G Thompson Ltd., Glasgow in 1893 for the American
Line. She was a 8,669 gross ton vessel, length 480 ft. x beam 57.2ft, one
funnel, four masts, twin screw and a speed of 14 knots. There were
accommodations for 100 second and 929 third class passengers. She started
her first voyage for the Red Star Line from Philadelphia to New York and
Antwerp, and her first sailing from Antwerp to New York on September 21,
1895. |
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Click
the photo to enlarge it;
then click the back button on
the menu bar to
return to this page.
Alphonse
VANGAMPELAERE’s
first communion certificate.
This was from Belgium.
Dated April 7, 1889. |
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When
Alphonse VANGAMPELAERE was 75 years old he returned to Belgium, his
homeland, to visit. He stayed for 18 months and during that time his only
means of transportation was a bicycle.
Alphonse
VANGAMPELAERE posing with his bicycle in 1952. The day he was to leave
Belgium to return to the United States, Alphonse gave this bike to a young
boy that helped him take his trunk to the docks.
Below
are a couple of pictures of Alphonse with some of his relatives from
Belgium. We believe these people are his cousins. |
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Email questions or comments to: Dixie
Gardner |
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