So much tragedy in one family..........

I see I've been slacking on my blog lately.  I've been working a lot and enjoying what I can of summer.  My genealogy time has been spent on the Familysearch family tree and today I switched gears to the ancestry of my mom's paternal grandmother Hilda Kraai Hugmeyer (1900-1985). 

As I think I've mentioned before Hilda's brother Willis was a grandfather of my cousin Mary who is to credit for much of the research and articles that have been found on our mutual Kraai ancestry.  This family experienced an awful amount of tragedy between the years 1893-1922.

Hilda's father Albert Kraai (1870-1940) was the son of Jacob Kraai (1843-1930) and Dewurtje Siersema (1849-1902).  It is said he spent some time at Pine Rest and after writing this I can see why. 

Photo found in the photos of Albert's youngest son Robert Kraai (1917-2006).

Back row left to right: Kate, Sena, Henry, Thomas and Albert.

Front row left to right: Grace, Jacob, Frances, Dewurtje and Mary.  The small daughter in the front is Bessie (born 1888 - the photo isn't dated but I'm guessing 1890-1892). 



On 5/20/1893 Jacob's nephew Thomas Kraai (son of his brother Frank) died after falling down an elevator shaft:

On 3/24/1902 Dewurtje committed suicide by jumping headfirst into the neighbor farmer's well: 

Holland City News 3/28/1902

On 12/30/1906 Dewurtje's uncle Sakom Dogger was struck and killed by a railroad car (photo obtained from Sakom's great grandson Al Dogger (1942-2010):

Holland City News 1/10/1907

Sakom "Simon" Dogger

On 7/30/1917 Jacob and Dewurtje's son Henry shot himself in the head (photo courtesy of grandson Hal Franken 1928-2010 - obituary from the Holland Sentinel 7/31/1917):

On 7/11/1921 Jacob's brother Liebertus "Lambert" Kraai hung himself:

Holland Sentinel 7/13/1921

A nephew of Jacob (son that Liebertus was worried about) did die in the service 4/6/1922:

Holland Sentinel 4/3/1922

In spite of all of this tragedy Jacob lived to the ripe old age of 87, passing away at his daughter Sena's home 10/11/1930 (obituary source/date missing but date written on bottom of obituary is unlikely):

Every family has some tragedy, be it murder, suicide, accident or a child's untimely death but the Kraai family seemed to suffer more than most I've researched.