BRIEF BIOS
JEENE WESTERHOF (1795-
The third and youngest child of Jacob Westerhof (1749-
Jeene Westerhof died in Windesheim on January 9, 1884, at the age of 88.
Note: The above is based on birth, marriage and death records on the Internet of people who have lived in the Netherlands.
ALBERTUS (ALBERT) WESTERHOF (1822-
The fourth child of Jeene Westerhof (1795-
Albertus then married Hermanna Johanna van den Bosch on April 21, 1859. I don’t believe she was related to his first wife. While living in Holland, they had three children: Anne and Alberta born in 1859; and Julia, born in 1864.On April 14, 1865, Albertus and his family arrived in New York from Liverpool, England on board the Edinburg. It should be noted that the ship manifest listed Albertus and his family’s nationality as “German.”
Upon arriving in America, his family settled in Grand Haven, County of Ottowa, Michigan. They had six more children: Fredrick, born in 1866; Lucy, born in 1867; Jenny, born in 1870; Elmer Egbert, born in 1872; Amanda, born in 1877; and Minnie, born in 1878. On the 1870 census, Julia would have been six years old, but her name is not included. Could she have died in America?
Albert Westerhof died on July 10, 1909, in Grand Haven, Ottowa County, Michigan, at age 87.
Note: The above is based on birth, marriage and death records on the Internet of people who have lived in the Netherlands.
JACOB WESTERHOF (1816-
The oldest child of Jeene Westerhof (1795-
In 1871, Jacob and his family sailed to America from Liverpool, England, or Queenstown, Ireland, and arrived in New York on April 29, 1871, aboard the Manhattan. According to census records, some of their first names became Americanized: Hendrika, Jacob’s wife, became Henrietta, and his sons Hendrik and Petrus became Henry and Peter. Also, the last name was changed to Westerhoff, with two f’s, for an unknown reason. They settled on a farm in Bergen County, New Jersey, about six miles to the north of Paterson. In order to supplement the family income, he put his sons to work in the local mills at an early age. Jacob died on September 8, 1895, at the age of 79.
Note: The above is based on birth, marriage and death records on the Internet of people who have lived in the Netherlands.
HENDRIK (HENRY) WESTERHOFF (1860-
Henry Westerhoff was the fifth son of Jacob Westerhoff (1816-
He wed Annie Hermina Vlosbloom of Albany, New York, on April 26, 1886. The following year, on May 11, 1887, their first child, Jefferson Henry Westerhoff, known throughout his life as J. Henry, was born. Their second son, Rutger Gerard Westerhoff, was born on October 5, 1889. They then gave birth to a daughter, Henrietta Westerhoff, on August 10, 1894. All their children were born in Passaic County, New Jersey. Unfortunately, Henry’s wife Annie died unexpectedly on October 11, 1898, at the age of 34.
Henry married Elizabeth Brown of Pleasant Grove, Pennsylvania, in 1901. When the silk mill company he co-
Henry Westerhoff was active in the civic affairs of Ephrata. Elected to the board of the Farmers National Bank in May 1908, he served as director for nearly twenty-
From June 1914 until August 1914, Henry and his wife traveled to Europe. They visited Holland, where his family originated, Germany, France and England. Fortunately, he returned to America before the Great War broke out in August 1914.
Henry died on March 19, 1936, at the age of 75. Henry had been ill for two weeks with heart trouble and was bedfast nearly all that time. He sank into a coma, became weaker, and died soon after.
As one writer described his life, “Henry Westerhoff was an example of what may be accomplished by the exercise of energy and perseverance. Deprived of opportunities for education, he took advantage of the night schools and obtained, after a day of hard work, mental training that was impossible during working hours, thus showing the spirit which made him a successful man. Courteous in manner, he won friends everywhere, while he was recognized as a keen man of business, fully alive to the interests of his firm.”
Note: The above is based on birth, marriage and death records on the Internet of people who have lived in the Netherlands and the United States, Henry’s obituary, along with biographical data from books detailing the lives of successful men in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
PETRUS (PETER) WESTERHOFF (1862-
The youngest son of Jacob Westerhoff (1816-
Peter married Annie Rosenbaum, born in June 1863, and, in 1900, lived in Passaic, New Jersey. A few years later he and his family moved to Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey, and he commuted to Paterson, where his silk mill was located. Peter and his wife had five children reaching adulthood: Jacob Westerhoff, born in September 1882; Benjamin Westerhoff, born in October 1884; Henreitta Westerhoff, born in September 1889; Margaret Westerhoff, born in December 1891; and Peter D. Westerhoff, Jr., born on December 29, 1896.
Peter eventually became President of the Westerhoff Brothers silk mills and helped settle a major union strike in 1913. Peter was a member and active in the local Reformed church, and was connected with numerous business and civic enterprises in his community.
Peter Westerhoff died on August 24, 1923, after a brief illness. About three weeks prior to his death, he suffered a fall. Following the fall, complications and pneumonia developed. Heart failure ended his busy but illustrious career at age 60.
Note: The above is based on birth, marriage and death records on the Internet of people who have lived in the Netherlands and the United States, his obituary, along with biographical data from books detailing the lives of successful men.
JEFFERSON HENRY WESTERHOFF (1887-
The oldest child of Henry Westerhoff (1860-
On June 2, 1917, J. Henry registered for the draft and enlisted in the Army on July 3, 1917, serving with the 42nd Division, Company D, 151st National Guard. He served overseas and fought during the final phases of the “Great War.” J. Henry was honorably discharged from the Army on April 16, 1919.
When he returned home from the war, J. Henry, nicknamed “Sarge” by his friends, lived with his parents at 132 N. State Street in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. He continued his employment as foreman at the Ephrata silk mill. His daughter, Charlotte, now 10 years old, lived with her mother, Maude and her mother’s parents, the Marbergers, in Denver, Pennsylvania. The couple was divorced on July 2, 1921.
J. Henry married Holtie M. Stehman, as registered at the local UCC church. On July 27, 1922, J. Henry’s first wife, Maude, died at the age of 34. On January 10, 1926, J. Henry and Holtie had a son named Theodore, but by 1930, J. Henry was living alone in Ephrata, while Theodore was living with the Benjamin Baer family, a butcher, in Ephrata. J. Henry’s daughter, Charlotte, now 20 years old, still lived with the Marberger family. J. Henry continued to be a foreman at the Ephrata silk mill. I am not sure what happened to his second wife, Holtie.
In 1940, J. Henry lived at 43 Spruce Street in Ephrata with his son, Theodore, who was then 14 years old. The silk mills had close and J. Henry became unemployed. Sometime after 1940, J. Henry married Edith R. Gable of Ephrata. On October 3, 1958, Jefferson Henry Westerhoff died at the age of 71. His son Theodore, never married, and died in a fire in his home in Ephrata on February 2, 1991. His daughter, Charlotte, married and moved away from Ephrata.
The above is based on birth, marriage and death records on the Internet of people who have lived in the United States.
RUTGER GERARD WESTERHOFF (1889-
The second child born to Henry Westerhoff (1860-
Rutger married Florence May Rhoads on October 30, 1912. He moved to Denver and his family lived at 210 Main Street across from the Denver facility, where, in 1915, he was named manager of the Denver silk mill plant. Rutger and Florence had two children, Annie Hermina, born on July 31, 1913; and Rhoads Henry, born on April 28, 1917. Rutger registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, but was never called to serve. The war ended during the next year.
Upon the death of his uncle, Peter Westerhoff, in 1923, Rutger became Company Treasurer. Rutger was involved in Denver borough affairs, as the Burgess in 1926, and as a councilman. He was a member of the fire department, the Cloister Club, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Masonic Order. He and his wife were active in St. John’s Reformed Church.
Upon the death of his father, Henry, in 1936, Rutger oversaw the closing of the company business due to the decline in the demand for silk (see The Westerhoff Silk Mills). Rutger and his family continued to live in Denver into the early 1940’s, but eventually would move to Ephrata. They initially lived at 175 Church Street until the death of his wife, Florence, of breast cancer on January 20, 1944, at the age of 56. Rutger died on March 17, 1958, at the age of 68.
Note: The above is based on birth, marriage and death records on the Internet of people who have lived in the United States, along with biographical data from books detailing the lives of successful men in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
ANNIE HERMINA WESTERHOFF (1913-
A. Hermina Westerhoff, the oldest child of Rutger Gerard Westerhoff (1889-
Note: The above is based on information provided by Sunny Snyder, her youngest daughter.
RHOADS HENRY WESTERHOFF (1917-
Rhoads Henry Westerhoff, son of Rutger Gerard Westerhoff (1889-
On May 26, 1941, Bud enlisted in the Regular Army Air Corps. On December 12, 1942 he enlisted again as a Private for the duration of the war, but was discharged from the Army on September 10, 1943.
In 1944, Bud married Gloria Mary Stubbs (born on January 31, 1924). Learning that jobs were available for veterans in California, Bud, his wife and two sons, Jeffrey Lee (born January 1, 1945) and Jerry Lynn (born April 11, 1947) headed to California and settled in Burbank. Their youngest son, Joel Lane, was born in Hollywood Hospital on August 26, 1950. The family returned to Pennsylvania, living in Collegeville, then Schwenksville, where they operated a restaurant. They later moved to Ephrata, where Bud worked at the local Sears store.
After living in Ephrata, the family moved to New Holland, where Bud worked as a bookkeeper at Witmer’s Store and occasionally tended bar at the local taverns. When he was offered a position as Steward of the Gap VFW, his family moved to Gap, Pennsylvania, and lived there for about nine months. In November, 1960, the family moved to Denver, Pennsylvania.
During the mid-
Note: The above is based on information provided by Jeff Westerhoff, his oldest son.
ROSALYN FAY MARTIN (1933-
Rosalyn Fay Martin, the oldest child of Annie Hermina Westerhoff (1913-
Note: The above is based on information provided by Sunny Snyder, Rosie’s sister.
SONDRA KAY MARTIN (1943-
Sondra Kay Martin, the youngest child of Annie Hermina Westerhoff (1913-
Soon after graduation, Sunny married Phil Snyder and had one child, Angela, born on November 27, 1964. For 25 years, Sunny and her husband worked part-
They eventually relocated to South Carolina to be closer to their daughter, Angela. Until Sunny and Phil retired, they continued to sell antiques and collectibles under the name Memory Lane. In 1998, they began to use the Internet and Ebay to sell their products. In 2000, Sunny and Phil founded Peace Place Chapel at the Sumter County Flea Market. While retired and living in South Carolina, Sunny and Phil enjoy relaxing on their back porch, reminiscing about their travels to Niagara Falls, Canada, California, Oregon, the Grand Canyon, Disney World and three cruises in the Caribbean. They take pleasure in reading and listening to music, while enjoying the companionship of their three cats: Callie, Tiger, and Hanna.
Note: The above is information provided by Sunny Snyder.
JEFFREY LEE WESTERHOFF (1945-
Jeffrey Lee Westerhoff, oldest son of Rhoads Henry Westerhoff (1917-
Jeff graduated from Cocalico High School in 1962, and that summer began his six -
In the fall of 1969, Jeff began college at Drexel University in Philadelphia. He obtained a degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting in 1974. While in college, he married Donna Jean Styer on December 19, 1970. They lived in Ephrata and then Adamstown, while Jeff interned at Ernst and Ernst, Certified Public Accountants, with an office in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Jeff’s first born, Lance Michael Westerhoff, was born on July 3, 1974. Upon graduation from college, Jeff began working at Kuntz, Lesher, Siegrist, and Martini, CPA’s, in 1974. On October 29, 1977, Jeff’s second child, Amber Lee Westerhoff, was born. On August 1, 1978, Jeff became a Certified Public Accountant. In 1979, Jeff left Public Accounting to work in industry, which is where his heart was.
Between 1979 and 1987, he worked as Controller for two companies: Favorite Manufacturing, Inc., and Weaver Industries, Inc. In October 1987, he joined Boose Aluminum Foundry Co., Inc. (BAF) as the Director of Finance. He worked with BAF for 25 years, until his retirement in December 2012. While working at BAF, he became active in the Boy Scouts, serving as Scoutmaster for a local Scout troop from 1988-
In the late 1990’s, he began writing, and one of his articles was published in a national paper. He also began writing his “great American novel.” Around 2003, Jeff started reading and writing reviews for the Historical Novels Review magazine and website. Since his retirement, Jeff enjoys reading historical fiction and non-
Note: The above is based on the information provided by the memory of Jeff Westerhoff.
JERRY LYNN WESTERHOFF (1947-
Jerry Lynn Westerhoff, son of Rhoads Henry Westerhoff (1917-
The family then moved to Ephrata, Pennsylvania, then New Holland, Gap and, finally, Denver, Pennsylvania, in 1960. Jerry attended Cocalico High School, but left school in the mid 60’s to join the United States Navy. It was in the Navy and stationed in California, that Jerry met his wife, Becky. Jerry married Rebecca (Becky) Frauenholz about 1967. Jerry had three children: Terri Lynn, born on April 12, 1968, in Los Angeles; Mark Allen, born January 26, 1970; and Scott Ryan, born March 17, 1971.
While Jerry served in the Navy, his family settled in Iowa. His children attended the Lone Tree, Iowa, school system. Jerry served aboard the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and eventually reached the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He served aboard ship during the Vietnam War, traveled to Japan, Hawaii, and Diego Garcia Island, and lived in Texas, Arizona, and Virginia as a Naval recruiter. Jerry served in the Navy for 22 years, retiring in 1986.
Riding motorcycles was always his passion, and while riding his motorcycle one night in April 1990, he was in an accident. Due to complications resulting from head injuries, Jerry was hospitalized. He was eventually admitted to the Veterans Hospital system, and died on November 12, 2003, at the age of 56.
Note: The above is information provided by Jerry’s obituary and the memory of his brother, Jeff Westerhoff.
LANCE MICHAEL WESTERHOFF (1974-
Lance Michael Westerhoff, son of Jeffrey Lee Westerhoff (1945-
He entered Lebanon Valley College, entering their five-
On September 13, 2003, Lance married Erica Unger, who was born on May 2, 1976, and grew up in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania. His wife, Erica, also earned a Master’s Degree and PHD in Biology from Penn State. They made their home in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. In 2014, Lance became President of Quantum Bio. He and his wife enjoy traveling, having visited Europe several times; countries toured include Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, England and Scotland. He has also been to Brazil and traveled on business to Canada many times. Lance has traveled, as part of his job, to Las Vegas, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco and North Carolina. Lance’s hobbies include model railroading, especially collecting train cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad line. He and his wife enjoy working with tools, having built a deck and installed a new floor to their cabin. They have also built a deck and performed other wood working around their home.
Note: The above is information provided by Lance Westerhoff.
AMBER LEE WESTERHOFF (1977-
Amber Lee Westerhoff, daughter of Jeffrey Lee Westerhoff (1945-
She began college that fall at Millersville University, majoring in Psychology with a minor in French. Amber graduated in 2000. On August 12, 2000, Amber married Duane Muncy, who was employed at a local auto maintenance shop. She began working in a group home for mentally ill adults. Since 1998, Amber has worked at the local Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, which also allows her to continue “acting” in costume. In 2003, Amber acted in a local Ephrata Playhouse production of Jeckel and Hyde. Also, in 2003, she was one of several young people who acted in a locally made film titled Through Hike-
Amber runs her own business, the Autumn Moon Soap Co., which she operates out of her home and uses the Internet to help sell her products. Her primary product is natural soap. She also provides, in her home, temporary care for rescued dogs . Amber has two children: Xander, born on October 11, 2004; and Sabra, born on May 10, 2007. The family owns a Rottweiler and several cats. She enjoys reading, listening to music, and occasionally sings with her husband’s band when he performs locally.
Note: The above is information provided by Amber Muncy.