Tuesday 31 March 2009

I know I know and I feel awful about it!

Yes, it has been a long time ago since I posted on this blog.
Not that I lost my interest in the Plekker families! I am still looking for Plekkers and their history.

I also met quite a few 'new' Plekker's via Facebook and my new set up pedigree on Genealogie OnLine

The Plekker's are not only a large family but also very close.
I notice that over an over again meeting new descendants or reading messages sent from one family member to another on Geni.

I am more than happy to mention that we also found Australian Plekker's.
The tree keeps growing and growing.

Last but not least, do not forget to visit te Plekker website of Greet Plekker. New info is ever so welcome there!

Tuesday 21 August 2007

“Plekker Descendants” goes Facebook

No need to explain “Plekker descendants”, the Blog speaks for itself.
But I would like to explain Facebook.

Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you:
* upload photos or publish notes
* get the latest news from your friends
* post videos on your profile
tag your friends
* use privacy settings to control who sees your info • join a network to see people who live, study, or work around you.

I joined Facebook a while ago after an invitation of an old friends I hadn’t heard of for some while. I am always a bit worried when I receive invitations like that because there is a lot of SPAM going round. But not with Facebook which I knew from chats with my colleagues at Skype. This and happy to be in touch with an old friend again, made me decide to log on to Facebook creating a profile.

Once started, I found many other friends and colleagues and are still reuniting.
During a search I found quite a few Plekker’s, amongst them Brian who’s website is listed here on the Blog.

Maybe not every Plekker in Facebook is aware of the Blog and maybe not every Blog visiting Plekker is aware of Facebook.
Therefore I started a “Plekker Group” in which you can join after you signed up. Of course I can also send you an invitation. In this case, please send me your e-mail address and I will take care of the rest.

It will be great to see you in Facebook!!

Monday 20 August 2007

Long time no "see".....

It shocked me to see I have been “away” from this blog for so long!
April was my last message and now it is September. Time flies…

So much happened over the past months. Most important for me was my new job.
Besides running my own business Varras Consultancy I also work full time for Skype as Head of Communities and Forum Operations. A wonderful job which involves getting used to a whole new way of thinking and working. Plus travelling to Skype’s offices in London, Tallinn and Prague.

I visited beautiful Tallinn and London several times since May and my next visit (September) will be Prague.
So, lots of flying around, meeting people, learning and talking. I enjoy every minute of my job and life but it left me not much private time to catch up on here.

But other descendants did not sit still.
Greet Plekker updated the Plekker site with loads of new information. Her energy is admirable and fantastic!
I received an e-mil from Clifton Orlebeke (thank you so much Clifton!), son of Mien Plekker and Joe Orlebeke. I will post a follow up in a few weeks time.

Many people have been working hard on the Geni site. Relatives in the USA added an enormous amount of pictures and photo’s (Jane, you are the best!!) and my brother Herman added info + pictures from the family tree from our Dad’s side (not a Plekker but who knows we have ancestors in common!). Also a picture of Mum’s side is added.

The Geni Family Tree Flu is spreading!! If you want to know how to access it, please contact me per e-mail (i.roelfsema@chello.nl) and I will invite you to join the tree. Please explain who you are as you will understand that non family members / relatives don’t get access to protect the details on the site.

I also received new photo’s which I MUST add to the albums as soon as possible. It feels like I have neglected everyone but this is not the case. Just trying to put 48 hours into 24.

Hope to catch up with you very soon again. Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog by clicking the RSS feed button (little orange square with the white stripes) or clicking the e-mail link below the blogpost.

Monday 2 April 2007

Plekker trip to South Africa and Family Tree updates

Business wise it has been a hectic week and although my good will, I did not manage to ad an awful lot of information to the Geni Family Tree.

But Jane Douros (<- Nieboer <- Plekker) worked hard to add her family members. Her info is very valuable to the Tree. Thank you Jane!! If any of the other Plekker’s would like to add info to the Tree, please contact me to log on to Geni.Also the promised pictures are not yet up, some I couldn’t open so I hope Robert Plekker will send me new ones. I received an email from Greet Plekker who added a lot of information to her Plekker Tree and who finished the beautiful album of their visit to the Plekker’s in South Africa in 2006.

She writes:
In Hermanus we met Aunt Mieke Plekker (89, daughter of Willem) and in Kaapstad and paarl, Hannes Plekker and his family.
In Bloemfontein we stayed with Pierre, Sandra and their 3 children and also met Roedi and Hanneke.
With Pierre we travelled to Eliot and visited various sites such as the family cemetery near The Home and the cemetery in Eliot where Daniel Plekker (born in 1880 in Zaandam) is buried. Like his children en even grand children.

We still talk about this holiday and all meetings daily. We hope that you too enjoy sharing your bit of this trip.Aare there still additions to the Family Tree, please
contact me.

Astrid, daughter of Greet and Luuk Plekker, commented to my previous blog post. I love her idea of all of us meeting in a virtual threedimensional world. And I will be more then happy to help those who don’t use Skype to communicate, to set Skype up.

Sunday 25 March 2007

Family Tree + request to all relatives

Today I started my family tree and went back to Dirk Thijsz. Plecker who married Marietje Pieters in 1706.
I could never have done this without the help of the already existent family tree by Greet Plekker-van Sante.

Finding relatives is not an addiction though very close. So I created an account with Geni and went along.
There is still so many info to add to this tree which I will copy form Greet.
I also need your help with facts and dates. Please contact me by e-mail (see link at the bottom of this post).

In the coming weeks I will update the tree at least 2 -3 times per week and will post the update on this blog.
Please subscribe to keep informed.

I am very much looking forward to your help!

What a wonderful Sunday

This morning I found e-mails from Robert Plekker in my mail box, attached foto’s of John, William and Johannes Plekker including their children. I will put the pictures up as soon as possible.
Here is a copy of part of the e-mail of Robert:

William was the father of Elaine and Lorraine Plekker and married to Matilda Also was the oldest

John (born in 1902) was the father of Robert, Barbara (Nieboer) and Ronald and married to Selma M Groeneveld daughter of Louis Groeneveld

Johannes was the father of Lee and Judy and married to Charlotte

The father of the three Plekker bothers shown here was John Plekker Sr. whose picture is already on the site.

I would like to know a little more about where we came from and where we are today regarding our faith in Jesus Christ, if that is possible. I guess I could wait also since we’ll find out later for sure. J

Robert John Plekker


And half an hour ago Jane Douros, grand daughter of John Plekker, commented to the first blog post. She loves to get in touch with the relatives of her grandfather.

I am delighted and hope to hear from many more relatives, no matter in which degree. After all we all share the same anchestors!

Monday 12 March 2007

Reply to my e-mail

Over the past few weeks I have been browsing the Internet for names and e-mail addresses connected to Plekkers in every way. I think I found appr. 90 names and addresses and sent as many mails. Nothing indicates that these addresses are still valid but like we say in Holland “Nooit geschoten is altijd mis” or “If you don’t shoot, you will always miss”.

From Greet I received the message that a Jackie Plekker visited my blog due to my e-mail message and she contacted Astrid Plekker.
The e-mail served it's purpose because my goal with this blog is to organize a (virtual) reunion, sharing pictures and memories.

To my delight the Orlebeke family has been replying. As well as the Dutch as the USA tribe.
Ko Orlebeke in the Netherlands, nephew to Joe, phoned me via Skype and we had a nice chat. He sent me pictures and promised more send by other addresses.

This morning I received a very nice and warm reply from Timothy Orlebeke from the US.
He confirmed being the son of Clifton Orlebeke and mentioned he forwarded my e-mail to his father who will get in touch with me. It is with Clifton’s permission that Timothy replied to me.

I visited my mother this morning and told her that her Orlebeke cousins are still alive and that I have Clifton’s e-mail address. My mother is suffering from severe heart failure and feels fortunate that she is still here to hear about her cousins. Her smile was worth a million e-mails.

She still remembers her uncle Joe and Aunt Mien from their visit to Holland in 1964, not long before my grand mother Klasina passed away due to Cancer. I met them too but can’t remember them anymore unfortunately.
Mum says there has to be a picture of me sitting in between Joe and Mien.

Yet another good reason to browse every available picture book in the family. You will understand that the Albums are far from complete….