Hello,

My Bakkum / Pauls family immigrated from Noord-Holland in the Netherlands. The name of Klaver is very prominent in my BAKKUM / PAULS / SHARKEY family.

PETER KLAVER and CATHERINE BAKKUM are listed as godparents to several of my great-grandparents' children. I don't know if Peter and Catherine were married because the Catholic Church listed a woman's surmane as her maiden name. It seems suspicious that they are always together in each of the baptismal records and I thought there was a good chance that they were married. Catherine's surname was spelled 'Bakken', 'Bakem, 'Beccum, and 'Bakum' in various records. I suppose that any surname sounding similar would be worth looking into. HENRY PAULS and MARY BAKKUM were my great-grandparents. They lived in Green Bay, WI and Marinette, WI. Mary lived with her daughter, MARIE PAULS SHARKEY, in Hermansville, MI after Henry's death and until her own death in 1942.

THEODORE KLAVER AND CORNELIS KLAVER were pallbearers for my great-grandfather, HENRY PAULS in Marinette, Wisconsin in 1932.

CEPHAS KLAVER and his wife, GERALDINE, were my father's godparents. My father, RONALD SHARKEY, was baptised in Marinette, Wisconsin in 1922. I know that he was fond of them and visited with them on his way home from India at the end of World War II.

I am hoping that someone will recognize this Klaver family and help me verify or dismiss that the connections between our families are more than just friendships and that there are family ties.

Thank you,
Karen