My ancestor, Gerrit Hendrik VENNINK, grandson of Jan Jansen VENNINK of Diepenveen, Overijssel Province, Netherlands, entered the Dutch army and served six years (1836-1842) during the war between the Netherlands and Belgium.

He immigrated to America from Rotterdam on Oct 13, 1846 on the ship Isabela. On board were 126 passengers, many from Drenthe, Gelderland, Overijssel, Utrecht, and Fuerland in Holland.

He also went to Michigan, where he worked as head gardener on the grounds of the Michigan governor's mansion in Kalamazoo.

Gerrit was later a baker (perhaps being a baker ran in the VENNINK family?) in Company I, 11th Regiment, Iowa Infantry volunteers, and was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh on Apr 6, 1862 in the American Civil War.