V. P. Research Dedication
Many individuals have generously shared family records and photos throughout
these many years in the making of this "V.P." family website history and I would
like to acknowledge and thank one and all, but it would be just impossible to
name each and every one of you wonderful people.

The idea of recording as many "V.P." descendants of Claas Frederickse Van
Petten (1641-1728) was begun in 1856 and these recorded works have been
handed down over 150 plus years.  Prior to the late 1980's and early 1990's,
everything was done by hand.

Marguerite (Van Patten) Polocek (1905-1990) hard cover book, The Van Patten
Family, A Book of  Remembrance
, published in 1967, forms the backbone of all
modern research on the V.P. families.  She spent much of her adult life and time
researching "V.P." family history as a faithful member of J.C.L.D.S. Church.

Frances I. (Van Patter) Hindmarsh (living) has been instrumental in helping me
take my backroom records of 1996 and transforming them into a cohesive bundle
of data that just boggles the brain.  Her book
Van Patten: A Family History
Research Project
published in 1995, revised in 1997, and again in 2000 (Y2K
Book) is a compilation of many shared records from all over the U.S.A. and
Canada.  The people that she thanks in her
acknowledgments are added by my
appreciation to every single one of them and goes without saying, but I'll say it
anyways:
Thank You All !!! Fran's book is a 'Must Read' if you are a "V.P."
family enthusiast or just somewhat curious of your roots.  Fran has now totally
retired but her daughter, Kathy.

Dr. Frederick Morris Wood (1892-1993) and his wife, Mary Alma (May) Van
Patter
, (1903-1988), spent many years gathering data on the descendants of
Nicholas Van Patten (Van Patter) and his wife Catherina Mabie.

Linda (Van Patter) Thornton (living), organized data on the Iowa branch of the
Van Patter family, headed by Simon and his wife, Eleanor McDuffie, then
combined her work with that of Morris and May Wood in her book
Dutchmen
Don't Die
.

Frank J. Brito, (living) whose book The Brito Family - A Genealogical Works
published in 1998, gives a colorful biography of Albert Eugene Van Patten, stage
coach driver, Civil War hero, Indian fighter, and County Sheriff for Dona Ana
County, New Mexico, among other great things in his life.  Another 'Must Read'.

Darold Louis Van Petten (living), has updated the descendants of Nicholas N.
Van Petten and his wife, Eliza A. Gunnell of Michigan, previously submitted by
Jerald R. Van Petten. Thanks to both of you for your hard work.

Isaac Toll Van Patten, III, IV, V, are updating the descendents of Isaac Toll Van
Patten and his wife, Margaret Wilson Smith (the Virginia side of our family).  
Photos and history are soon to come of this union ???.

Cynthia (Brott) Biasca, author of the Decendants of Albert and Arent
Andriessen Bradt
, better known as the Bradt Book, published in 1990, kindly
gave Fran permission to quote her statistics on kinfolk common to our two
families.

Kenneth J. Frederick, has granted Fran permission to use the records from his
book
The Frederick Family, published in 1992, to gather data relating to the
descendants of Annatje (Van Petten) Severson.

Larry Hart,(deceased) Schenectady County and City Historian, had generously
furnished me with many articles included within this website.  Larry was the
author of numerous Schenectady historical books and a writer of a
Sunday/Monday article in the
Schenectady Gazette called "Tales of Old Dorp".  
His many published books on Schenectady history and people is a must read for
all V.P.'s because this is where we come from (after Holland of course).

Randy & Karen Duncan, has granted me permission to use their photos and
histoical data in the making of the
Wildwood page.  This is the fine old home in
Hot Srings, AR of Dr. Prosper and Sarah (Van Patten) Ellsworth that they
transformed into a wonderful "Bed & Breakfast".

Special thanks go to my immediate family for not having me committed to a
'rubber room' because of all the time that I spend on this project.  Especially to
my mother
Sarah J. (Van Patten) Wilson who relunctantly has helped me over
the years by gathering information that I otherwise could not have obtained.

If you would like to have your name included in these honors, just
E-Mail me
with your family line updates.  I would love to hear from you.

Jerrold W. Wilson (Astrodog58@aol.com)

Others who have kindly shared data or whose family histories have been
incorporated into these records are, in alphabetical order: Marlena Amalfitano,
OH; Viola (Wells) Bebout, TX; Robert Bearnth, CA; Larry Brooks, KS;
Constance Butterfield, IN; Norvil Brown, MI; Brian Campbell, ON; Justin
Campbell, NC; Sandra (Morgan) Campbell, NC; Patrick J. Clark, IA; Lois S.
Crauer, NY; LaVerne & Annie Davis, ON; Ron Ferry, MI; Anne Finnegan, CA;
Vivian & Martin Gage, BC; Connie Giltz, WA; Iris Grimmet, OR; Herkimer
Historical Society, NY; James & Velma Herrington, OK; Phyllis Hill, NY;
Virginia (Van Patter) Jaeger, ON; Mary Hogue Jefferson, AK; Bruce C. Johnson,
ON/MI; Vera (Van Patter) Kameda, ON; Donald A. Keefer, NY; BJ Kinzie, NY;
Annette Lampert, IL; Rita Lancefield, CA; James Larson, CA; Kathy Lorge, WI;
Sheldon E. Mann, MN; John A. Maybee, NY; James McCallum, ON; Robert
McConnell, ON; Beverly McKinnie, ID; William Merritt, NY; Wayne Messecar,
ON; Carole Morelli, CA; Robert Moore, ON; Ruth V. Pekel, MI; Alma (Van
Patter) Penhale, ON; Julie Reicheldferder, WY; Marcia Richie, MN; Julia Walker
Ritterbush, ND; Schenectady Co. Historical Society, NY; Eileen Sitterly, NY;
Jean (Van Patter) Slaght, AB; Katherine Smith, ON; Roger Paul Smith, NY;
Mildred G. Springer, NY; Patti Still, CA; Charles Case Stoodley, ON; Charles
Swatling, NY; Hallie Sweeting, NY; Beatrice (Sharpe) Tremaine, ON; Carole
(Richardson) Van Patten, NY; Dee Van Patten, CT; Emerson Van Patten, NY;
George F. Van Patten, CA; Gordon L. Van Patten, AB; Isaac Toll Van Patten,
III, IV & V - VA; Marcheta (Smith) Van Patten, WA; Norman L. Van Patten,
CA; Peg (Srewart) Van Patten, CT; Scott Van Patten, GA; D. L. Van Patter,
ON; Dr. Douglas Van Patter, PA; F. M. Van Patter, ON; Dr. H. Terry Van
Patter, ON; Clarece (Olsen) Van Petten, AB; Darold Louis Van Petten, OH;
Jerald R.Van Petten, MI; David Walz, NY; Virginia Wahlstrom, NE; Virginia
Watterson, CA; Gregory Watty, CA; Dr. John & Shirley Weihing, NE; Eleanor
C. Wicker, MS; Lloyd & Myrna Wood, ON. (I have not updated this list is so
very many years).  I always forget to go back to this page.  If I neglected to credit
anyone who provided family data, you have my sincere apologies that go with my
foremost gratitude.
Want to get in touch with me?
Corrections/Additions?
E-Mail me!
Astrodog58@aol.com