The Cyrille DeValkeneer Family

 Meet Cyrille De Valkeneer and his family (at least those living at this time).

 

Cyrille was born 3 Aug 1856 in Sint-Maria-Lierde, Belgium. He was the son of Pieter Francies DeValkeneer and Joanna Catherina Casteleyn. On 8 Sep 1881 in Antwerp, Belgium, he married Maria Francisca Heiremans. She was born 10 Jul 1858 in Langdorp, Belgium, and was the daughter of Josephus Heiremans and Maria Josepha Parioux.

Together they had 11 children. Joseph DeValkeneer, (5 Jan 1880-8 Mar 1966), Maria Josepha DeValkeneer (8 Jan 1882-???), Louis Andre DeValkeneer (16 Sep 1883-8 Mar 1971), Cecilia Marie DeValkeneer (5 Feb 1886-27 Feb 1971), Maria Celestina DeValkeneer (20 Dec 1887-???), Maria Louise DeValkeneer (29 Mar 1890-1 Sep 1974), Victor DeValkeneer (12 Aug 1892-6 Feb 1975), Camille Peter DeValkeneer (7 Oct 1895-15 Jan 1962), Vital DeValkeneer (25 Dec 1897-16 Mar 1965), Jeanne Helene DeValkeneer (9 Dec 1899-24 Apr 1900), Alfred Joseph DeValkeneer (16 Dec 1902-29 Dec 1979).

Cyrille was a shoemaker. He and Frances lived in Antwerp until around 1896, then moved to the Charleroi, Belgium area. In 1911 and 1912 the family made their way from Belgium to Pennsylvania, USA. By then Cecilia and Celestina had married. Cecilia and her husband immigrated in 1914 to America, but Celestina and her husband stayed in Belgium (hence the photograph of her in the family photo). Two other daughters, Jeanne Helene and Maria Josepha, had died in Belgium. In Pennsylvania, the family was mostly farmers and miners.

Maria Francisca Heiremans (more commonly known in America as Frances Hermans) died 30 Sep 1934, and Cyrille DeValkeneer died 25 Dec 1941 in the home of his daughter Louise (kind of a bummer Christmas for them I think).

 

 

 

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Proof:

In researching the family, I have found birth certificates for each person listed here in the Belgian Archives, also found on FamilySearch. I have the marriage record for Cyrille and Maria Francisca, and several of the children (in America). There are passenger lists for the family's crossing to America (May 1911 Mauretania, and Apr 1912 Carmania), and Cyrille's naturalization application (Feb 1920). I also have 2 obituaries for Cyrille that list his surviving family.