Page 130 - Poat_to_Poot_Engels

evaluations. The school declared that Will Poot was "greatly blessed" and a
"man of ability and consecration." He completed his theological studies
and graduated in October 1898.

Meanwhile, JW Poot's oldest child, Ann (Antonia), met a Dutch immigrant
named Lambert Noordhoff (sometimes spelled Nordhoff). They may have
met at a church organized social. Such functions were a common method
of bringing suitable young adults together. Ann's parents might have
arranged the introduction. "Moeder" Poot would have preferred her
daughter to marry someone from the North or South Holland provinces
rather than one of the Gano residents who had come from Friesland. Even
in America, most Dutch were selective about which province their mate
had come from. Among Dutch-Americans, women were in short supply.
More men migrated to America than women and there were about 130
men for every 100 women. Ann probably had a good selection of suitors.

Lambert's parents and his brother lived in the Calumet Township; a short
distance east of where the Poots lived. The Noordhoffs emigrated from
Holland in 1880 or 1881. Lambert, at age 23, was three years older than
Ann. He worked in the publishing trade as a bookbinder. Ann and
Lambert were married in Chicago on the 29 April 1897. Their first child, a
son named Henry, was born in Chicago in March 1898.

Immediately after the birth of his grandson, JW Poot moved his family 300
miles west from Chicago to the Dutch community of Pella, Iowa. At this
time, Abe, Dena, Frieda, Joe, and John were still living with their parents
and they also moved to Pella. Ann, Lambert Noordhoff, and their baby
remained in Calumet-Chicago. Will Poot now lived on his own in the big
city.

Will paid money to live in a rooming house, but the woman who managed
it spent the rents on gambling and drinking. The boarders were left with
little or nothing to eat. Will moved out and lived above a store where he
may have worked part time for his room rent. With little or no money, he
would stretch his budget by eating only the special of the week, such as
peanut butter, beans, or overripe bananas. He thus developed a strong
dislike for several foods that lasted for the rest of his life.

During this period, Will appears to have been left on his own financially.
This may have been due to the expectation that he was now old enough to
pay his own way. It is unlikely that this was the result of declining family
finances, although JW's business investments could have left the family
temporarily short of cash. The Netherlands (except many of the farmers)
enjoyed a strong economy from about 1880 until devastated by the start
of World War I in 1914. JW Poot periodically received money from the
Netherlands. This money might have been a share of family business
profits. This money enabled the Poots to live far more comfortably than a

- Chicago, College, and Marriage - page 8 -