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Chris de Zutter an US immigrant who came from the Village Aardenburg in the Flemish Region, the
Southern Province of Zeeland, in the Netherlands.
Click ship for details.
SS Finland, sailed from Antwerp to New York, arrived April 29, 1906. On this voyage Christophorus
with his parents Augustus and Ludovica de Zutter, on the way to his older brothers in Manito-IL.
Lamar Theatre.
Chris and Pearl,
Easter 1957, Manito.
(webmaster):
For our friends in Manito-IL the genealogical-tree of the DeSutter family.
I took the opportunity to dig up the past and ensure your children know their ancestors. |
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B.1.3.
Christophorus Josephus and Bessie Josephine Tackman 
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In the USA:
Christopher, or Chris for everyone.
Arrived in New York from Antwerp-Belgium on April 29, 1906, 13 years old, with his parents on the
vessel SS Finland. He could not speak English and for that reason his first petition to file for
citizenship was denied on October 13, 1914 but he got his final documentation in June 1917, half a
year after his marriage. In the same year he got a job as clerck for Louis Heckman Furniture.
Upstairs in the Heckman Building he managed a photography shop. In 1926 he got his own photography
studio on State St. in the former Otto Hilst Funeral Parlor. At that time he and Bess had his niece
Clara (B.1.2.1.) as servant. His hobby of photography was developed in to a successful
business. He served the people of Manito-IL with pictures taken by him: C.J. DeSutter, the Kodak
Finisher. Next to the photo studio he build the new DeSutter Grocery Store. In August 1931, Chris,
together with his brother in law Nelson Scherer (B.1.1.1.), put in a  new
basement to his store on State St. in order to make more storage room.
DeSutter Grocery and Supply Store was in 1937 one of
the most attractive places of business.
Bertha Scherer-DeSutter (B.1.1.1.) worked for Chris from 1936 till 1945. In
November1940
he purchased the Heckman store building. The furniture department at the front became one of
the most up-to-date super markets in Central Illinois, owned and operated by Chris. He became
president of the Village Board of Manito from 1949-1951. Because of this important job, Chris
sold the old Heckman building to his son-in-law Harold Willett, husband of his daughter Elsie
(1.)
Nephew Frank DeSutter (B.1.1.10.) purchased the building in 1959 from the Willets. |
Elsie, Chris
and Bess DeSutter, 1930.
Children born (1):
Bold printed names are family name-holders. |
For his WWI Draft Registration Card, click HERE. |
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| 1. |
Elsie
Jane |
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Bess, Elsie and Chris - 1943. |
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 Born
in Manito-IL on June 12, 1921 in the DeSutter Home. Married in Manito-IL on November 24, 1945 to
Harold R.Willett (Hal), born March 31, 1922 in Roberta-KY, son of Eugene King Willett, born
September 21, 1892, died July 20, 1967 - and Eunice Letitia Staples, born March 23, 1894 died
in Alabama in 1993. Elsie graduated from Bradley College December 1942 and became an X-ray
Technician. On age 7, Hal's parents moved to Panama, May 1929. Hal came to Peoria-IL and went to
Bradley College, now University. In December 1942 after his bull he joint the US Army Air Force.
After WW-II he returned to Bradley University and became a Mechanical Engineer in 1948. Hal owned
and managed the Lamar Theatre, a partition of the building they purchased in January 1950 from
father Chris. It was during this ownership that the building had its only fire, it was caused by a
malfunction of the projector. The restaurant got new owners, Frank and Hazel Huston and cousin Frank
DeSutter (B.1.2.10.) rented the grocery store from his uncle. Harold was in 1951-1955
Scoutmaster of Boy Scouts of America Troop #174.
They sold the old Heckman building, including theatre and supply store, to their cousin Frank J.
DeSutter in 1959.
Elsie and Hal were one of the founders of the Holiday School in Pekin-IL and they own and manage in
later years the Willett Farms in Mason and Tazewell County. Elsie was one of the Co-Business
Managers of the Manito Historical Society, getting this Society off the ground on July 18, 1978.
Husband Harold (Hal) died on October 29, 1992.
Saying of Elsie: "It is with gratitude in my heart that our ancestors met the challenge to
leave their native homes, came to America and Manito to forge a new life for themselves and their
descendants. God bless them!". |
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Children born: |
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a. Christa Lee, born
in the Scott Field Air Force Hospital at Belleville-IL on August 19, 1946. Graduated in 1964 from
High School, attended Parsons College at Fairfield-Iowa. Married on
September 2, 1967 to (1) William Leonard
Galloway. Christa and William moved in 1967 from Manito-IL to Chigago-IL
and in 1969 to Clearwater-FL, divorced in
1970. Married in 1973 (2) David Bruce Robinson, divorced in 1980. Christa
lives in Clearwater, Pinellas-FL. |
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Children born (2): |
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1. Barbara Jane,born
in Clearwater, Pinellas-FL on December 4, 1973. She won a gold medal in 1982 in
figures at the National Skating Institute of America at Evanston-FL and
honered by the Greater Clearwater
Chamber, Florida. She was the youngest winning this award. |
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b. Jacqueline Letitia (Jackie),born
in Peoria-IL on January 19, 1949.
From 1983 she resides at the Apostolic Christian Home for the Handicapped,
Morton-IL. |
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c. John Owen, born
in Peoria-IL on September 12, 1957. Married in Schaumburg-IL on June 21, 1980 to Denise
Marie Kennedy, born on May 18, 1957. They moved in July 1983 to Monroe,
Louisiana. Lives at the moment in
Culpeper-Virginia.
Children born: |
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1. Greg Owen,
born on February 17, 1984. He is an Irag Veteran of the US Marine Corps.
2. Brad Ryan, born on June 5,
1985.
3. Stephanie Marie,born on
October 3, 1988.
4. Matthew Cole, born on
February 3, 1991. |
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 d.
Hal Daniël (Dan), born in Peoria-IL on July
3, 1960, died in Peoria February 3, 2011.
Married in Manito-IL on June 5, 1982 to Cristie Mae Laurent, born on ????.
At the age
of 18, Dan was a singer in the Forman Swing Choir. He graduated from the
University
of Illinois in 1982 with a bachelor of arts degree in architecture and
designed the new
Manito Village Hall in 2004. Dan established Willett's Winery & Celler
in 2005 after
renovating an old 1893 harness shop, which building they bought in 2003. In
2008 he
has been rewarded with a Governor’s Cup Gold medal for his Frontenac
Rose 2007.
Their 8 acre vineyard is located about 8 miles northwest of Manito near
Spring Lake.
Children born:
1.
Lauren Renee,born ????, fiancé
Christopher Mach of Storm Lake, Iowa.
2.
Selena Shea,born ???? of Syracuse, N.Y.
3.
Kelson Scott, born ???? of Champaign, IL.
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| -- END of Chris
DeSutter's descendants -- |
Front side of a photo enveloppe with your printed photo's - 1927.
Chris taking a picture.
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Top of address side of a postcard made by Chris DeSutter.
At the front: the Manito Opera House, a picture by Chris ~1930, click HERE.
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