Grace Vanderkloot Genealogy Source Records
Contents
  • Baptismal Record (may not have been baptized)
  • Birth Record
  • Grade School Records Search (not found)
  • Marriage Records
  • Social Security Application
  • Work Records
  • Death Record
  • Memorial Card
  • Cemetery Record
  • Tombstone


Delayed Record of Birth
State of Illinois

County File No. 42394
State File No. 201523

  1. Place of Birth:
  2. City: Chicago County: Cook
  3. Full Name at Birth: Grace Vanderkloot
  4. Date of Birth: August 7, 1894
  5. Color: White, Sex: Female
  6. Father's Full Name: Adrian Vanderkloot
  7. Father's Birthplace: Texel, Netherlands
  8. Mother's Maiden Name: Martha Tanis
  9. Mother's Birthplace: Haarlem, Netherlands

Affidavit: I hearby declare upon oath that the above statements are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Grace Filipek (signed)

Address:

7047 S. Ada Street
Chicago, Illinois

Subscribed and sworn before me this 2nd day of November 1959 at Chicago, Illinois

Charli T. Kropit (Notary Public)


Kind of Document and Date Made:

Document No. 1

  1. Insurance Record, Self Help Assurance Society, Chicago, Illinois
  2. Policy #53642
  3. Date March 1, 1943
  4. Information in Document at to Birth Date, Birthplace, and Parents
  5. Age or birth date: August 7, 1894
  6. Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois

 Document No. 2

  1. Affidavit of Sister, Marie V. Denker
  2. 4929 Coyle Avenue
  3. Skokie, Illinois
  4. Dated November 2, 1959
  5. Information in Document at to Birth Date, Birthplace, and Parents
  6. Age or birth date: August 7, 1894
  7. Father: Adrian Vanderkloot
  8. Mother: Martha Tanis

Document No. 3

  1. Affidavit of Sister, Alette Schodrof
  2. 7047 S. Ada
  3. Chicago, Illinois
  4. Dated November 2, 1959
  5. Information in Document at to Birth Date, Birthplace, and Parents
  6. Age or birth date: August 7, 1894
  7. Father: Adrian Vanderkloot
  8. Mother: Martha Tanis

I certify that a diligent search of the official records was made and that no prior certificate was found for this registrant.

Edward J. Barrett (signed)
Nov. 2, 1959


Birth Record Comments
  • Mandatory birth registration wasn't required in Illinois until the early part of the 20th century, thus most people born in the 1890s in Chicago did not have birth registrations. If you were not baptized or if you were and didn't know the church, there was no early records of your age.
  • It's likely the above record was prompted by Grace turning 65 in 1959 and she needed to prove her age as 65 for Social Security withdrawals.
  • Below is her Social Security application filed in 1941 but it's likely that further proof of year of birth was required when it came time to collect.
  • Of interest in this form are not only the affidavits of her two sisters, but also the signature of Charli Kropik, James A. Filipek's law partner.


Grade School Record Search
  1. Grade School: Brenan Thomas School, also called Brenan and Brennan
  2. Location: Limes and Archer, Chicago, Illinois
    (Lime is now Green, location is about 25th Place and Green
  3. Name: Grace or Trijntje Vanderkloot
  4. Years: about 1900-1908

Grade School Record Search Comments
  • Grace Vanderkloot mentioned that she went to Brenan Grade School. She also mentioned that she finished grade school, but did not attend high school. She attended secretarial school instead.
  • Approximate years of her attendance are about 1900-1908
  • A search of the Public School Records in December 2001 did not find Grace Filipek's record at this school. However, the records are not complete and the schools were just beginning the process of keeping organized records at the turn of the century.


Marriage Application
State of Illinois County of Cook

No. 862606

Jas A. Filipek of Chicago, in the County of Cook, State of Illinois, being duly sworn and deposed says that he was born on August 15, 1894 and is of the age of 25 years. That he Never married and is now [space was left blank].

That Miss Grace Vanderkloot of Chicago, in the County of Cook, State of Illinois was born on August 7, 1896 and is of the age of 23 years. That she Never married and is now [space was left blank].

That we are not blood relatives and that we are not idiots or insane. That they are both single and unmarried and may lawfully contract and be joined in marriage.

Subscribed and sworn before me then
14 April 1920

County Clerk (signature)

Deputy (signature)

Jas A. Filipek (signature)
Address: 3001 Emerald Ave.

Marriage Application Comments
  • The birth years for Jim and Grace on this application are both off by two years from when we know them. James was born August 15, 1892 not in 1894 and Grace was born August 7, 1894 not 1896.
  • It is unclear why they would both make themselves two years younger. In later years, we were always told that Grandpa Jim was born in 1892. The baptismal record above confirms this. However, the 1900 Census indicates he was born in August 1894, but the 1910 census indicates it was 1892. We will continue to assume that 1892 is correct.
  • Also of interest is that when their first daughter Marjorie was born a year later, James was shown as 28 which is correct and Grace as 27 which should have been 26. Thus from their marriage application James gained 3 years in one year and Grace gained 4 years in one year.
  • Late in 1924, their daughter Jeanne was born. At that time James is shown as 32 which is correct and Grace is shown as 31 which should be 30. So James is back on track with an August 1892 date, but Grace keeps coming up as 1893. We don't have a baptismal record for Grace, but the 1900 Census shows August 1894 which is the earliest record we have and agrees with what she and her family believed was the correct date in the 1960s.
  • Also of interest in this record is the address at 3001 Emerald. The Chicago Directories had placed James, his mother, and his brother John at 7328 S. Union from about 1916 to about 1917. It had been presumed that after James Filipeks death in 1914 that they had sold the grocery store and lived elsewhere. This seems to imply that they either moved back or still maintained some presence at the 3001 S. Emerald from 1914 until the 1920s.


Marriage License
State of Illinois, County of Cook

No. 862606

To any Person Legally Authorized to Solemnize Marriage

Greetings

Marriage may be Celebrated, in the County of Cook and State of Illinois between Mr. Jas A. Filipek of Chicago, in the County of Cook and State of Illinois of the age of 25 years, and Miss Grace Vanderkloot of Chicago, in the County of Cook and State of Illinois of the age of 23 years.

Witness Robert M. Sweitzer County Clerk of the County of Cook, and the Seal thereof, at my office in Chicago, this 14 day of April A.D. 1920.

Robert M. Sweitzer (signature) County Clerk

The Person who Solemnizes Marriage is cautioned against making any changes in this License.

State of Illinois,
Cook County

I, Johnston Myers a Minister hereby certify that Mr. Jas A. Filipek and Miss Grace Vanderkloot were united in Marriage by me at Chicago in the County of Cook and State of Illinois, on the 15 day of April 1919.

Johnston Myers (signature)
Address 2320 Michigan Ave

Marriage License Comments
  • There is a discrepancy in the year of the license between the top half of the form which indicates the information was witnessed on April 14, 1920 and the bottom half of the license which indicates the marriage taking place on April 15, 1919. In the bottom half, though, the form was pre-printed with the year as 191_. The minister filled in a 9 for 1919. It is presumed he should have crossed it out or overwritten it as was done for the top half of the the license.
  • It will be presumed that James and Grace were married on April 15, 1920, one day after the Marriage Application and License. In fact his U. S. Army Records show he was still in Europe with the Army of Occupation and did not return until August 28, 1919 so we can be pretty confident that he married in 1920 and not 1919.
  • There are other discrepancies over the month and day though. Before these records were found, their daughter, Jeanne, always thought the marriage date was May 14, 1920. Usually children remember their parents wedding anniversary so we cannot resolve this unless they were re-married in a different church later.
  • Jeanne also thought they might have been married in a Baptist Church and the minister might have been the groom's cousin which would have been a cousin of James.
  • From the 1923 Chicago Directory, the Rev Johnston Myers is shown as pastor of the Immanuel (also spelled Emmanuel) Baptist Church at 2320 S. Michigan. Thus the Directory listing confirms that Rev Johnston Myers was a Baptist pastor and the address matches that on the Marriage License. How he could be a cousin to James is unclear since we have a pretty good feel for all James' relatives. Perhaps it was on Grace's side.
  • By the way, the story goes that Jim and Grace met on the tennis court in the old neighborhood although we don't know the year. It was likely before when James went in the Army in 1918. Grace used to go to the Filipek grocery store as she also only lived a few blocks away at 811 W. 27th from 1914 to 1920 and at 2851 Emerald in the early 1900s. There are some old letters from Grace's mother from 1920 that we will add shortly that briefly mention James and Grace.


Application for Social Security Account Number

  1. Name: Grace Vanderkloot Filipek
  2. SSN: 354-14-5203
  3. Applied: September 11, 1941
  4. Address: 7304 S. Emerald
  5. Born: August 7, 1894
  6. Date last employed: April 1, 1920 as a stenographer

Social Security Number Application Comments
  • The Social Security program began in the late 1930s. People who had worked or intended to work could apply.
  • On her 1941 application form, Grace stated that she last worked April 1, 1920 which was just before she married on April 15, 1920. At that time, it is was common that women stopped working at marriage while they raised the children and kept house.
  • It is thought that Grace did secretarial work for her husband in his dowtown office in Chicago at LaSalle Street after 1920. And Claudia believes she may have worked as a secretary for A. T. Kearney is the 1950s as she still has some of the letterhead stationary.
  • After he husband died, Grace worked in temporary jobs in the Chicago Loop.


Stivers Temporary Personnel Search
  • A request was made of Stivers Temporary Personnel at 7 South Dearborn, Chicago, Illinois for records of Grace's employment through them in the 1960s.
  • On September. 14, 1976, they responded that their records did not go back to the early 1960s.


Medical Certificate of Death
State of Illinois

Registration District: 229
Registered Number: 229

  1. Deceased: Grace Filipek
  2. Sex: Female
  3. Date of Death: 3-7-79 (March 7, 1979)
  4. Race: White, Origin: Holland, Age: 84
  5. Date of Birth: August 7, 1894
  6. County of Death: Du Page City: Winfield
  7. Hospital: Abbey-Winfield Ger. & Conv. Home
  8. If Hospital (patient type): Inpatient
  9. State of Birth: Illinois USA
  10. Marriage Status: Widowed
  11. SSN: 354-14-5203-A
  12. Usual Occupation: Secretary Kind of Business: Legal Profession
  13. U.S. Veteran: No War: N/A
  14. Residence Address: 300 Browning Court
  15. City: Wheaton, Inside City: Yes, County: Du Page, State: Ill.
  16. Father's Name: Adrianus Vanderkloot
  17. Mother Maiden Name: Martha Tanis
  18. Info obtained by informant from Records
  19. Death was caused by: Cardiac Failure after 1 Day
  20. Due to, or as consequence of: CUA of Several Years
  21. also Chronic Brain Syndrome, Malnutrition
  22. Autopsy: No
  23. I attended the deceased from 1-15-76 to 3-7-79 and last saw her alive on 2-27-79. Hour of death: 1:15 p.m.
  24. Burial or Cremation: Burial
  25. Cemetery: Chapel Hill Gardens South
  26. Location: Worth, Illinois
  27. Date: March 10, 1979
  28. Funeral Home: Handerhoff Funeral Home
  29. Address: 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, Illinois 60187


In Loving Memory of

Grace Vanderkloot Filipek

Born
August 7, 1894

Passed Away
Wed., March 7th 1979 

Services Held at
Hanerhoff
Funeral Home
Sat., March 10th, 1979
Ten A.M.

Officiating
Rev. Glen Vanderkloot 

Organist
Evelyn Evensen 

Interment
Chapel Hill Gardens South


Tombstone
  • Initially there was a tombstone for James made of metal provided by the U. S. Army. Later this was removed and a new tombstone was put down for both James and Grace.
  • As of 2001, The U. S. Army tombstone is in the shed in back of Jeanne Jordans. The inscription was not copied exactly, but it says something like: James A. Filipek, Company C 4.
  • It is believed that James was a Corporal in Company C, 4th Infantry, 3rd Division. He trained at Fort Benning, Georgia and went overseas and was part of the Army of Occupation.