The family
Joe van Blerck

Date update: 7 December 2024
Date format: dd-mm-yyyy



I. Josephus (Joe) Christianus Wilhelmus van Blerck. Born Oudenbosch (NL) 16-8-1876, son of Christiaan Wilhelmus van Blerck and Johanna Borburgh. Motor engineer, died Fort Lauderdale 5-9-1949.  Married Zevenbergen (NL) 7-6-1901 Dympna Adriana Goddrie, born Zevenbergen 13-2-1874, daughter of Waltherus Goddrie and Cornelia Matthee, died New-York 19-8-1943. (also found 19-11-1943).

Children of this marriage:

  1. Johanna Maria van Blerck, born Detroit 1903, died Detroit 4-3-1906.
  2. Cornelia van Blerck, born Detroit 22-2-1906, died Jupiter (Florida) 09-02-1979. Married 31-3-1928 Charles Warren Hannah, born East Orange (NJ) 29-5-1904, died Lake Worth (Florida) 27-12-1978.
  3. Johanna Maria van Blerck, born Detroit 7-7-1908, died Pittsfield (Mass.) 16-8-1964. Married Dr. Joseph Victor Breen, born Flushing (NJ) 17-8-1900, died Pittsfield (Mass.) 16-10-1970
  4. Joseph Christian William van Blerck, born Detroit 5-2-1911, died New York 6-7-1974. Married Alice O'Leary, born Lawrence (NJ) 14-2-1914.

family

Picture from ca. 1908.

From left to right grandmother Cornelia Matthee, 

her granddaughter Cornelia van Blerck 

and her daughter Dympna Goddrie
Joe and his wife emigrated to the States in 1902. When he married his occupation was still blacksmith. Together with his brother John, he started producing engines. After ten years in the States, they had 3 companies producing aviation and marine engines. In Detroit Van Blerck Motor Company, Manufacturers of High and Slow Speed Motors. In Monroe (Mich) Van Blerck Motor Company, Manufacturers of High Grade Marine Motors Exclusively and a third company, probably in Akron (Ohio). One of these companies exclusively produced for the US Army.

joe		 plane

Joe van Blerck, 1939.

A postcard sent by Dynphina van Blerck-Goddrie to Joseph Koelzer,

  married to her cousin Henrietta Louisa Ruedisueli, 1912.


Chad Mayea writes:

My great grandfather Louis Mayea, John F. Hacker and John F. Hackers son John L. Hacker started a boat company in Detroit around 1905 called The Detroit Launch & Power Company.

Most of there later boats used Van Blerck motors for power.  Kitty Hawk ll (see left top picture) was one of their famous race boats built in 1911. She was powered by a 6-cylinder 140 horsepower Van Blerck engine.  Kitty Hawk was one of the first boats to achieve 50mph.

The boat on your web site is a boat they built called the Van Blerck ll.  The boat was built for J.P. Haggerty.  She was 28ft. with two 6-cyclinder Van Blerck motors that together produced 120 horsepower.

After 1911 my great grandfather started his own company called Mayea Boat Works that still builds wooden boats today.

kitty hawk

seafox2

seafox3

More about Joseph van Blerck:
- In Gas Engine Magazine, 1993
- Joe van Blerck Jr Orbituary
- Monroe memories and more

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