Longevity - Franciscus Servanus Jacobus Otterspoor (92)

Franciscus Servanus Jacobus Otterspoor was born on 5-3-1864 in Utrecht city in The Netherlands as the eldest son of Servanus Otterspoor (1838-1919) and his first wife Jannetje Aletta Offerman (1838-1885). Franciscus had an elder sister and more siblings were to follow, among them a brother named Servanus, born in 1871.

Franciscus Otterspoor (21) was married to Johanna Jacoba Strijver (23) on 19-8-1885 in Utrecht. She was born in Utrecht, too, on 28-10-1861. The bride’s parents were Leendert Johannes Schrijver and Jacoba van Dijk. Within two months of his marriage, Francisus' mother died. His father was to marry two more times before he died on 2-6-1919 in Utrecht, aged 81. 

Franciscus Otterpoor and his wife had 10 children:

1. Jannetje Aletta, born on 31-3-1886 in Utrecht, was married on 6-5-1908 in Utrecht to Cornelis Mooij (22), born in Alkmaar. They were divorced on 21-9-1915 in Haarlem “based on facts committed by the woman”. She was remarried on 20-9-1916 in Haarlem to Gerrit van de Gevel (27), born in Haarlem. Jannetje Aletta died on 10-10-1944 in Haarlem, aged 58.
2. Jacoba Johanna, born on 8-9-1887 in Utrecht, was married on 21-4-1909 in Schoten to Hermanus Jacobus Hartman (23), born in Oestgeest. He died on 14-1-1953 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. She died in Hastings, Michigan, USA, on 16-6-1969. 
3. Maria Wilhelmina Petronella was born on 19-5-1889 in Utrecht. In 1913 she was living in The Hague. In 1915 she moved to Leiden. On 24-5-1916 she arrived on  Ellis Island in the USA.
4. Franciskus Stephanus, born on 19-4-1891 in Utrecht, died there on 12-3-1910, aged 18.
5. Servanus, born on 5-11-1892 in Utrecht, was married in Utrecht on 7-9-1916 to local woman Pieternella Maria van Doorn (27) who died in May 1965. Servanus died in Utrecht on 24-8-1972.
6. Pieter Willem, born on 12-4-1894 in Utrecht, was married there on 11-7-1918 to local woman Johanna Maria Vogt (27). He died in Utrecht on 4-8-1962. She died in Utrecht on 12-5-1965.
7. Johannes Jacobus, born on 25-6-1895 in Utrecht, died on 14-7-1895 in Utrecht.
8. Willem Pieter, born on 3-12-1898 in Utrecht, was married there on 17-8-1921 to local girl Johanna Wilhelmina Leunen (23), daughter of Teunis Leunen and Berta Busson. She died in 1983. Willem Pieter died in Utrecht in august 1962.
9. Johannes Theodorus, born on 13-2-1900 in Utrecht, was married there on 18-5-1921 to local woman Berta Leunen (21), a sister of his brother’s wife. In 1930 he moved to Indonesia with his wife and children. Johannes died during World War II in Japan on 27-4-1943. His widow died in Utrecht on 9-2-1976.
10. Theodora Elisabetha, born on 14-8-1901 in Utrecht, was married there on 16-6-1927 to Cornelis van Willigen (28), born in Oegstgeest, son of Nicolaas van Willigen and Dirkje de Kort.

Haagsche Courant Newspaper, 1-2-1928

Franciscus' son Franciskus Stephanus died aged 18. Two younger sons, Willem Pieter and Johannes Theodorus, were married in 1921 to 2 sisters. His daughter Jannetje Aletta was the guilty party in a divorce. Francisus' wife, Johanna Jacoba Schrijver, died on 14-7-1931 in Utrecht, aged 69.
For over 40 years Franciscus Otterspoor worked in beer brewery “De Krans” in Utrecht. In 1928 he received a honorary golden medal of the order of Oranje-Nassau. It's a chivalric order open to to “everyone who has earned special merits for society”. These are people who deserve appreciation and recognition for the special way in which they have carried out their activities.
After 25 years as a widower, Franciscus Otterspoor died on 25-11-1956 in Utrecht, aged 92.

Provinciale Drentsche En Asser Courant, 8-2-1928

Sources: WieWasWie, Delpher Newspapers, Het Utrechts Archief, Stamboom Otterspoor, Wikipedia.