Longevity ~ Engel van Zee (92)

Engel van Zee was born on the 17th and baptised on 18 June 1775 in Herwijnen, Gelderland, The Netherlands. He was a younger son of Gerrit (“Geurt”) van Zee (1728-1789) and his wife Jenneke de Fokkert. Most of Engel's ancestors were settled in Herwijnen. The family did not belong to the nobility or aristocracy, but did use a family coat of arms consisting of a double eagle with a background of gold.
On 17 February 1799 in Herwijnen Engel married Engeltje Bijl. She was born on the 17th and baptised on 20 July 1777 in Herwijnen. Her parents are Coenraad Bijl (1756-1830) and Judith de Bruijn (1748-1820).
Engel and Engeltje had 9 surviving children, when Engeltje died on 15 July 1827 in Herwijnen, aged 49.

Which Engel van Zee is depicted here?

In 1847 the schip "Pieter Floris" departed for Baltimore. On board were Engel's son Coenraad van Zee (1813-1891) and his daughter Judith van Zee (1820-1909) with their spouses and children. Engel's son Govert left for Pella in 1853, but he became ill, and was allegedly left on an island to die.
Coenraad van Zee had a son Engel (“Engle”) van Zee, born on 9 October 1841 in Herwijnen, who died on 26 November 1902 in Iowa, aged 61. He, too, could be the Engel van Zee on the picture above.
The elder Engel van Zee died in Herwijnen on 9 June 1868 around 06:00 A.M. If he had lived 8 days longer, he could have celebrated his 93rd birthday.

Engel van Zee died on 9 June 1886 at the age of nearly 93

Sources: WieWasWie.nl, FindAGrave.com, GeldersArchief.nl, FamilySearch.org, Souvenir History of Pella, Iowa, Compiled and Published by The Booster Press, G.A. Stout, Publisher, Pella, Iowa, Genealogie in Herwijnen, E. de Bruijn, Gens Nostra 1998, p. 23-44, see also: Gens Nostra 1970, p. 370-372, Gens Nostra 1974, p. 193-194, Gens Nostra 1976, p. 33-36.