Historical baptisms at Gibbsville Reformed Church

Nostalgia is the only word to describe a pair of baptisms that occurred at Gibbsville Reformed Church (GRC) on Sunday, June 13. On this day the Rev. Dr. Albert Vander Meer baptized Gabriella Genevieve Back and Emmalyn Janet Cook.

Gabriella Genevieve Back, daughter of Adam and Michelle (Voskuil) Back, is the eighth generation in a row to be baptized at GRC. Gabriella’s maternal grandparents are Lee and Mary (Van Airsdale) Voskuil, Oostburg, and Sally Westerbeke, Kissimmee, Fla.

Adam’s great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather was a founding elder for GRC when the church was started in 1856. Since then every generation on the Back paternal side of the family was baptized at GRC.

Gabriella’s mother, Michelle (Voskuil) Back, and maternal grandfather, Lee Voskuil, were also baptized at GRC.

In this day of people being very mobile, it is very unique to have eight generations live in the same community and be baptized in the same church.

Emmalyn Janet Cook, daughter of David and Brenda (Thimmig) Cook, wore her maternal great-greatgrandmother’s, Bernice (Ruesink) Walvoord’s, baptism gown from 1907. The cotton gown was hand-sewed by her mother, Wilhelmina (Klein-Hesslink) Ruesink. Wilhelmina used the same material that she handsewed her wedding gown with.

Emmalyn’s maternal great-grandmother, Janet (Mulder) Walvoord, keeps the gown well preserved so that the family tradition of passing it down through the generations for baptism can continue.