July 30 1621

On July 30 1621 Cornelia Booms died at Okegem. She was buried in the church the following day. She married Petrus Straetman (+ Okegem 1628) in Denderhoutem ca 1598. It is probably that she was born in that village. Their son Adrianus Straetman was born at Okegem in 1604 : his son Niclaas Straetman died there in 1719.

I descend from two of his children (he probably had six).

--- Anna Straetman (Okegem 1691 - 1759) had a son Petrus Asselman (Okegem 1729 - 1792), who fathered Franciscus (Okegem 1769 - 1865). Andreas (Okegem 1795 - 1875) was a son of Franciscus and he was the father of Catharina Asselman (Okegem 1823 - 1892), who was the mother of my great-grandfather Hermilianus Neukermans (Okegem 1855 - 1932).

--- Joanna Straetman (Okegem 1697 - 1762) had a son Petrus Van der Speeten (Okegem 1733 - 1786) who was the father of Cornelius (Okegem 1772 - 1806). Cornelius fathered Alexandrina Van der Speeten (Okegem 1795 - 1831). She was the wife of Andreas Asselman forementioned, and thus the mother of Catharina Asselman, my great-great-grandmother.

This is one more indication how closely families could be interlinked in small villages.