Jim Kaat
“His ancestors are from Zeeland. When I was studying my own family tree, I learned that two couples migrated to the US. One of those couples are probably the parents or grandparents of this American superstar”, writes M. Kaat from Middelburg, who has probably blood ties to the successful baseball player.
Despite a number of attempts via e-mail, mail and internet, Kaat was unable to find out who exactly were Jim Kaat’s ancestors. If you do know, please send me an e-mail.
M. Kaat: “The first candidate couple is Simon Kaat and Johanna de Jonge. Simon was an orphan and migrated from Tholen at November 4, 1980. He was then twenty years old. He went to live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There, he married Johanna de Jonge, who had already migrated with her parents from Zuid-Beveland.”
“The second option is Leendert Kaat and Suzanna Bliek, who moved from Nieuw- en Sint Joosland to Sheboygan, Wisconsin on April 11, 1900.”
Here is some more data M. Kaat sent me:
“James Lee Kaat was born on November 7, 1938 in Zeeland, Michigan. He went to Hope College in Holland, Michigan. He became a pitcher in the school team and signed a pro contract in 1959 with the Washington Senators. In 1961 the team moved to the West, and the team was renamed the Minnesota Twins. With this team, he won the American League several times. He then played for the Chicago White Sox (1973-75), Philadelphia Phillies (1976-79), New York Yankees (1979-80) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1980-83). With these teams he was champion several times the American League Western Division, the American League Eastern Division and the Word Series. He was in the American League All Stars Team in 1962, 1966 and 1975. He won 14 American League Gold Glove Awards (1962-75 ) and 2 National League Gold Glove Awards. He was a three time All Star.
When he ended his active baseball career, he had played for 25 years – the longest career for a pitcher in the history of the Major League.”
“When he ended his career as a pitcher, he became a baseball reporter and analyst for CBS and ABC. In 1995 he was nominated for an Emmy Award for ‘On Camera Achievement’. In 2006, he won an Emmy Award for ‘on-air achievement’. There is an active discussion going on right now whether or not Jim Kaat should be a member of The Hall of Fame.”
Lilian,
Have you found your answers about Jim Kaat? Did you see the Jim Kaat Little League baseball fields while you were in Zeeland, Michigan?
I saw him in the Dekker House! I missed the baseball fields tough, but I am going to stay for another day, so who knows, somebody could point me out where they would be.
Hi Lilian, I did some searching … and found that the Simon Kaat who supposedly emigrated on November 4, 1890 (according to http://www.zeeuwengezocht.nl) was not an orphan, but the son of Marinus Jacobus Kaat and Maatje ‘t Gilde, born August 11, 1870 in Tholen (according to the same emigration record on http://www.zeeuwengezocht.nl).
I also found his (American) passport application (issued March 13, 1924…with his picture!) in which he states that he immigrated on November 5, 1887 and that he “resided, uninterruptedly, in the United States, from 1887 to 1924, in Grand Rapids, Mich.”. Apparently the registration of his departure from the Netherlands was reported and recorded there much later.
Simon applied for a passport because he intended to visit his relatives in the Netherlands. From which visit he returned in July 1924.
By 1910 Simon and his wife Johanna had seven children: Marinus (15), Cornelia (13), John (11), Mandie & Lawrence (9), Marie (5) and Janetja (3).
Marinus (Martin) Kaat married Bertha Jelsema on December 12, 1914.
John Kaat married Nancy Bosma in June 6, 1923.
Lawrence Kaat married Marguerite Blackport on November 26, 1925; they all got married in Grand Rapids.
Martin could have been James Lee’s grandfather, either John or Lawrence could have been his dad.
The Sheboygan Kaat’s seem less likely as relatives of ‘Kitty’, although the 1930 census shows a 24-year old Peter Kaat married to (yet another :-)!) Johanna, both living in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, but they both died there as well……
Martin J. Kaat (born October 8, 1894) died August 28, 1990 in Grand Rapids, but was a resident of Wyoming, Kent Co., MI.
By 1930 Martin and Bertha had the following children: Sanford M (14), Dorothy J (13), Ruth J (9), Margia M Kaat (6), Martin B Kaat (4y 8mnths) and Robert J, (1y 11mnths).
James Lee Kaat was born November 7, 1938. By that time Bertha would have been 43; doesn’t seem likely, but it is possible….
I found an obituary for one of Martin’s sons, Sanford M. Kaat. He did not have a son James Lee.
John Kaat (born April 12, 1899) died in Zeeland, Ottawa Co., MI on January 20, 1983, his wife Nancy (born February 17, 1901) died in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., MI on June 16, 1996 (though another source states Grandville, Kent Co., MI as her place of death).
Lawrence Kaat (born May 21, 1903) died April 9, 1998 in Grand Rapids; his wife Marguerite (born born June 26, 1904) died there on January 31, 1997. I have not found information reg. his wife Bertha’s death, but it may have well have been that Lawrence was married twice…
As you can see…genealogy can become quite addictive…., but maybe this information helps in the search for “Kitty’s” ancestry in ‘the other Zeeland’? Or at least narrows it down a bit.
Have yourself a lot of fun over there :-)!
Lilian,
My grandmother (Maude Kaat) was a younger sister to John Kaat. John and Nancy Kaat of Zeeland, MI were the parents of Jim Kaat the baseball player.
My Dad said we were related to Jim Kaat — so his mom being Johanna deJonge would make the connection