- Zeeuwse Sugar Speck in Williamson, NY
We were in The Original Candy Kitchen in Williamson (NY) to let me experience an all-American tradition: Frish Fry Fridays. But then I saw the unexpected on the counter: Sugar Speck. Maybe I should have known, because once 95 percent of this town was populated by people of Zeeuwse origin. But it still was a surpise so me to see Sugar Speck or Zeeuwse Babbelaars in a foreign country. Of course, I had to buy a bag and they taste a little different, but I think that’s because of a different kind of sugar they use in here.
The day was full of little suprises. We had a meeting with the local historian from Pultneyville, Chester A. Peters, who was about to tell the story of a certain Mr. Pepper, who had fled Zeeland in 1802 because he had been warned that the French soldiers wanted to kill him. So he came to Pultneyville with 5,000 dollars worth of gold and some horses or ponies.
It probably was not a coincidence that, just before arriving to the States, I received a letter from a reader about this specific guy. “This story is about the brother of the great-grandfather of my grandmother Maria Catharina van Langevelde-Peper. So Abraham Peper is my great-great-great-grandfather”, Ms. Nelly van Langevelde from Serooskerke writes.
Dear Lillian,
I am a direct descendant of Abraham Peper of Pultneyville through his son Jan. I have a 1901 published history of many Pultneyville families written by Publius Lawson of Wisconsin. I, too, have interviewed Chester Peterson, “Maker of tall clocks, and teller of tall tales.” which is close to the wording of a sign that used to be attached to Peterson’s home. The Pultneyville Cemetery contains the remains and tombstones of many of the early Pepers and their relatives. The third generation moved to Michigan and Ohio. Then on to Florida for some. Abraham was my great great great grandfather. I have visited Nellie van Langevelde in Zeeland. I should complete an updated publication of selected early families of Pultneyville and Wayne County during 2010. I enjoyed reading your publication which was referred to me by Nellie. As Nellie pointed out the Dutch spelling is still maintained by my family–Peper. The second home Abraham occupied at the end of his life until his death is still standing in Pultneyville.
John Peper
Thank you so much for reading me! The article about the Pepers will appear in the newspaper of coming Saturday, based on what I know so far and that includes some of the information you just gave me. So thanks for that! I will try to translate some of the articles in Dutch in September, when I am the States both for research and vacation. Please keep me posted about any publications on the Pepers.
Thank you so much for visiting The Original Candy Kitchen and mentioning it in your periodical. I am fascinated with the origins of this candy and would like to talk to you further. We have been making it for 22 years but don’t know a lot of the history since we are Greek and not of Dutch ancestry. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Mary Anagnostopoulos