Iona Jaeger Paternal Heritage | De Indische Verhalentafel

The Jäger family

The Börner family

Friedrich Jäger

1839-1889

Johanna Boddenborg

1836-1885

Maria Louise Bunneman

1836-1885

X

Friedrich Heinrich Jäger

1865-

Carl Jaeger

1866-1956

Elise Jäger

1868-1894

Georg Jäger

1875-

François Jäger

1878-1973

August Jäger

1882-1901

Alfred Jäger

1887-1887

Selma Hedwig Boerner

1874-1964

Helena Marie Börner

1874-1964

Carl Wilhelm Heinrich Börner

X

Emilie Auguste Zaunick

1853-1902

Carl Jaeger

1866-1956

X

Maria Catharina Bernardina op 't Eijnde

1866-1890

X

Selma Hedwig Boerner

1874-1964

The Jaeger family

Friedrich Heinrich Carl Jaeger

1898-1989

François Marie Felix Jaeger

1899-1949

Elise Selma Adéle Jaeger

1901-2000

Marie Carola Edith Jaeger

1903-1981

François Marie Felix Jaeger

1899-1949

X

Jenneke van der Meer

1904-1958

X

Cornelia Adriana van Schouten

1904-1958

Carl Jaeger

1926-2012

Eric Jaeger

1926

Paul Felix Jaeger

1949

Source:Genealogie Christian Post

Once I had finished the many days of research into the life of Iona's maternal family, (Vermast and Kol van Kluijve), I couldn't resist taking a look into the background of her father Eric Jaeger as well. At first I could not find very much but below is the result of many hours of sleuthing on the internet and spitting through all the many documents that are at my disposal.

Both Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother changed their names from Jäger to Jaeger and Börner to Boerner. It is my guess that this was done in South Africa where they got married. Iona told me the name was changed during the Boerenwar which took place from 1880-1881 and a second one from 1899-1902. The story of the Boerenwar makes perfect sense as Carl and Selma were married in 1897 right in the middle of the two wars. The reason it was done because it would have been easier for the British (who were more than present in South Africa) to pronounce.

The other interesting thing is that on Carl's birth certificate his father is listed as Friedrich Jäger but signed with Friedrich Jaeger. On Carl's first marriage certificate he still signs with Jäger.

Tilly van Coevorden, April 2023

My Great-grandfather Carl Jaeger was born on 26.07.1866 in Amsterdam he was the son of german born Friedrich Jäger and dutch born Johanna Boddenborg.

Friedrich Jäger was born in Frischborn, Vogelsbergkreis Hessen Germany on 23.01.1839.

In 1863 when he was 24 years old he moved to Holland where he worked as a domestic servant. It was in Amsterdam where he worked that he met his future dutch wife Johanna Boddenborg.

Johanna was born in Haarlem on 07.01.1936 and was the daughter of a german father and dutch mother. She was a seamstress.

Although Friedrich went by the name Jäger he signed his marriage certificate and later on the birth certificate of their son Carl with Friedrich Jaeger. On most other birth certificates of their children he signed with F. Jäger.

Friedrich and Johanna had the following 6 children:

Friedrich Heinrich Jäger born in Amsterdam on 27.08.1865 date and place of death unknown. Friedrich was a sailor.
Carl Jaeger born in Amsterdam 28.07.1866 and died in Bandung on 22.11.1956
Elise Jäger born in Amsterdam on 30.10.1868 and died in Amsterdam on 18.10.1894 she was a housekeeper
Georg Jäger born in Amsterdam on 02.10.1875 date and place of death unknown. Georg was a male nurse.
François Jäger born in Amsterdam on 18.11.1878 and died in Velp on 27.03.1973. He worked for Lindetevis- Stokvis on Java as an import/export manager.
August Jäger born in Amsterdam on 03.05.1882 and died in Lochem on 01.08.1901. He was a carpenter

Marriage certificate signed with F. Jaeger

Birthcertificate Carl is signed Friedrich Jaeger (above)

Birth certificate François is signed Friedrich Jäger (left)

Marriage certificate between Friedrich and

Eliza Maria where Friedrich signs with Jäger again

When his wife Johanna died on the 12^thof April 1885 Friedrich was left behind with his 6 children.

One year later on the 4^th of June 1886 Friedrich married Maria Louisa Bunemann born in Haarlem on the 3^rdof April 1850. Maria Louise was a housekeeper and my guess is that Friedrich and Maria met each other whilst in service.

Maria Louise was the daughter of german born Johan Ernst Heinrich Bunemann and dutch mother Eliza Maria Haeseker.

Their first and only son and halfbrother to Friedrich's other children was born in Amsterdam on the 2^ndof January 1887 and was given the name Alfred Jäger.

When Alfred was only 3 months old his mother Eliza died on the 21^stof April 1887.

My Great-Great-Grandfather Friedrich Jäger died in Amsterdam where he lived on the Huidekoperstraat 4 on the 15 of November 1889 (only two years after his wife Eliza)

His death certificate is signed by my Great-Great-Grandfather Carl Jäger he most probably had not yet changed his name to Jaeger.

As I have written above my Great Grandfather Carl Jaeger was born in Amsterdam on the 28^th of July 1866.

He held different jobs before qualifying as a chartered accountant in South Africa. He started his carreer as an upholsterer in 1889, after which he became a diamond cutter from 15.11.1889 – 11.03.1891. It is whilst being a diamond cutter that he met Maria Catharina Bernadina op ‘t Eijnde.

Most diamond cutters in those days were Jewish and the name Jäger lets me believe that there is a possibility that the Jäger familie were of Jewish decent. However Carl's mother Johanna Boddenborg is definitely not Jewish name. This means that because the Jewish bloodline runs through the mother's descendants and not the fathers, Carl and all his offspring are not Jewish.

Maria Catherina Bernardina op 't Eijnde was born in Arnhem on the 23^rd of December 1866. Her father Johannes Felix Bernard Antoine op 't Eijnde was a gymteacher.

Carl became an upholsterer in 1889 and lived in Utrecht at that time.

Carl and Maria had a civil marriage in Amsterdam on the12^th of December 1889. She died of tuberculosis barely one year later in Amsterdam on the 7^th of November 1890.

Iona has told me that they exploited a tobacconist shop in Amsterdam.

Carl being a widower moved to South Africa at some point between the death of Maria in 1890 and 1896, as he was then registered in South Africa s station ward.

Friedrich Jäger 1839-1889

Death certificate of Friedrich Jäger signed by my Great Great Grandfather

Carl Jäger

Selma Hedwig Boerner

Marriage certificate from Selma and Carl signed Jaeger and Boerner

Selma Hedwig Börner

Selma Hedwig Börner, later known as Boerner (sometimes written Borner. Was born in Weinböhla, Sachsen, Germany on the 31^st of March 1874.

Her father was Carl Willem Heinrich Börner and mother Emile Auguste Zaunick, both german descendants. Selma had one sibling a sister called Helene Marie Börner born in Dresden in 1879 (5 years younger).

On her way back to Germany she met Carl Jaeger at the train station. Car followed her to Germany and that is how they met and got engaged.

They must haved decided to move to South Arica where Selma and Carl married in the Anglican Church in Durban, Durban Metra KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) on the 17^th of June 1896.

As this date is between the two Boer wars I can say with some certainty that either just before the wedding or some time before the wedding Carl changed his name from Jäger to Jaeger and Selma from Börner to Boerner.

This was much easier for the English in South Africa at that time.

This marriage was blessed with 4 childeren:

Friedrichs Heinrich Carl Jaeger born 23.05.1898 Barberton Ehlanzeni Mpumalanga South Africa died 18.04.1989 Hammond Lake County Indiana USA. He was a chemical Engineer
François Marie Felix Jaeger my grandfather was born on 29.08.1899 in Middelburg, Transvaal South Africa died 15.03.1949 in Tegal, Pekalongan, Semarang, Java.
Elise Selma Adéle (Daisy) Jaeger was born 20.02.1901 in Villa Cosel in Coschütz, Dresden (married to Alexander Vladimirovitch (Olly) Ollongren (born in Kiev on 03.01.1901 died on 15.12.1926 on Java) Elise lived in the Indies from 1920-1932 and she died 12.12.2000 in The Hague. (Children Alexander, Elen, Lydia, Tamara,)
Maria Carola Edith Jaeger born 25.08.1903 Haguenau, Elzas France. She was a teacher in the Dutch East Indies and obtained the Dutch Nationality on the 5^th of March 1954. She went back to Holland in 1954 and died in on the 6^th of February 1981 in The Hague.

L.t.r: Carl, Daisy, Great Grandmother Selma, Edith and my Grandfather Felix in South Africa

Various family pictures

L.t.r: Selma, Edith, Carl sr, Daisy
Front Felix and Carl

Standing GGrandma Selma, Carl jr, Frans, Wies (Frans' wife). Sitting: Edith, GGrandpa, Daisy, Fransje, Anne, George.
Front: Felix, Hannie

Semarang Java 1916

Carl obtained the South African nationality in 1905.

When exactly my Great-Grandparents moved to the Dutch East Indies I have not been able to find yet but as soon as this information is available it will be updated.

Once in the Indies Carl worked as a chartered accountant and died on the 22 of November 1956 in Bandung.

During WWII Selma, eventhough she was German was held in a Japanese camp in Jakarta.

My Great-Grandfather Carl was interned somewhere in Bandung.

Newspaper advert anouncing the death of Carl Jaeger my

Great Great Grandfather

François Marie Felix Jaeger

Algemeen Handelsblad (17.03.1925)

More about the Nederlandse Handels Maatschappij

Sugar factory in Kentanggoengan West 1930

source: Pesona Kettangungan facebook

At some point the Jaeger family must have moved from South Africa to the Dutch East Indies. The pictures above places them in Semarang in 1916 and my Grandpa Felix still being a young lad.

As was customary in those days, the children went to study in the netherlands. So did my Grandfather Felix (as they called him) because there is proof that he studied Colonial Agriculture ath the Rijks Landbouw Hoogeschool in Wageningen,

When he moved back to the Indies, after his studies in Holland, he worked as a chief planter/engineer for the Nederlandse Handels Maatschappij and was chief planter and engineer of the sugar plantation Kentanggoengan-West near Tegal on Java.

François Marie Felix Jaeger

1899-1949

Jenneke van der Meer

My grandmother was called Jenneke van der Meer born on the 14^th of March 1904 in Rheden (Gelderland) and listed as a housekeeper.

Her parents:

My Great-Grandfather Laurens Antoon “Lourens” van der Meer born 25.12.1859 in Ubbergen (Gelderland) and died 29.01.1918 in Velp. Lourens was coachman and he drove the local doctor to and from patients.

My Great-Grandmother Jenneke van den Berg born 06.06.1864 in Velp and died 20.08.1959 in Arnhem

From this marriage following children were born:

Johanna Geertruida van der meer born 09.03.1884 (married to Dirk Jan van Zandwijk)
Jacoba Martha van der Meer born 01.09.1886 (married to Gerrit Joosse)
Dina van der Meer born 09.03.1898 in Velp (married to Jacobus van der Velden)
Lourens Antoon van der Meer born 02.09.1900 in Velp and a KNIL deserter.
Jenneke van der meer born 14.03.1904 in Velp

Jenneke van der Meer

4 years old

Birth certificate Jenneke van der Meer

Jenneke van der Meer

1904-1958

Ad with Passenger list 28.03.1925 local nieuwspaper of the Indies

Whilst studying in Holland Felix meets Jenneke and the two fall in love.

Felix was an Agricultural Engineer by now and Jenneke was a houskeeper.

Neither of their parents approved of this union, so Felix and Jenneke eloped and married in St Giles (London) on 19^th March 1925. Immediately after their wedding the left on the s.s. Grotius on the 28^th of March 1925 to their new married life in the Indies.

From this marriage the following two children were born:

Carl Jaeger born on the 3^rd of May 1926 in Cheribon, West Java and died on the 10^th of February 2012 in Southend- on- Sea, Essex. He was an aircraft engine mechanic. He was engaged once never married no known children.
Eric Jaeger (my father) born in Pekalongan on 09.03.1928.

In 1931 my Grandparents divorced in Madioen when Eric was 3 years old and both children remained with Jenneke, who raised them.

Jenneke remarried Charles Louis Charlouis in Magetan on the 30^th of August 1932 (one year after her divorce from my Grandfather) Charles was a man from Jewish decent born in Willemstad, Santa Maria, Curacao on the 28^th of July 1898 and 6 years older than Jenneke.

This marriage did not last, and Jenneke and Charles divorced on the 9^th of May 1946 in Batavia.

Charles was a journalist for the daily newspaper “The Locomotive” in Semarang from 1933-1939 and foreign editor for “the News of the Day” in Batavia from 1939-1942.

François Marie Felix Jaeger and Jenneke van der Meer on their wedding day 19.03.1925 St. Giles

Jenneke van der Meer

François Marie Felix Jaeger

Bandung, Java late 1939

Grandpa Felix, Great Grandparents Selma and Carl
with Felix' car

Bandung, Java late 1939

Grandpa Felix with Carl and Eric at the crater of the volcano Tankubanprau near Bandung

GreatGrandparents Selma & Carl sr with my Grandpa Felix and Uncle Carl and my father Eric

Grandpa Felix with GreatGrandfather's car in Bandung

The Second World War in the Indies

At the age of 13 my father and his brother Carl (then 15 years old) where taken away from Jenneke by my Grandfather because of their poor performance at school in Bandung. They were taken to live with their aunt Daisy Ollongren (Jaeger) and her 4 children (Alexander, Elen, Lydia and Tamara)

My uncle Carl didn’t like living with his aunt Daisy and decided to leave and return home to his mother. My Grandfather Felix intercepted the train on which Carl was travelling and took him off. As Carl was 16 years old, he took him to the plantation to try and get him interested in becoming a planter. As he was not interested at all, so he was put on the train back to his mother.

As Daisy’s husband Olly was born in Russia and she herself held a German passport, they were not considered a threat to the Japanese who had occupied the Indies and so the family Ollongren and subsequently my father was not interned in any camp during WWII. I believe Olly served in the Navy, but I am not entirely sure of that.

My uncle Carl was interned in two Japanese prison camps.

Struiswijk (Bunsho 1 Kamp 7) in Batavia.
Tjimahi (Bunsho II Kamp 4) in Bandoeng Java

My Great-Grandfather Carl and Grandfather Felix were also in Tjimahi. So the three generations were together.

They are on this list

My Grandmother Jenneke was in Kramat, which wat under command of Keniche Sone (Sonei) at that time.

She is on this list under Charluis

After the war my father at age 18 helped out by driving trucks carrying supplies in the port of Tandjong Priok and carried a gun. He saw corpses floating down the river on many occasions

Eric Jaeger was repatriated on the s.s. Tegelberg which sailed from Tandjong Priok to Amsterdam leaving on 04.08.1946 and arriving on 29.08.1946.
Charles Louis Charlouis left on the Willem Ruys to Rotterdam leaving 26.12.1952 – arriving 21.01.1953.
Jenneke was repatriated to Holland in 1947 .
My Great-Grandmother Selma returned to Holland in 1958. She travelled with my Great Aunt Edith and my maternal Grandmother Jenneke van der Meer - van den Berg. The ship also made a stop in Southampton where I was allowed to go onboard to meet them for the first time in my life. I was 2 years old at that time and have a vague reccolection of this visit.

To the list of prisoners of camp Tjimahi

To the list of prisoners of camp Kramat

After her repatriation to Holland, this must be around May or June of 1947 because she is registered in Arnhem on the Staringstraat 83. Whilst living in Arnhem she probably met Nicolaas Mosterd born on the 8^th of March 1892 in Maasland and died 17.11.1950 in Amsterdam.

Nicolaas had the following professions: dock worker, sailor’s mate, shipping clerk, gardener, driver, garage clerk and domestic servant. Jenneke and Nicolaas married in Arnhem on the 21^st of January 1948 and divorced one year later the 7^th of March 1949.

After the divorce from Nicolaas Mosterd Jenneke moved to Amsterdam and is registered on the 16^th of February 1950 on the Grote Wittenburgstraat 156hs. On the 5^th of June 1953 Jenneke moved for the last time and lived the rest of her life on the Molensteeg 12I and died in Amsterdam on the 13^th of December 1958.

The Molensteeg 12I, was bang in the middle of the Red-Light District, and she suffered with mental health issues. This was probably because of her past life in Indonesia and her traumatic experiences at the hand of Sonei during her time in the Kramat camp.

She did work as a housekeeper for a butcher in Holland. Her family tried to help her, but this proved unsuccessful. With the help of the Salvation Army, she became stable but as soon as she realized she was going to be a Grandmother (when I was about to be born) her mental state deteriorated again. When she passed away the Salvation Army paid for her funeral, and she was buried on the 16^th of December 1958 in grave number 3-72-C-44 Ooster Begraafplaats in Amsterdam. My uncle Carl attended the funeral.

My Grandmother had very few possessions of which some items of jewellery were inherited by my father Eric.

My Great-uncle Lourens Antoon van der Meer is a story on his own: Lourens Antoon joined the army and was sent to the Indies in 1929 and sailed with the Sibajak. He was a fusilier in his records there are various entries of misconduct on the 8^th of November 13 it is listed: Back on duty from being removed as a result of going missing for more than twenty-eight days - martial punishment

On 22.01.1934 gone missing
On 19.02.1934 removed from duty
On 08.05.1935 Back on duty from being removed because of going missing for more than twenty-eight days - martial punishment.
On 21.12.1935 before a court martial at Tjimahi and in police custody on this date. Was in provisional detention from 8 May to 21 June 1935 and from 20 Oct until 5 Nov 1935. By judgment of the court-martial of 20 Feb 1936 upheld by sentence of the high court dd 24 April 193 sentenced to 7 months' imprisonment and fl 5 fine. The sentence imposed on him and dismissal from military service without disqualification to serve in the armed forces because of

I desertion committed in times of peace.
II having given a false name requested by the competent authority.
III wilful unauthorised absence in time of peace for the duration of at least one day and not longer than thirty days committed while the guilty party is on duty.
IV slight embezzlements

On 19.05.1936 this was executed
On 20.01.1937 he was dishonourably discharged

Lourens was a bad boy and at one point he visited his sister (my Grandmother) when she was absence and Carl and Eric where home alone. He demanded to have a shower and they let their uncle in. Jenneke was furious that the boys let him in as she was not on speaking terms.

Tragic death after the Second World War

Grandpa Felix remarried after the war with Cornelia Adriana Jaeger- van Schouwen born in Rotterdam on the 7^th of June 1916 and died in Bennekom, Ede, Gelderland on the 27^th of September 1991 (75 years old).

This marriage was blessed with one son Paul Felix Jaeger born in Semarang on the 19^th of February 1949.

Paul was 1 month old when his father (my Grandfather) was shot and killed on the 15^th of March 1949 as he was inspecting the sugar plantations.

Grandpa’s widow (second wife) Oma Cox as we called her relocated to Holland with Paul and brought him up on her own.

Paul lives with wife Jose in Oegstgeest

Birth announcement Paul Felix in 1949

Various articles and notifications in various newspaper about the tragic death of my Grandfather Felix Jaeger

My Grandfather FrançoisMarie Felix Jaeger was posthumously awarded a royal decoration the Cross of Merit, by the Queen of the Netherlands, on the 31^st August 1950 and one year after his death.

Cross of Merit awarded by the Queen of the Netherlands

My father Eric Jaeger

My fathers brother Carl Jaeger took on the British nationality and joined the RAF. Carl worked at Heathrow maintaining the aircrafts for TWA.

When Eric was repatriated to the Netherlands with the s.s Tegelberg on the 4^th of August 1946 from Batavia to Amsterdam were the ship docked on the 29^th of August 1946, he travelled all alone (source: 30dagenopzee.nl).

He went to the university in Leiden where he met my mother Kundry Ruby Esmee Kol van Kluive.

Eric didn’t win Kundry over very easily as he proposed three times before she said yes! Eventually the two married in Oestgeest on the 29^th of July 1952.

From an entry in the civil registry I have been able to find out that they were stricken from the Dutch registry on the 14^th of August 1952 with the destination United Kingdom.

Eric followed in his brother's footsteps and joined the RAF and left for England in 1952 (RAF training in electronic engineering and specializing in the further development of the Radar)

Eric was stationed in Farnborough and it is in Farnborough, more specifically Farnham House maternity home where on the 11^th of March 1956 their first child was born.

Their first child a daughter is named Iona Harriet Jennifer (me)

On the 21^st of March 1960 their second daughter is born in Chelmsford named Marla Francis Marye.

And on the 11^th of September 1965 daughter number three is born in Chelmsford and is named Emma Edmee Marguerite.

Unfortunately, the marriage of Kundry and Eric didn’t last and ends in a divorce in 2002 after 50 years of marriage. They ultimately proved incompatible. My father Eric is still alive and lives in the U.K and has just turned 95 years old.

Iona Jaeger, April 2023

For Kundry's story press here

Eric in his R.A.F uniform

Wedding picture of Eric and Kundry Jaeger-Kol van Kluijve

Iona Jaeger with father Eric and sister Emma on Eric's

80th birthday party

09.03.2023

My father Eric Jaeger on his 95th birthday