Otiena then married James Thomas Bradbury, Jr., from Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, on June 12, 1957. His nickname was 'Buddy,' and he was born April 14, 1922. Otiena and James moved back to Dudley and purchased the Jan and Willemina home place across from Brogden School in 1975. Otiena worked for the Wayne County government delivering 'meal on wheels' to the elderly in the community.
James proceeded her in death in November 1993. Otiena died at Wayne Memorial Hospital on November 15, 1998. She and Buddy are interred at Willowdale Cemetery off Williams street in downtown Goldsboro. She rests just a block away from Jan and Willemina.
Kaye was raised by her grandparents Jan and Willemina after Otiena’s divorce from Thomas Elmer Hill. She was born in Goldsboro, NC, and is interred at the municipal cemetery in Princeton, NC.
John Herbert Hill was adopted by Otiena’s brother, William Robert van Roekel, and his wife, Elizabeth, when Otiena was unable to take care of all four of her children after her divorce from Thomas E. Hill, Sr.
William and his brother, Thomas, moved to Rockville, MD, with their mother after her divorce from Thomas Elmer Hill, Sr.
Below a picture of Otiena and a picture of her descendants from left to right: Thomas Elmer Hill, Jr., John Herbert (Hill) van Roekel, Christina Hill, William Robert Hill, Sharon Hill (wife of William), Ryan Hill, Lisa Ann Taylor, Eddie Taylor, Kent Taylor (husband of Lisa), Susan Taylor, Jennifer Deelen Strickland (Herb's daughter), Hannah Leigh Strickland, Deelen Nicole Strickland, Joyce C. Taylor (Herb’s sister-in-law), Judy T. van Roekel (Herb’s wife), Rachel B. Hill (Tom’s wife), Jason Wesley Strickland (Jennifer’s husband), not pictured: Amanda C. van Roekel (Herb’s daughter):
Otiena worked for the county government delivering meals to the elderly for a number of years after James( Buddy) had passed away. She died on 15-11-98 at Wayne Memorial Hospital and was buried beside Buddy in Willowdale Cemetary off Williams Street in Goldsboro. She rests just a few hundred feet from her parents.
John Herbert was adopted by William and Elizabeth Howard van Roekel of Wilson NC and took the name Van Roekel.
The van Roekel Family in America
The story of Jan Van Roekel and
Willemina van Deelen van Roekel
A Legacy of Life and Love
COMPOSED BY JOHN HERBERT van ROEKEL 2009
Copyright © 2009 by John Herbert van Roekel
ISBN-13: 978-0-9841680-0-2
ISBN-10: 0-9841680-0-1
John Herbert gave me permission to use any material from the book in this genealogy for which I am very grateful. Whenever material is used it will be with proper source reference.
The book gives a vivid and loving description of the grandparents of John Herbert, both born in Holland and after emigration to the USA building a new life there, working hard and surmounting many difficulties.
After dedication, acknowledgement and a short introduction in the first part the story of Jan and Willemina unfolds. How they live in Holland, meet each other, marry and emigrate to America and with many ups and downs make their living there. Of special interest is the vivid and detailed description of the North Carolina Colonies, modeled more or less after the Walden colony of Frederik van Eeden.
Herb then decribes how Jan and Willemina after leaving North Carolina build their lives in the new country followed bij chapters that focus on Jan van Roekel and Willemina van Deelen as a person. This part ends with a description of the trips to Holland undertaken bij Herb and family to gather more knowledge.
Then follow genealogy parts about the ancestors and descendants of Jan and Willemina. The book ends with a appendix covering various items like for instance the story of Jan de Bakker, the first Dutch martyr. The book contains many figures and photograps all neatly listed in the contents.
