Portrait in possession of John Van Essen, Brainerd, MN. Her son Anton emigrated to Oconto, Wisconsin in 1875 with his wife and four children and brought this portrait of his mother with him.

Mortuary card in possession of John Van Essen, Brainerd, MN, states "geboren te Maastricht, den 4 Januari 1811 en overleden te Wijhe, den 6 Januari 1886.

1835 Maastricht marriage record gives her birth info as 04 Jan 1811 in Maastricht. It gives the name of her father, Frederick Geelkens, and says he died in Maastrich on 20 Nov 1827. It also gives the name of her mother, Anna Mechtildis Claessens, age 53, married to Joannes Doijens, and living in Maastricht at the time of the marriage.

From the Dutch archives civil records database at http://www.genlias.nl/ :

Municipality: Maastricht
Type of record: Geboorteakte
Record number: 8
Registration date: 04-01-1811
Child: Marie Catherine Helene Geelkens
Gender: V
Date of birth: 04-01-1811
Father: Frederic Geelkens
Mother: Anne Mechtilde Claessens

• Married: 12 Jan 1835 in Maastricht, Limburg, Neth.

1. Antone Lambert "Anthony" De France b: 09 Jun 1835 in Maastricht, Limburg, Neth.
2. Anna Maria Hubertine De France b: 19 Dec 1837 in Maastricht, Limburg, Neth.
3. Maria Anna Catharina Hubertina De France b: 1840 in Maastricht, Limburg, Neth.
4. Charles Guillaume Marcel De France b: 22 Oct 1841 in Breda, Noord-Brabant, Neth.
5. Maria Catharina Geertruida De France b: Aug 1846 in Groningen, Groningen, Neth.
6. Maria Johanna Carolina Rosalia De France b: 1850 in Groningen, Groningen, Neth.