Samuel Van Hove (Van Handerhove)

George Ferdinand Van Handerhove was born in Brussels, Belguim and grew up on his father’s large dairy farm. After initially studying to be a priest, he became a cabinetmaker and moved to England, where he met Pauline Thompson, whom he married in 1878. They had three children, Elizabeth, Samuel, and Harry. The Van Handerhoves emigrated from Liverpool to the U.S. in the spring of 1887. They settled in New York on 86th Street, where George opened a cabinet shop. Mary Ann became ill and died soon after. George subsequently married a widow, Lena, with three children of her own. They had at least three more children.

While the exact motivations and dates are unknown, George at some point placed his three eldest children — Elizabeth, Samuel, and Harry into the Juvenile Asylum. In either 1894 or 1892 , the children were sent west on the train. Harry was selected by the W. H. Blanchard family in Odell, Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. Lizzie is listed as taken by the Porter family of Onarga, about 60 miles away from Odell, but a later letter from Mr. Blanchard to the Asylum makes a report on his “two wards” Lizzie and Harry. Perhaps Lizzie’s initial adoption did not work out, or the adults decided that the children were better kept together. 12 year old Sam was taken in by the W. O. Kunkle family in Ferris, who had recently lost two sons to diphtheria.

Sam lived on the farm until he joined the Navy, and he served during the Spanish-American War in 1898. He returned to Carthage and worked as a shoe cobbler and maker of concrete blocks and posts. He married Minnie Viola Kern on 21 December, 1905. Minnie and Sam did not have any children. In 1948 they moved to the Soldiers and Sailors home in Quincy. Minnie died in May, 1963 and Sam died June 8, 1975. They were members of Trinity Lutheran Church, and are buried at Moss Ridge Cemetery. Sam was also a member of the American Legion.

After Harry came of age, in 1904, he came to Carthage to visit his brother. He hired out to a local farmer and met his future wife, Susie Mageline Kern, the sister of Sam’s wife. They married on March 8, 1906. They farmed for a few years north of Carthage, and then moved south of town on the Old Quincy Road. Two children, Thelma Ester and Samuel Sylvestor, died in infancy. Harry Kern VanHove was born 9 May 1917, Lloyd William was born 17 Aril 1919. Harry and Susie also raised a foster son from Chicago, Bill Denning. Harry died on 9 November 1935 at age 56; Susie died in 1968. Their children all remained in the Carthage area.

Lloyd and Sam were inducted into the Army on 6 Jan 1942. Lloyd was a tail gunner and served in combat missions over Europe, receiving the air medal with 3 oak leaf clusters. He was active in FFA work and hunting. Samuel trained as a mechanic and was assigned to New Guinea in the Army Air Corps.