Lucia Wouters came to America around 1867 with her husband, Wilhelmus Van de Ven, and young son, John Anton. Leaving home to emigrate to a faraway land and surviving the journey was a challenge that many European immigrants faced and endured. Lucia was destined to face many difficult challenges in her life.

Soon after arriving in Missouri, Wilhelmus found work on the new Iron Mountain Railroad in southeastern Missouri. In the brief biography of John A. Vandeven, written in 1975 by his grandson, George, it says that Wilhelmus died working on the railroad.

As a widow with a young son, Lucia sought a new husband. She soon found Jacob Vandoren (Van Doren). The 1870 U.S. Census for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, lists Jacob, a laborer from Holland. It also lists children Lina, Herarda, John, Jacob and Mary, all born in Holland except for 2 year-old Mary. Below the names of the Van Dorens is John Vandeven, 4 years old, born in Holland.

‘Lucy’ took on Jacob’s household and little Mary came along in October 1867. After this census, I haven’t found any other information about Jacob. There are records for Mary Vandoren up until her death in 1936.

The next time we find Lucia she is married to Burghard Juengling. Burghard died in 1875.

Her fourth and last husband was John Henry Sander. Mr. Sander was a merchant in Cape Girardeau. In the 1880 U.S. Census seen below, there is John H. Sander, age 55 years; his wife, Elizabeth, 46 years old, born in Holland; daughter, Anna, 2 years old; son Hermann, 10 months old; son, John Vandervent [sic],14 years old and working as a clerk in the store; and Rebecca Sander, 75 year-old mother of John H. Sander.

It is likely that ‘Elizabeth’ is Lucy, given her age and the inclusion of John Vandervent as a son. If this all holds true, Lucy gave birth to at least three children in America. It is not yet known why Lucy’s daughter Mary Vandoren was not listed in the Sander household. She would have been 13 years old. Perhaps she was already employed and living elsewhere, possibly as a servant.

After a life filled with many challenges, Lucy died in December 1888, at the age of 54 and she is buried in Old Lorimier Cemetery in Cape Girardeau.