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the Decker Journey

mark of Jan Broersen Decker

My Journey

June 2009

At the end of June I was able to spend some time in Salt Lake City with the descendents of Zachariah Bruyn Decker, and attended their reunion.  There was a formal dinner on Friday night (June 26), followed by a presentation and informal gathering on Saturday (June 27).  I met many members of this family, and had a great time visiting my Salt Lake City relatives.

According to my database and relationship calculator, Zachariah Bruyn Decker was the fourth great-grandson of Jan Broersen, descended through his son Cornelius.  There is a great deal of information on Zachariah and his family through their involvement in the Mormon church from its earliest days in Salt Lake City, so I will not try to rewrite these many stories here.

A stop in Salt Lake City was also interesting to me because two of Brigham Young's wives were Decker sisters, Lucy Ann and Clarissa Decker, daughters of Isaac Decker and Harriet Page Wheeler.  I didn't have the relationship while I was there, so during my brief stop back home (before flying back west to Denver) was to determine their relationship.  It seems not that easy to trace Isaac Decker, but it seems that his parents were Peter Decker and Hannah Snook, which then traces back to Jan Jacobsen Decker, grandson of Jan Broersen through the oldest son Jacob Jansse Decker.  This is the same line as my family.  Or, to put it another way, Isaac Decker was the third cousin of my great-great grandfather.

I want to extend my warmest thanks for the descendents of Zachariah Bruyn Decker for allowing me to share in their reunion events.

Getting Ready to eat... social hour before the formal dinner in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (9th Floor dining hall).  June 26, 2009

View from the 9th floor dining hall in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  During dinner a strong storm pushed through, but cleared up after sunset for this picture.  June 26, 2009

Presentations on Saturday before the informal family reunion.  June 27, 2009.

The bedroom of Lucy Ann Decker Young in the Beehive house.  June 25, 2009.

The bedroom of Lucy Ann Decker Young in the Beehive House.  June 25, 2009

The Beehive house.  June 25, 2009

The Kimball... home base for our 4 nights in Salt Lake City (with the sign "Weeks for Sale" hanging on the side).  June 27, 2009.

Rebecca and myself in San Francisco... our next stop on this tour.  July 2, 2009.

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