Willem Visser, Treintje Mazereeuw + Maartje

Antje Vijselaar

Mazereeuw and "The Mazereeuwers" Willem's maternal grandmother was Trijntje Mazereeuw (1883-1969). She was born in Opperdoes and married Willem Visser (1881-1960) from the same village. After their marriage, they lived in Broek op Langedijk, at the locks, where their daughter Maartje (Willem's mother) was born. Trijntje's parents were Jacob Masereeuw (with an s) and Antje Vijselaar. Look at her lace bonnet. In Dutch it is called a "hulletje". We still have it and treasure it.

Jacob's grandfather was Jan (the old) Masereeuw (1779-1855). He was the mayor of Opperdoes by reason of his "earnestness and talent". He became the leader of a religious community (cult) named (not surprisingly) "The Mazereeuwers".
One day in 1822, when Jan was coming back from the market, where he had sold his butter in a neighboring town, he had an apparition. The heavens opened an a bright godly light embraced him, while a voice called him three times. The holy spirit filled him with the divine understanding of the writings of the biblical prophets. From that day onward, he knew that he was chosen to lead people in anticipation of the, soon to be, coming of Christ.
Jan sold all his posessions and settled in a small rural home in Opperdoes. He soon had established "seceder house churches" with hundreds of followers in Opperdoes and neighboring towns.

Service of the Seceders by K.J.C. Verlaan, c. 1910. Canvas, 82 × 106 cm.
Rijksmuseum Het Catharijneconvent, Utrecht

Read more (in Dutch) about Jan Masereeuw here.

Family Tree:
Look here for Jan (de Oude) Masereeuw (the Prophet of Opperdoes) descendant lineage to van Osnabrugge.