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the Decker Journey

mark of Jan Broersen Decker

Save the Date!  October 7-10, 2010.  The Decker Family Association, Descendents of Jan Broersen Decker, will be holding the fourth Decker Family Association Reunion in Ulster County, New York.  (Kingston, New Paltz, Shawangunk)

Download the updated information here. (PDF)

Welcome all Deckers!

The 2010 Decker Reunion for the descendants of James Franklin Decker will be held August 1 at Chris Decker’s house near Sanford, Michigan at 12:00.  Bring a dish to pass, and stories to share.

Chris’s house is 3 ½ miles north of US-10 on M-30, then ½ mile west to 233 Star Rd.  Dinner will be at 12:00.

5/13/2010 - Posted a biography of George Decker (b. 1820), son of Jeremiah Decker and Nancy Bishop, and lived in Seneca County, New York.

4/14/2010 - Added a list of Decker burials and photos from Morgan County, Illinois.  I have been researching this area and had an opportunity to be nearby, so I compiled a list of Decker burials from the Rootsweb site for the county and tried to photo as many as I could find.

1/25/2010 - Posted a biography of Grant Decker (b. 1814), born in New Jersey, then lived with his family in New York, before moving to Flint, Genesee County, Michigan.  He served as the first mayor of Flint, Michigan.

1/25/2010 - Posted a biography of Thomas E. Decker (b. 1846), born in Jefferson County, New York, living in Waushara County, Wisconsin.

1/25/2010 - Posted a biography of Charles F. Decker (b. 1863), son of one of the Utah pioneers, Isaac Perry Decker.

1/25/2010 - Posted a biography of John W. Decker, M.D. (b. 1863), of Lake City, Michigan (parents natives of New York).

1/25/2010 - Posted a biography of Silas Decker (b. 1852), Calhoun County, Michigan, born Union County, Pennsylvania.  His parents were Simon and Mary Ann (Reitz) Decker of Union County, Pennsylvania.

1/25/2010 - Added biographies of Amos Decker (Ohio, b. 1845) and James Knox Polk Decker (Indiana, b. 1839), cousins, both grandsons of John Decker and Julia Ann Royer (Pennsylvania & Ohio).

1/18/2010 - Posted a Biography of William Henry Decker (b. 1836) of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, great-grandson of Nicholas Decker of Copake, Columbia County, New York.

12/10/2009 - Added another article on the Decker House from the book:  Dutch Colonial Homes in America (Blackburn, et. al., 2002), pages 134-143.

11/16/2009 - Added an article on the Decker House from Antiques, The Magazine April 1998;  Living with antiques:  The Johannes Decker Farm in Ulster County, New York by Mary Anne Bunting.

10/11/2009 - Added a list of all Decker burials (and selected related names from including Wood, Smith, and Bulson) in Lenawee County, Michigan from the records of Harriet Cole Brown, compiled in the years 1933-1943.  Also includes some updates from Lenawee County Family Researchers in 2000-2003.  Update 11/3/2009:  I have also completed posting headstone pictures for all Decker graves and related names in Lenawee County as listed in the Harriet Cole Brown records (personally photographed October 10 & 11, 2009).

9/10/2009 - Added a list of Michigan, Bay County - Early Deaths and Marriages.  Marriages from 1867 to 1914 and Deaths from 1914 to 1933.  (New Window)

8/17/2009 - Added Decker baptisms from the Reformed Church (1731-1899) in Rhinebeck, New York.

8/17/2009 - Added Decker baptisms and marriages from the Low Dutch Church at Klyn Esopus (1791-1899) in Ulster Park, New York.

7/27/2009 - Posted research into the parentage of Jan Broersen, which was presented at a previous Decker reunion in 1999.

7/9/2009 - Posted information on a book written by John Tippets, with help from his wife Bonnie Decker Tippets.  The book, Hearts of Courage (pdf), is the story of how his father survived 29 days in the Alaska wilderness after a plane crash in 1943.  (Article published 4/30/2009 in Deseret News - pdf)

2/9/2009 - Posted photos from the descendents of Uriah Decker and Experience Baker, and contain many pictures of William Wood.  These photos are from an album collected by a family member, many of which are tintype, and date to the 1860s.

12/31/2008 - Posted a history of Orion Township, Oakland County, Michigan, description of Decker settlement, named for Jesse Decker (1825) - from History of Oakland County (1912).

Decker Family Association - Information

James Decker (r) - late 1800s, NY

My Journey

No one told me
The road would be so long,
No one told me
I'd sing a new song,
No one told me
The days would turn bright,
But, my Lord told me
To look for the light.

Now there is hope
For a future so bright.
Now there is hope
For ending this night.
Now there is hope
For eternal delight.
I just look to the Lord
And continue to fight victorious.

    By Burt Decker 1961-1997

This site is dedicated to the Decker family, descendents of James Franklin Decker, who came to the Midland Michigan area from New York around 1890. James (born in 1864) was the son of Samuel I Decker.

As I have gathered information the descendents of Jan Broersen to link up with those in my family, I have come across many other Decker families as well.  This website is my attempt at sharing the information that I continue to come across.

The information contained in this web site is, to my knowledge, accurate. Please feel free to fill any holes or correct any incorrect information.

James & Eliza Decker, prob. about 1897

(Photo sent to me courtesy of

Sharon Poole Sherrick)

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