Jane Catherine Heermance van Hoevenberg was born November 29, 1792, in Rhinebeck, the daughter of General Martin Heermance and Sarah Kierstede Heermance. She met Dr. Henry van Hoevenberg during the War of 1812, and they married on March 29, 1813.
Dr. Henry and Jane Catherine had the following seven children:
Martin Henry, born March 31, 1815, died October 4, 1899;
Sarah Jane, born November 5, 1818, died, unknown, but alive in 1900;
James Oliver, born July 16, 1822; died December 11, 1897;
John Kiersted, born October 10, 1823, died July 1, 1824;
Charles Ruggles, born May 18, 1825, died March 18, 1886;
Andrew Heermance, born July 1, 1827, died infancy;
Esther Maria, b. 1829, died 1832, aged 3.
Although Charles Ruggles lived to the aged of 60, he was incapacitated his entire life. Family legend holds that he got into his father's medicines at an early age; in any case, he required lifetime care.
We have no specific memories of Jane Catherine. The daughter of a general, who was something of a hero in the War of 1812, accorded her some status, but like a woman of her era she was required to follow her husband, from Kingston to New York to Staten Island, until finally they returned home to what hopefully a quiet retirement. Jane Catherine Heermance van Hoevenberg died September 4, 1862, while her son James Oliver was on active service in the Civil War, just two weeks before the bloodbath at Antietam.
(Adapted from the article "The van Hoevenberg Family")
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