From Bonnie Strope

Part One

When this research adventure began in August of 1994, the knowledge that the Bible had been found was not yet being made public. Because it contains genealogy records dating back to 1610, many family members, this author included, were pining to look through it. If we had known who possessed the Bible, the owners would have been overwhelmed with requests for information.

The Bible appears to have become missing after 1901. As already indicated in the introduction of this book, during the spring of 1855, Harry Strope exhibited the Bible at a pioneer and historic festival held in Owego, New York. This information indicates that the Bible was still accounted for in 1855. An article telling about the Bible's great beauty and heritage appeared in a Towanda newspaper in 1870, thus accounting for its whereabouts in that year. Mrs. Susoeff indicates that some family members knew of its location until 1901, when it was passed into hands that moved it away from Towanda, Pennsylvania and neighboring areas.

The following letter referring to the Bible appeared in the columns of the "Bradford Reporter," Towanda, October 27, 1870. Because the wording is so intriguing, it has been copied exactly and fully.

"Mr. Editor:

Perhaps, in Christian hands, no one of the heirlooms handed down with such care from one generation to another, surpasses in interest or value the carefully preserved family Bible. The affections of family and kindred tenaciously cluster around the venerable volume. While the symbol of household salvation remains, it is the mute but sure witness of the highest and holiest hopes of successive generations. Who can recount the solaces and comforts derived from the old Bible, handed down, it may be, from the great grandfather, or, it may be, a more ancient bequeathment. What precious associations cluster around the priceless volume! How vain it were to place mere money value upon such an object.

'The mines of earth no treasures give,

That could this volume buy!'

If the time served or your columns furnished the space, I might with apparent reason indulge at some length on these reflections; but my present task is mainly a descriptive one. Before me lies one of these old heirlooms. It is a thick folio of over a thousand pages, with solid oaken covers bound with leather, and with heavy brass clasps and corners. It weighs eleven pounds and was printed about one hundred and fifty-four or five years ago in the Dutch language, in the best style of its time-its value was then about fifty dollars. It is profusely illustrated with maps, charts, engravings, etc. Many of these engravings are quaint almost to the point of comicality…

By the merest accident, I have met with an old copy of the 'Presbyterian,' published nineteen years ago, in which there is a full and well written account of the history of the book I have been endeavoring to describe. I shall freely quote from the paper in question. In the course of an obituary notice of Mrs. Mary Tuttle, of Wysox, who died on the 16th of November, 1851, in her 79th year, 'trusting in Christ for a glorious immortality,' it goes on to state: 'Mrs. Tuttle's grandfather, Isaac VanValkenburg came to this county with his family in an early day from Albany. He, with a numerous family by the name of Strope, possessed lands in Wysox. Sebastian and John Strope, his sons-in-law, resided with him. They were at the time apprehensive of danger from the Indians, as in the month of February, 1778, they had carried away from Wyalusing, Mr. Amos York's family as prisoners to Canada. In May following they made a hostile demonstration in Wysox.

Sebastian Strope had been at the fort at Wyoming asking for protection. The Indians after this regarded Sebastian 'with peculiar ill will.' In the month of May an Indian came to VanValkenburg's house; his daughter was working butter at the time. He thrust his hand into the bowl, and, as related to me, smeared his face with the butter. As her remonstrance only produced a repetition of the deed, she called her father. He promptly put the Indian out of doors. 'The crises had now come.' Sebastian made his escape to Wyoming, and was in the battle afterwards. The remainder of the family went as prisoners to Canada. Mrs. Tuttle, John Strope's daughter, was then five years old, and vividly remembered the trying scenes of that time.

The family had buried most of their household utensils, the rest the Indians endeavored to carry away or destroy. 'Among the latter was the family bible, which, with other books, they threw upon the fire. The old gentlemen, with the resolution of a martyr, sprang to the rescue of the precious volume and saved it from the flames.' The covers of the book show the marks of that fire to this day.

For ten years the old gentleman carried the precious Bible in his pack. He was for some time confined in prison at Fort Niagara with his son-in-law, John Strope. The latter they tried to starve into loyalty. For five days he was kept without food or water.

'Finding their efforts vain, they desisted before the spark of life was quite extinguished.'

After ten years absence the family returned to their former home, dug up their pots, kettles, etc, and began the world again. We can well believe that 'the family Bible,' that had been their solace in captivity, was now doubly dear to them.

The memoir goes on to explain the reason why those families (the Yorks, Stropes, and others) were removed. 'They were among the Whigs of '76 and were like a picket guard to the north of Wyoming, and would not fail to give notice of any hostile demonstration.' But these families were cared for by a kind Providence and all lived to return. Their enemies have perished.

Here, Mr. Editor, you have the history of the old Bible, and as you can perceive, it forms a valuable addition to our local annals. You may hear from me again.-

Yarom."

A search for the Bible was instigated in 1957, when an article appeared in the quarterly magazine, "The Settler," Bradford County Historical Society, Towanda, Pennsylvania, June 1957, Volume IV, Number One, pp. 18-20, inquiring as to its whereabouts. Another search, funded by the National Association of the Van Valkenburg Family, was begun in 1991. Articles were placed in newspapers all across America, but attempts to find the Bible were again futile. One of our distant cousins Marilyn Susoeff, a member of the NAVVF and an avid genealogist, spent many of her days searching diligently for it.

The breakthrough came in July of 1991, after the Bible had been in unknown locations for 90 years. Marilyn and her husband received word from a Binghamton, New York woman that a friend of hers had the Bible in Texas. An account of the exciting find was recorded in "The Daily Star," published in Oneonta, NY. Excerpts tell the story best.

"The Daily Star,"

Oneonta, NY, 13820, July 13, 1991: "Old family Bible found; Franklin relic still mystery"-By Patricia Breakey-Walton News Bureau-FRANKLIN -"Marilyn Susoeff scrutinizes the 1718 Dutch Bible at the Franklin Free Library. After a Pennsylvania couple spent the weekend at the Franklin Free Library, photographing and transcribing handwritten entries in an 18th century Dutch Bible, they discovered that the long lost VanValkenburg Bible they were looking for was in Texas.

Bill and Marilyn Susoeff, of Bridgeville, Pa. came to Delaware County on July 13 to see if a 273-year-old Dutch Bible in Franklin was the missing VanValkenburg family heirloom that had been the subject of a nationwide search.

As Marilyn Susoeff studied the old names and dates in the Bible, she became convinced that Franklin's Dutch Bible was probably a twin to the VanValkenburg Bible, but the names and dates did not match the detailed genealogical VanValkenburg records she brought with her, indicating they were not the missing ancestors she has been diligently looking for.

While Marilyn Susoeff copied the old entries of marriages, births and deaths of someone else's family, her husband, who is a professional photographer, took numerous photographs of the book that so closely matched the description of the Bible they were seeking.

The Franklin Dutch Bible perfectly matches a description of the Van Valkenburg Bible that appeared in the 'Bradford Argus' in an article dated March 17, 1855.

'This is the first time I have actually seen a Bible of the correct vintage,' said Marilyn Susoeff. 'And although I am sure it is not the one I am looking for, it is still a fascinating family record that should be fully documented.'

But after the Susoeffs returned home, they got a call from a Binghamton woman who told them that a friend of hers had the VanValkenburg Bible in Texas…