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Michael Soetaert
Constant Soetaert
BIRTH
January 29th, 1863
Egem, Arrondissement Tielt, West Flanders
(West-Vlaanderen), Belgium
DEATH
June 13th 1938 (aged 75)
Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, USA
BURIAL
Mount Calvary Cemetery
Saint Marys, Pottawatomie County, Kansas, USA
Constant Soetaert
(1863-1938)
Julianna “Julie”
Soetaert LeCluyse
(1865-1940)
Henry Soetaert
(1874-1954)
The Soetaert family is Flemish, from modern Belgium & the Netherlands. Michael Soetaert (1643-1716) was the first born son of Marinus Soetaert (1607-1680). This 17th century record is one the earliest in Soetaert family genealogy.
Spring Hill, Kansas is where Michael Soetaert graduated from elementary school and middle/junior high school. He is also a graduate of Spring Hill High School. His parents were Walter and Mary Soetaert, grandparents were Adolf and Norine Soetaert, great grandparents were Charlie (Charles) and Louise Soetaert and his great-great grandparents were Constant (Stana) and Mary Soetaert.
NOTEWORTHY SOETAERTS
The official Shawnee Mission website says that Mayor Tony Soetaert (1936 - 2016) was a direct descendant of Constant Soetaert. Allan Soetaert is also a descendant of Constant Soetaert. Governor Laura Kelly appointed Allan to the Kansas Water Authority. He is also the manager of Rural Water District No. 7, in Johnson County. He has been a public servant for 35 years.
Henry Soetaert
(1872-1954)
Henry was born in the small town of Egem in West Flanders, Belgium. He was the son of Petrus Soetaert (1835-1893) and Rosalie Verstraete (1835-1925). He came from a family of weavers who had lost their cottage craft to industrialization. Egem, like other Flemish towns of the period, had been reduced to a sad state in which many people survived through "soup kitchens" set up by the government. As a result, almost half the population of Egem emigrated to America. This included all of Henry's family except for his father, who is buried in Egem.