Jan Albert te Selle was born in 1800 in Woold, Netherlands, on the farm known as “de Selle” or “Selleman,” from which the name “te Selle” was originally derived. Jan Albert was the oldest son of Teunis te Selle (1765-1822) and Dela Wilterdink (1768-1803). Jan Albert married Dela ten Damme (1802-1883) in 1826 in Winterswijk.
Jan Albert and Dela had seven sons — no daughters. All the sons were born on farm “de Selle”. Unfortunately, Jan Albert died unexpectedly in 1845, leaving his wife Dela alone to raise and care for seven young boys, ranging in age from Derk Willem, the oldest at 18, to Harmen Jan, the youngest at only one year old. Dela was a strong, determined woman, who raised a wonderful family. Her three youngest sons — Jan Hendrik, Gerrit Jan, and Harmen Jan — emigrated to America between 1865 and 1872. Those three boys and their extended families are responsible for creating and populating many of the farms in present-day Lancaster County, Nebraska. Much of the information in this website chronicles the lives and accomplishments of the descendants of Jan Albert te Selle and Dela ten Damme te Selle.
