Medical History.

This book would fail to serve its reader if no mention was made of the medical background of the Vogelzangs and their descendents.

Though generally a healthy strong stock, as they age, the genetic diseases they seem to have acquired can catch up with them. In the case of the original Vogelzang stock, it appears that as they get older there is a tendency for senility, dementia/altzheimers disease to creep in.

As mentioned earlier, in so far as the descendents of the Lemmer branch is concerned, through the marriage of Weird Wierdsma to Akke Agricola, the latter brought the gene influencing breast cancer for the women and bowel cancer to the men. Lung cancer is not uncommon either. However, this could be influenced by the cancer proneness being aggravated by smoking.

When tracking these medical tendencies, there appears to be a definite medical pattern, influenced by Mendelian law. It would be interesting to do a further study on this. The author would appreciate any information any of the readers may have of their family medical history. So far we know the following:

Person: Akke Agricola died of breast cancer.

Daughter Rinske Wierdsma died of breast cancer.
Rinske’s husband Jan Harmen had hardening of the arteries/senility.

Her son Herman had hardening of the arteries/senility.

His son Kees died of melanoma.

Rinske’s daughter Agatha had mastectomy.

Agatha daughter Thecla had breast cancer and died of spinal cancer.
Agatha’s son Louis died of cancer.

Rinske’s son Weird died of lung cancer.
Rinske’s son Albertus died of bowel cancer.

Albertus daughter Renske died of bone cancer.
Albertus son Theo died of kidneyl cancer.
Albertus daughter Johanna died of throat cancer.
Albertus daughter Anna died of breast cancer.
Albertus daughter Ria died of breast cancer and cancerous brain tumour.

Ria’s daughter Annemieke died of leukemia after two bouts with breast cancer.
Jan –Albertus son’s daughter Yvonne had cervical cancer in 2006.

Rinske’s son Rintje died senile.
Rintje’s daughter Margareta had mastectomy died of brain tumor.
Rintje’s son Jan has colostomy as result of bowel cancer.
Rinske’s son Lubertus died senile.
Rinske’s son Jo died of lung cancer.
Rinske’s daughter Engeline had mastectomy and died of altzheimers disease.

Engeline’s son Gerardus had leukemia.

The conclusions we can draw from the above is, that any ladies who are descendants from any of the above, should have regular breast examinations. Both men and women should have regular cancer tests. As well as all of them are well advised to stay mentally active to counter act senility tendencies.