Re: Wisconsin Rens of USA/Netherlands
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In reply to:
Wisconsin Rens of USA/Netherlands
12/17/99
I live in Montreal, Canada where I was born in 1946. My father Joseph Laurent Rens was born in Antwerpen, Belgium. He was catholic as his mother was a catholic Flemish. His fahter Leman Rens was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands in a Jewish family. Therefore this part of the family was Dutch and was active in the diamond industry. I know 2 sisters of my grand father emigrated in Toronto, Canada at the turn of the century but we lost contact with them. Anyway their name is not Rens anymore. Some branch of the family emigrated in South Africa at the turn of the century. We lost track of them in the 1970s. The last we heard was they were trying to get a Dutch passport. I know there were some Renz with a "z" in Germany.
I do not know if they were Jewish. I know of another Rens family in Bruges, Belgium, with no relation with our family. They are catholic of ancient extraction. In the 1960s, I met a General Rens from Bruges who was active in the Belgian Air Force.
If someone is related to the Rens from Amsterdam, I would be pleased to get in touch.
Jean-Guy Rens