Soldier killed in Revolutionary War was ancestor to local residents

Special Memorial Day content will be published in the Weekend Southeast Missourian and online through Sunday.

Nearly 250 years ago, a man who had never set foot in the Cape Girardeau area died in service to his country. Even though he would never see the Missouri town overlooking the Mississippi River, his life, and death, would leave a name -- or rather names -- and lasting impact on Southeast Missouri.

Jacob Van Gelder Sr. -- sometimes spelled Van Guilder -- was a private in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Van Gelder Sr. served in Capt. Henry Goodwin's company of the 5th New York Regiment, according to muster rolls.

The first confirmed record of the private enlisting in military service was in June 1777, a little less than a year after the Declaration of Independence was signed. It's possible he served even earlier in 1775, enlisting somewhere close to his home in Nobletown, New York, according to Andrew Blattner, the recorder of deeds for Cape Girardeau County.

"When you get to that far back, you know, the records are a little lacking," Blattner said.

Van Gelder Sr. became sick sometime in early June 1779. He was taken to a military hospital in Albany, New York, where he died from the illness June 18 of the same year. The illness and exact cause of his death are unknown. He was one of 25 family members who served during the Revolutionary War.

Van Gelder Sr. was among the estimated 17,000 American deaths attributed to disease during the war, according to historians. Disease deaths are estimated to be around twice the number of American battlefield deaths, although some historians state that 10 soldiers died of disease for every one who died during battle. Smallpox was among the most persistent and deadly diseases at the time.

Following the war, the Van Gelder family slowly began to make their way southwest. Ending up in southern Pennsylvania and what would later become West Virginia for a time before pushing toward the Midwest.

The family made it to Cape Girardeau by 1808 when the town was officially incorporated and many in their lineage have stayed in the area for 200-plus years, including Blattner himself who is a maternal descendant of Van Gelder Sr.

Blattner, along with many other relatives across the country, began researching the Van Gelder ancestry with DNA tests and historical records, eventually leading to family history predating even the Revolutionary War private's service.

"I do believe he is the ancestor of all the Vangilders, and Gilders, here in Cape Girardeau County," Blattner said.

One such descendant is Scott Vangilder, Blattner's cousin, who was among those who took a DNA test to help with Blattner's research. Vangilder comes from a long line of military service, his father served in World War II and his grandfather served in World War I. Now, he knows about an ancestor who fought to help create the U.S.

"It's an extreme honor,' Vangilder said. "I'm humbled that someone from our lineage, or our descendants you know, was involved with that."

Vangilder added the he was proud that someone he is related to made the "ultimate sacrifice" to help create the U.S.

Vangilder is the director of the Jackson Municipal Band who will be performing a Memorial Day concert at the Old Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson. The concert starts at 9 a.m.

"That will mean more to me now that I know about Jacob Van Gelder," Vangilder said.