This family originates from the Western part of the Betuwe (central Holland), to be precise the area between Beusichem, Zoelen and Tiel. It is a small-scale bucolic landscape dotted with tiny villages, where time stood still. When searching we visited Beusichem, Zoelmond, Ravenswaaij and Tiel.
The personnel at the regional archive  Regionaal Archief Rivierenland   at Tiel and Buren have been very cooperative and friendly.

	The villages Zoelen en Zoelmond are named after the small brook Zoel, which is very hard to find (see picture left). The oldest known ancestor is Michiel Petersen, who lived around 1750 and was married to  Liesbeth van Muiswinkel.
	According to church books they lived at "den opstal" at  Ravenswaaij and when baptising their children in the Zoelmond church they needed a consent from reverend Keer of Ravenswaaij. Because of his wife's name we assume that they dwelled at the Muizenwinkel farm, already visible on maps from 1860 and still existing, as is visible on the map above and on the picture left.
From their original region the Petersens spread to places like Doorn, Zeist, Amsterdam, Den Haag and Rotterdam. Around Harderwijk another Petersen family exists, which however is not directly related. Via the regional archivist at Wijk bij Duurstede we came into contact with Jan and Henny Petersen in Doorn, who had already done quite a lot of investigations. Their branch of the family is mainly around Doorn and Zeist. We call this family the "Doorn branch" and the result of their efforts can be found here:  Petersen family - Doorn  For further information please contact via email: shirleymax@onetelnet.nl
	Left you see a bunch of Petersens in Doorn (Jan Bernhard Juliaan, son Michiel and brother Michiel Adriaan) together with my wife Louise Helene (Loes) Petersen, who originates from The Hague.

	The family of my wife moved via Amerongen to Amsterdam. Karel Petersen was a coach driver and took his young bride Geertje van Gelder there. Alas, both died young, and the youngest of their children was even at an orphanage, though later she became nanny to the children of the respected Quarles van Ufford family.
	His son Johannes Karel moved to Rotterdam as an apprentice stone mason. After his marriage they moved to The Hague where he started a stone mason's shop. At great speed he crossed through The Hague streets on his Harley Davidson. One could also expect him at the annual TT racing in Assen. On the picture below he is accompanied by photographer Lunow on the back seat.