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He was Schooled IN AMSTERDAM, HE FOUGHT IN THE WARS OF THE GREAT NAPOLEON AND CAME TO THIS COUNTRY SEPT. 24, 1821. HE ACCOMPANIED A PIONEER MISSIONARY, FATHER CHARLES NERINCKX TO THIS COUNTRY WHERE HE WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK AS A "JOINTER", BUILDING LOG CHURCHES, FR. NERINCKX'S INTENTION WAS TO FORM A "BROTHERHOOD" FOR KY. SIMILAR TO THE "SISTERHOOD" HE FORMED IN LORETTA.
THIS BROTHERHOOD NEVER STARTED. JAMES FOLLOWED FR. NERINCKX TO MISSOURI JUNE 16, 1824. FATHER NERINCKX DIED AUG. 12, 1824 IN MISSOURI. JAMES VAN RYSSELBERGHE ATTENDED A DEDICATION OF A CHURCH WHERE HE SPOKE OF RETURNING TO SWITZERLAND SINCE HE HAD NO TIME FOR COURTING. A LADY IN THE CROWD (MISS JULIA ANN HOWARD) CAME FORWARD AND TOLD HIM THAT SHE WOULD MARRY HIM IF HE WOULD STAY IN AMERICA. JAMES & JULIA WERE MARRIED ON AUG. 10, 1825 IN SPRINGFIELD, KY. AT ST. CHARLES CHURCH.
JULIA ANN WAS THE 4TH CHILD OF CHARLES HOWARD AND PANNY THOMPSON. FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS THEY MADE THEIR HOME NEAR HER FATHER AND MOTHER ON PRATER'S CREEK IN WHAT IS NOW MARION COUNTY, KENTUCKY. THREE OF THEIR 6 CHILDREN WERE BORN AT THIS LOCATION.
WHEN JAMES LIVED IN SWITZERLAND, THE FLEMISH SPELLING OF HIS LAST NAME WAS VAN RYSSELBERGHE. JAMES IS THE 1ST GENERATION IN OUR FAMILY RECORD. FOUR GENERATIONS AFTER JAMES CAME TO AMERICA ON SEPT. 24, 1821, THE FLEMISH SPELLING WAS CHANGED TO THE ENGLISH VERSION RUSSELBURG. THIS WAS ABOUT 50 YEARS LATER!