Alpharetta Mary Van Valkenburgh 
General Notes
Alpha went to Oklahoma A&M for 1 or 2 years. She taught music in Yale or Perkins. She studied music in Kansas City and sang in the opera there. Then she moved to New York City, studied music, and sang a lot there.
She sang on a radio show, mostly sight reading. Sang at Radio City Music Hall in chorus, and in some opera.
Alpha got a job as ad manager for the Opera Guild and did that for 40 years.
Alpha's husband Ned was a producer. Alpha met him in an audition.
He produced several off broadway shows, and wrote some stuff. He was from Holland. He died in Amsterdam on a visit to his family. Ned only had one arm.
Obituary:
Alpharetta Mary (Alpha) Van- Valkenburgh Jaakobs, whose father ran in the Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893, passed away on November 14, 2010. Born in Deer Creek, Oklahoma Territory on August 9, 1906, before Oklahoma Statehood, she was 104 years old.
Alpha was one of fourteen children. Her father, A.M. VanValkenburgh, settled in Deer Creek after claiming land in one of the land runs in Oklahoma Territory in 1893. She remembered that her father marked his claim with a buffalo bone and a red bandana.
After leaving Deer Creek, Alpha attended Oklahoma A & M College, and later studied music in Kansas City where she performed as a singer with the opera. Her love of vocal music took her to New York where she performed both as a soloist and in the chorus in several venues, including Radio City Music Hall. Her passion for music was an integral part of her life.
In the late 1930s she began a career in the advertising department of the Guild of the Metropolitan Opera. She retired after working with the Met for more than forty years. In 1943 she married Ned Jaakobs, a native of the Netherlands, who was a theatrical producer in New York.
After his death in 1956, Alpha continued to live in the heart of Manhattan until she moved to California in the 1970s. Alpha and a sister moved to Tulsa to be closer to her brother Paul VanValkenburgh, her nephew Don Webster, her niece Jeannette Reese, and their families. “Aunt Alpha” will be missed by numerous friends and family members, especially her primary caregiver during her last few years, Kay VanValkenburgh Raley.
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Ancestor Pedigree Chart
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*There are earlier generations for the ancestor(s) indicated. See their page(s) for details (click name)
- b.12 Jun 1720 in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York d.22 May 1802
- b.25 May 1753 in Claverack, Columbia County, New York d.04 Aug 1831 in Auburn, Cayuga County, New York
- b.<13 Oct 1728
- b.20 Aug 1797 d.30 Aug 1872 in Earlville, Delaware County, Iowa
- b.09 Oct 1727 in Albany, New York
- b.21 May 1765 in Auburn, Cayuga County, New York d.14 May 1854 in Prattsburg, Steuben County, New York
- b.15 Jul 1748 in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York
- b.13 Feb 1838 in Semphronius, Cayuga County, New York d.1915
- b.22 May 1803 in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York
- b.07 Jun 1872 in Fairbury, Livingston County, Illinois d.09 May 1960 in Deer Creek, Grant County, Oklahoma
- b.1737 in Baltimore County, Maryland d.05 Jun 1837 in Fentress County, Tennessee
- b.26 Oct 1784 in Sullivan County, Tennessee d.16 Jun 1870 in Livingston County, Illinois
- b.~ 1750 d.< 1830 in probably Fentress County, Tennessee
- b.1819 in Overton County, Tennessee
- b.~ 1758 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia d.~ 1809 in Overton County, Tennessee
- b.04 Apr 1784 in Virginia d.09 Jul 1865 in Livingston County, Illinois
- b.~ 1768 in Henry County, Virginia d.29 Nov 1851 in Overton County, Tennessee
- b.09 Apr 1846 in Fairbury, Livingston County, Illinois d.24 Sep 1926
- b.~ 1818 in Missouri
- b.09 Aug 1906 d.14 Nov 2010
- b.~ 1729 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia d.1799 in Berkeley Parish, Spotsylvania County, Virginia
- b.1765 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia d.1808 in Fayette County, Kentucky
- b.~ 1733
- b.1808 in Kentucky
- b.1740 in Virginia d.> 1800 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia
- b.~ 1769 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia d.< 1839 in Fayette County, Kentucky
- b.~ 1740
- b.13 Jun 1853 in Platte County, Missouri d. in Harper County, Oklahoma
- b.23 Apr 1754 in Preston's Chance, Harford County, Maryland d.1802 in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky
- b.03 Aug 1778 in Harford County, Maryland d.30 Apr 1874 in Mason County, Kentucky
- b.1758 in Harford County, Maryland d.1793 in Mason County, Kentucky
- b.15 Nov 1812 in Mason County, Kentucky d.24 Dec 1897
- b.~ 1749 in St. George, Spotsylvania County, Virginia d.~ 1815 in Mason County, Kentucky
- b.30 Apr 1781 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia d.02 May 1852 in Mason County, Kentucky
- b. in Spotsylvania County, Virginia d. in Mason County, Kentucky
- b.29 Sep 1878 in Bates County, Missouri d.18 Feb 1918 in Grant County, Oklahoma
- b. in Kentucky d. in Kentucky
- b.08 Jul 1825 in Bourbon County, Kentucky d.11 Apr 1901 in Strasburg, Cass County, Missouri
- b.01 Sep 1765 in North Carolina or Pennsylvania d.11 Jan 1852 in Harrison County, Kentucky
- b.~ 1804 in Harrison County, Kentucky
- b. in Virginia d.< 1850 in Harrison County, Kentucky
- b.23 Oct 1860 in Harrison County, Kentucky d.09 Dec 1911 in Harper County, Kansas
- b.~ 1760 d.1833 in Harrison County, Kentucky
- b.~ 1795 in Pennsylvania d.~Jan 1861
- b.~ 1833 in Kentucky d.18 Oct 1865 in Harrison County, Kentucky or Strasburg, Cass County, Missouri
- b.~ 1770 d.1816 in Harrison County, Kentucky
- b.~ 1794 d.14 Jul 1843 in Harrison County, Kentucky
- b.~ 1770
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Details of Alpharetta's family with Ned Jaakobs
Source/Citation
The Van Valkenburg Family in America, Paul I Van Valkenburg
The Van Valkenburg Family in America, Paul I Van Valkenburg