Cornelius W. was born  on 16 January 1834 in Bladel, North Brabant, the Netherlands as Cornelius Wilhelmus Hendriks. His parents are Hendrik Hendriks and Adriana Roijmans. Cornelius was one of their ten children. Five of them died at a very young age and one was born  lifeless.

Hendrik was a carriage maker by profession. Hendrik and Adriana were not poor but also not very wealthy. They possessed hardly any real estate. On 10 March 1852 they left the Netherlands in search for a better future for their children.  Cornelius was 15 years old at the time. They embarked in Antwerp on a ship called Elisabeth Denison, that docked in New York, 26 April, 1852. After their arrival, the family headed for Little Chute, Wisconsin. Two sisters of Cornelius Hendrika (Hattie)and Wilhelmina (Minnie) stayed there the rest of their lives, married and had families of their own. Cornelius married Margaretha Molitor from Little Chute. At the age of 32 he lived with his family in Green Bay where he made a fortune as baker and grocer. His parents Hendrik and Adriana were part of his household. Hendrik died in Green Bay in 1868. About 1880 Cornelius, his sister Antonet (Ann/Anna) and his mother Adriana moved to Jamestown, Stutsman County, North Dakota. Cornelius was a farmer there. By that time his wife had died and he had married his second wife, Marie Parent with whom he also had children. Cornelius’ sister Antonet married Thomas C. Barrett. She stayed at Jamestown. In 1890 Cornelius, and his family were registered at Cornelius, Washington County, Oregon where he lived with his son Alphonse.  Cornelius owned a saw mill there. His mother, Adriana was part of his household. In 1898 she died at the age of 93. Cornelius died in 1914.