In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1880
From An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota (1912)
WILLIAM H. BOT (1886) is a successful young business man of Ghent. He is the proprietor of a pool hall and handles confectionery, cigars and soft drinks in connection. He owns 240 acres of land two miles east of Ghent and 160 acres on the White Earth Reservation, in Northern Minnesota. Mr. Bot is also a shareholder of the Farmers Elevator Company of Ghent.
Mr. Bot's parents, William H. and Debora (Schrueder) Bot, were Hollanders, and William was born in Holland December 23, 1880. His father died in 1908; the mother lives in Ghent. William went to school for several years in his native land and accompanied his parents to America in 1886. The father bought 480 acres of land one mile east of Ghent and the family made their home on the farm. The lad worked on the farm with the father until twenty-eight years of age. In July, 1909, he moved to Ghent and purchased his present business from
Theodore Sanders, which he has since conducted with success.
November 11, 1908, occurred the ceremony which united William H. Bot and Mary Stassen in the holy bonds of matrimony. Mary Stassen's parents were natives of Belgium, and she was born there. Mr. and Mrs. Bot are the parents of two children, Louis and Debora Elizabeth. The Bots are members of the Catholic church and Mr. Bot is a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters.
As printed in An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Their biographies name William H. Bot: Henry J. Bot (b. 1876) John H. Bot (b. 1879)
The printed record stops around 1912. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.