The Leep families moved in 1911 from Chicago to Canada and settled in the former, tiny Dutch community of Cramersburg, in the southwestern part of the of southern central Canadian province Saskatchewan. See for much more info and photos of Cramersburg: http://www.calvin.edu/hh/origins/Spring89.pdf

In 1923 Jane's family had to leave Cramersburg because of animal diseases, coldness, dust bowls, grasshopper invasions, drought and several successive crop failures and moved to the Dutch gardeners settlement of Highland, Lake County, in the extreme northwestern part of Indiana, adjacent to Cook County and Chicago in Illinois.

In 1924 her mother Jennie aka Katie died at the age of about 45 years, likely in or near Lansing, Illinois, about 6 miles west of Highland in Indiana.

In April 1930 Jane (18 years old, born in Canada), her father Eward Leep (53, Holland, truck farmer), her siblings Garrett (24, Illinois, truck farm laborer), Antony (21, Illinois, truck farm laborer), James (15, Canada), Fannie (16, Canada), Sarah (13, Canada) and her grandmother Clara Leep (80, Holland) lived on a rented farm in Highland, North Township, Lake County, located in the utter northwestern part of Indiana, adjacent to Cook County and Chicago. In Highland came quite some Dutch settlers after the construction of a railroad.

On May 29, 1933 Jane married in Hammond, Lake County, Indiana at the age of 21 years the almost one year older John VanWilligan.

In April 1940 Jane (28), her husband John Van Willigan (29, groceryman), their children Bonnie (5, Indiana), Laurelie (4, Indiana) and John (10 months, Indiana) lived in a rented house at Carolina Street in Hammond, Lake County, Indiana.

An article in December 2005:
The South Side Bantam store ("Where the Beef is") has been in Highland for over 50 years. Finding a documented history of the store had been no easy task. I have been speaking with people left and right, and also in contacted the Highland Historical Society. What I have found out so far that the store was built in 1947 by members of the VanWilligan family, the original owners. John and Jane VanWilligan had 3 children, oldest, Bonnie (married to Erniest Schulz. Next, Laurelie (Laurie, married to James Skwiertz), and John C. Jr (married to Joan). Both of the girls are now deceased.
The original owners of the store were the Mr. & Mrs. VanWilligan, and they named it "Vanwilligan's Bantum Super" (bantum means "a small store"). The whole family lived in the house next door. In fact Mrs. VanWilligan still lives there.
The Vanwilligan's rented out the store later, first to one of their cousins, Earl, and then to Robert Dugger. They then sold the store to Al Cicenas. While the name sometimes changed, the premises of providing fresh, unpackaged meat remained the same.
Originally the store was only made up of the shopping floor and the meat was cut out back. Both a butchers room and a kitchen were added in later years.

Mrs VanWilligan was a Leep, daughter of E.K. Leep, and Earl was the son of one of her brothers. This is the same line of Leeps, E K's children, that own Pleasant View Dairy and The Bank of Highland (now Sandridge Bank). The store was rented to another man, and then sold to Al Cicenas, and then to Dave Barsic, the current owner.

Jane died died in February 2014 at the age of 102 years at her home in Highland, Lake County, Indiana, since November 1970 widow of John Vanwilligan, who died in East Chicago, Lake County, Indiana at the age of 59 years.

Obituary

JANE E. VAN WILLIGAN HIGHLAND, IN Jane E. (nee Leep) Van Willigan, age 102 of Highland, went to her Heavenly Home on Wednesday February 5, 2014. She passed peacefully at home with family and caregivers at her side. Jane was born in Sask, Canada on December 5, 1911 to E.K. and Jennie (nee De Vries) Leep. Upon coming to the U.S., she attended Highland Christian School. Jane married John C. Van Willigan on May 29, 1933. She was preceded in death by her husband, John; daughters: Bonnie (Ernie) Schulz and Laurelie (Jim) Skwiertz; and all 10 Leep siblings. Jane is survived by son, Jay C. (Joan, nee Mc Corty) Van Willigan; 14 grandchildren; 33 great grandchildren; 24 great- great grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews. Jane worked many years with her husband in their grocery store and after his death, she worked in the office at Pleasant View Dairy. After her retirement from there, she spent many years as a receptionist at Bank of Highland until the age of 82. In her retirement, Jane enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, watching sports on TV, nightly suppers with her sisters, and traveling with her son and daughter-in-law in their motor home. For the past nine years, Jane had been assisted by awesome caregivers: Pauline Colias, Beverli Leep, and Donna Griggs; and for the past 22 months, Hospice of the Calumet Area has given support. Thanks to: Mary, Christina, Chaplin Mike, Melissa, Amber, Nancy, and Debbi. Jane was deeply religious, devoting many years to her church, New Life Reformed. Friends may meet with the family on Monday, February 10, 2014 from 3:00 to 8:00 PM at Kuiper Funeral Home, 9039 Kleinman Rd. (two blocks south of Ridge Rd.), Highland, IN. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday February 11, 2014 at 11:00 AM at the funeral home with Rev. Bill Sytsma officiating.