Pals, van de(r), and collateral branch van Gilse van der Pals, a Dutch Mennonite family found in Rotterdam, Holland, from the early 17th century. Most of them were well-to-do merchants and brokers, and some were deacons of the church. After Gerrit van der Pals in 1786 left the Mennonite Church to join the Reformed, a number of relatives followed him. The Mennonite branch of the family died out in the 19th century. The name seems to indicate that this family stemmed from the Palatinate, Germany, but this could not be ascertained.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 113. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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