Opa Herman de Jong had the following occupations

1. Organist First United Church, St. Thomas 1953
2. Male Nurse, Psychiatric Hospital, St. Thomas, 1953
3. Teacher, Aylmer Christian School (1954)
4. Conductor, Aylmer Choral Society (1954)
5. Conductor, London CRC Choir (1954)
6. Teacher, Sarnia Christian School (1955-1959)
   Conductor Sarnia Christian School Choir
7. Organist, Knox Presbyterian Church, Goderich (1959 – 1962)
   Music Supervisor, Goderich Township Public Schools
   Conductor, Clinton CRC Choir
   Conductor, Exeter CRC Choir
8. Vice Principal, Sarnia Christian School (1963-1969)
   Organist, Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Port Huron.
   Organist, First Congregational Church, Port Huron
   Organist, St. George’s Anglican Church, Sarnia
   Organist, Second CRC, Sarnia
   Conductor, Christian School Choir
   Conductor, CRC Choral Society, Sarnia
   Conductor, Wyoming CRC Choral group
   Piano refinishing, Strybos Music Store.
   Carpenter, Handy Man Chr. School during summer vacations
9. Music Studio, 35 students, 1969-1970
10. Upholsterer, Little Shop (1970 -1979)
    Organist, Redeemer CRC, Sarnia
    Organist, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Sarnia
    Deacon, Redeemer CRC, Sarnia
    [The summer of 1979, the de Jong family picked up roots and moved from Sarnia to Jordan Station, In Niagara]
11. Upholsterer, St. Catharines (1980-1983)
    Organist Trinity CRC, St. Catharines]
12. Development Director, Salem Christian Mental Health Ass’n (1983 – 86)
13. Coordinator, Friendship Groups Canada (1986- 1991)
    Organist, St. John’s Anglican Church, Thorold (1988- )
    Elder, Jubilee CRC, St. Catharines.
    Columnist, Calvinist Contact, Dutch Page
14. Unemployed (1991-1992)
15. Retired (1992-2004) – an editorial note to highlight a very productive phase.

As you can see: a multi-checkered career. Of course, now these occupations were on a part-time basis, otherwise I would have had to live two lives. And now let’s start at the very beginning…

Herman at work