Category: Harm vd Laan
-
Harm van der Laan
Read More: Harm van der LaanThese detailed memoirs of Harm van der Laan served as the basis for a book about the family’s history till 1955.
-
1953: Immigration
Read More: 1953: ImmigrationArrival in Halifax After a week at sea, we arrived in Halifax—our landing destination. We were towed into the harbour by a tug and pilot boat, as ships were not allowed to dock under their own steam. It’s a large harbour. Around Halifax, you can see, from the ocean, a lot of homes along the…
-
1953: Emigration
Read More: 1953: EmigrationThe NSB wanted to deceive us However the NSB’ers did not sit still and were busy trying to put a spoke in our wheels. On a certain day we had a visitor from Oude Pekela who came with a very smooth and sly presentation. “So you are emigrating?” he asked. “It’s too bad that you…
-
Bible, blessed, Blijham, Canada, emigration, family, Groningen, school, ship, Vlagtwedde, Weederveer, Winschoten
1945-1953: Wedderveer Farm
Read More: 1945-1953: Wedderveer FarmWedderveer Farm We move to Wedderveer During August we moved to Wedderveer. We settled our affairs with the Bosker family, who owned the farm we were on in Blijham. They were not too pleased with us leaving. Dirk and Wendeltje Bosker had both passed away already and just Jan and Jurrie had remained. But they…
-
1945: Liberation
Read More: 1945: LiberationMother dies and a baby is born In February of 1945, my mother passed away, I believe it was on the 21st. According to the doctor, she died simply from old age, at 77. The funeral was 5 days later. Alie (Albert’s wife) was, at that time, in the town of Nieuwe Pekela with her…
-
Amsterdam, Arnhem, Blijham, church, family, Groningen, Hommes, London, marriage, organ, politics, Rotterdam, ship, Vlagtwedde, Winschoten
1939-1945: The War Years
Read More: 1939-1945: The War YearsThe Shadow of war In the meantime, it was now 1939, and the political world had started to rumble. Hitler was the big boss in Germany and pushed his Nazi program on his people and started to shout about “lebensraum” (room to live). In the fall of that year they walked into Poland and placed…
-
1935-1939: Beginning in Blijham
Read More: 1935-1939: Beginning in BlijhamBut then she wept When we got to our new home, Dina wept. In the spring, Jan Bosker started to rebuild the rear barn wall, which turned out to be a good job, and he managed to give it a good, solid straight look. We had also discussed that the cookstove should go into the…
-
1934-1935: Renneborg Honeymoon
Read More: 1934-1935: Renneborg HoneymoonOur marriage on March 21st, 1934 Finally. the day arrived, our marriage day, a huge day for us. In the morning, four cars arrived at our front door, with the first car for the bride and groom. The second car was for the parents of both sides of the family and an aunt of Dina,…
-
Amsterdam, Christmas, church, Easter, family, God, Groningen, marriage, organ, ship, Stadskanaal, Vlagtwedde, Winschoten
1929-1934: Courtship and Engagement
Read More: 1929-1934: Courtship and EngagementA cold wedding party in 1929 It was the coldest winter that we ever experienced, with temperatures at an all-time low in this month. We had rented cars for the civil ceremony at the townhall of Stadskanaal in the morning and the church ceremony in the village of Onstwedde in the afternoon. But wouldn’t you…
-
1916-1929: Managing the Renneborg
Read More: 1916-1929: Managing the RenneborgAs we were eating in the backroom the next day, Mom suddenly appeared and said “Dad is dying”. So we crept quietly into the front room, where he laid in his bed, gasping for air and not knowing what was happening around him.