Category: Memoirs
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Bible, blessed, Blijham, Canada, emigration, family, Groningen, school, ship, Vlagtwedde, Wedderveer, 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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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1900-1916: Sappermeer to Renneborg
Read More: 1900-1916: Sappermeer to RenneborgSchool years As already stated, I first saw daylight in Zuidbroek, Westeind, located along the Winschoterdiep (a navigable canal), only 500 meters from the neighbouring community of Sappermeer. My Dad was born in Borgercompagnie and my mother further north in the town of Slochteren (Harm van der Laan 1868-10916 and Foktje Baas 1867-1945). When they…
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Dina van der Laan-Beekhuis
Read More: Dina van der Laan-BeekhuisDina’s memoirs offer fascinating details into early twentieth century life, and the story of her courting, engagement and first year of marriage with Harm.
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Memoirs
Read More: MemoirsStories like these used to be passed down during the down times, when the only distraction was the clicking of knitting needles. These stories are set down here to keep them alive.
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Dutch
Read More: DutchHet is dus deze compilatie door Herman de Jong van de geschriften van Hendrik (en broer Pieter) de Jong, samen met zijn eigen voor- en naspel, die ik hier heb.