Category: Memoirs
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A Typical School Day
Read More: A Typical School DayWhen we were in school a typical day was as follows: We got up shortly before our parents came back from milking and did some chores such as feeding chickens and rabbits, etc. Then we had breakfast with the whole family and then finished our chores, changed our clothes and were ready to catch the…
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Grade School Years: 1934-1941
Read More: Grade School Years: 1934-1941When I was six years old I started school on May 1, 1934. There were nine of us children in our family. The youngest was 1 ½ years old and my oldest brother was 12 and started grade 7. There were seven grades at that time so one of us was in every class except…
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The Slingerland Farm
Read More: The Slingerland FarmI don’t know when Opa and Oma married. It must have been around 1895. [March 15, 1895] They farmed in Berkenwoude on the Jacobshoeve. [Benedenkerkseweg, where the de Jong’s lived, is one leg of the road running between Stolwijk and Berkenwoude] We went there often when we went to school since it was not so…
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The Car Accident: 1932-1933
Read More: The Car Accident: 1932-1933The second thing I remember is when I was hit by a car when I was four years old. I believe it was on May 20, 1932. It was mid-afternoon and my dad was going milking, taking Geertje and me along. Henk was 2 ½ then, my sister Ju almost 1 year old and my…
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The First Few Years: 1928-1931
Read More: The First Few Years: 1928-1931I was born on April 9 in the year 1928, on an Easter Monday morning. Easter Monday is celebrated in the old country about the same as Sunday or Christmas day. I was born at home as was the custom then. My brother, Adam, who was the oldest at 6 years old would start school…
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Dutch
Read More: DutchMemoirs van Cor de Jong (1928-2025). We zijn dankbaar voor het venster in zijn wereld dat hij ons heeft nagelaten.
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Emigration
Read More: EmigrationIn 1892 their neighbour (and cousin) Arend Hassing and his wife had an auction and sold everything they had. With their five children they emigrated to Kalamazoo Michigan USA, on February 15, 1893. He became a celery farmer there. Later, the Hassing’s would write letters about their life in Kalamazoo and so, Berend (Ben) decided…
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Stutenstreek -1876
Read More: Stutenstreek -1876After Albert left the army (1876), he bought a piece of land of 2000 square yards (.4 acres) in what would later be called “The Stutenstreek”. He paid 460 guilders (125 dollars) for the land and a small house was built on it for 200 guilders (80 dollars). Albert and Tietje made a good start…
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Stuits in Woldendorp
Read More: Stuits in WoldendorpThese next three pages are taken from the descriptions written by Henk Bousema in the Stuit Book, relying on the help of his uncle Berend Beekhuis for research and information. Woldendorp lies in the province of Groningen, in an area that is called Oldambt. The distance to the nearest town Winschoten is a four hour…
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Religion and Faith
Read More: Religion and FaithOne can talk about religion in generalities and about churches being staunchly Reformed and very orthodox, but what was my personal experience as a child? I can’t remember that my mother often told Bible stories, but she must have done so. At table Dad read from Anne De Vries’ Bible Story Book and when I…