Henry and Wendy de Jong moved into the Niagara Peninsula in April, 1984, joining Trinity CRC, where Henry’s parents, Herman and Stiny, were members. Their first child, Michael was born that September, to be followed by Jovita (1986) and Laura (1991). The three children all went through Calvin and Beacon schools.

Michael went on to get an MA in history and is now curator and archivist at the Thunder Bay Museum, while his wife Tenielle (born and raised in Jamaica) works for the federal government in Indigenous services. Laura graduated from Calvin University and Calvin Seminary to become a CRC pastor in 2017 (Second Grand Haven CRC and Kitchener Community CRC). She is currently jobless as she prepares to marry Justin Eisinga on July 5 and moves to Hamilton. Jovita still lives at home with Henry and Wendy, after extended secondary school education, a CICE degree from Niagara College and part time jobs at Tim Hortons and Beacon School.

Henry and Wendy are both eldest children of Dutch immigrants, with roots in the Niagara Peninsula. Wendy was born and raised in Vineland as part of the Brouwer clan in the Vineland Free Reformed Church. Her father Cor’s first job in Canada was milking cows for the Avondale Dairy farm. Henry’s father Herman landed in Port Dalhousie in 1953 to stay with his sister Truus before moving on to St. Thomas. Uncle Stan de Jong and aunt Truus Boot still live in Niagara.

Henry was born and raised in Sarnia, where Herman was a Christian School teacher. The family attended Sarnia Second and Redeemer CRCs as well as Clinton CRC. Henry moved to Toronto in 1974 to attend U of T. He then spent three years at the Royal Conservatory of Music and two years at the Institute for Christian Studies, attending First Toronto (Taunton Rd.) CRC that whole time.

In the mean time Wendy got a secretarial job in 1976, right out of high school, with the Christian Labour Association of Canada in Toronto. Toronto is where Henry and Wendy met and married in 1980. The marriage took place in Trinity CRC and the reception in the Balls Falls barn, just down the hill from Wendy’s childhood home.

Henry and Wendy moved to Holland for a year in April, 1983. Henry studied liturgy and church music at the Sweelinck and Royal Conservatories, while Wendy worked for the European Space Agency close to where they lived in Rijnsburg. After returning to Canada and settling in Niagara, Wendy free lanced her secretarial services while Henry started a renovation company. Henry did some part time work for Calvinist Contact early on, before joining Quarrystone Construction until 1991, when he went on his own again. Wendy became the secretary of Jubilee Fellowship CRC when it started in 1987, gradually becoming full time until her retirement in 2023. She is continuing her work as Clerk of Classis Niagara.

Henry and Wendy have been active in church life — Wendy as administrator and recording clerk but also as participant in many areas like worship, visual arts, adult ed and Gems. Henry has been a deacon, elder and music team member, also serving on the worship committee and working projection and sound. Jovita has been a Gems helper, belongs to a Jubilee Life Group and has been going to Friendship at Covenant for a long time, a group that her Opa Herman helped to establish. Herman, you may remember, was a regular afternoon organist at Covenant. Herman was also known for his regular contributions (Dutch and English) to CC, which are being reissued by Henry.

Henry and Wendy feel rooted in the Reformed faith and in the Netherlands, where Henry has traced various family trees back to the Reformation. They are committed to the CRC, despite its current difficulties, and look forward to service and fellowship in Covenant Church.