Tag: Wedderveer
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Keep in the Castle
Read More: Keep in the CastleBuild walls to keep out the bad and you have a small garden of Eden — ‘paradeisos’, literally, an enclosed park. Castles and their compounds, cities with walls and even humble homes are meant to be places of peace and well being, protecting us from threatening forces. They are not aggressive by nature (though they…
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Arnhem, Bach, Bible, church, Easter, God, Groningen, Hommes, marriage, organ, school, ship, Wedderveer, Winschoten
World War II
Read More: World War IIOn the eightieth anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, Harry van der Laan looks back with the eyes of a child.
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Aylmer, Bach, blessed, Canada, church, college, London, marriage, music, politics, religion, school, ship, Toronto, university, Wedderveer, Winschoten
Immigrants – The First Two Years
Read More: Immigrants – The First Two YearsThe train ride to Toronto was a two-day affair, at first interesting, then tedious, as we had little priority and were sidetracked for scheduled passenger- and freight trains many times. We did get a feeling for Canada’s extent and for the distance we were putting between us and Holland, between me and my girl. In…
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Aylmer to Granton
Read More: Aylmer to GrantonThat summer (1954) our parents had started to look for a farm of our own. Dad was itching to be his own man again, had occasional differences with boss Jerry and disputes with colleague Albert. By late summer several places were visited and then one became a serious candidate. It was in Middlesex County, north…
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Bible, boat, Canada, Christmas, church, college, Groningen, organ, politics, religion, school, ship, Wedderveer, Winschoten
Wedderveer
Read More: WedderveerThe farm in Wedderveer. Note the fruit trees close to the barn, the orchard of the neighbour Begeman on the right, the tractor shed at the back, the vegetable garden this side the clothesline and the rows of potatoes between clothesline and shed. On the left the small barn of our immediate neighbour Van der…
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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.
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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…
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Bible, blessed, Blijham, Canada, emigration, 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…