Tag: Winschoten
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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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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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The Winschoter Plot
Read More: The Winschoter PlotONE 1996 The famous and sometimes infamous Zandpad on the other side of the bridge has disappeared. I walk through the new neighbourhood where it must have been when I used to roam around Winschoten. I no longer recognize anything. Yet I find just about the spot where the Sunday school room of the…
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Vennekerk 2023
Read More: Vennekerk 2023This is the story of our van der Laan reunion worship service, the summer of 2023, in the Vennekerk, the church where my parents came of age.