Niemantsverdriet
Family
Newsletter
Vol. 5 Number 3 : Late 2003
Send updates to:
Carolyn Niemantsverdriet Bauer
2490 248th Street
Marshalltown, IA 50158
641-752-3264
e-mail to carolyn
Thanks for the memories.
Thanks to all of you who attended the reunion - 42 of us in
total at some time during the weekend. And we had
several attend for the first time. We had great fun. We
painted shoes - and that was really fun and we were much
more talented than we expected - had a fashion show, and
watched dancing girls and dancing bears and dancing girls
dancing b. OK, just the dancing (and singing) girls. And
we helped! One newly found cousin actually found us
herself! A descendent of Leendert Niemantsverdriet,
Velma Rempe now lives in Pella - in the same complex as
Leona Braafhart. Fred DeVries attended the same
genealogy workshop I did last spring - and he belongs to
us too!
Velma Rempe
607 E. 3rd Street
Pella, Iowa 50219
Fredrick and Arlene DeVries
6408 Allison Ave
Windsor Heights, IA 50322-5912
We decided to attempt another trip to Holland in
the summer of 2005 - so all of you concerned with
school schedules can come along. Mike Ohm,
stalwart cousin that he is, has agreed to again
organize the trip. I'm starting to save now!
Also, mark your calendars now for the summer of 2006
for the next Niemantsverdriet Reunion in America! This
one will be more committee driven - it's a lot easier on the
coordinator that way - and one committee (Pam
Niemantsverdriet and Jan Kasper) is putting together a
family memory and recipe book. We will have more
details as they get further along in their plans, but start
digging out your best recipes to share - and that means
everyone - from the tots to those with "snow on the
mountain". Also, pictures to share and stories and poems
of family, home, interests. This could be great! To make
this a success, we all need to participate. I'm sure you're
all going to want to try my recipe for Chicken Yucks. And,
yes, there is a story to explain name. And Doris is going to
share some of her cookie recipes, too - I hope.
An Amish boy and his father were in a mall. They were
amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by
two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and then slide
back together again.
The boy asked, "What is this Father?" The father (never
having seen an elevator) responded, "Son, I have never
seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is.
While the boy and his father were watching with
amazement, a fat old lady in a wheel chair moved up to the
moving walls and pressed a button.
The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a
small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father
watched the small numbers above the walls light up
sequentially. They continued to watch until it reached the
last number and then the numbers began to light in the
reverse order. Finally the walls opened up again and a
gorgeous 24 year old blonde stepped out.
The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said
quietly to his son......................
"Go get your mother."
Do you know???
Did you know that our ancestors Teunis, Arie, and
Leendert Niemantsverdriet (and their father Hendrik)
did not enter America through Ellis Island? Ellis
Island did not open until 1892 and our ancestors came
decades prior to that. Teunis and Elisabet arrived in
New York on May 25, 1855, and would have strolled
down the gangplank to the wharf. In August of that
year, Castle Gardens, the predecessor of Ellis Island,
opened and Aire, Leendert, Hendrik, and families
would have been processed there prior to leaving the
port area.
However, there was a Niemantsverdriet family that did
come into America through Ellis Island. Wilhelmina J.
Niemantsverdriet, age 31, and daughter Sophia A.,
age 4, arrived at Ellis Island in 1920 to join Krijn
who had arrived here earlier. In 1930, the family
lived in New Providence Borough, Union County,
New Jersey, where Krijn was a nursery proprietor.
What happened to them??????
A letter from Henk van Eijk this summer. . . .
Dear Carolyn,
We are going very well here.
We just had a very nice weather period behind us and we
mainly spend our time in the garden. However, I mean a
hired garden somewhere else in town. In Holland we have
a system of so-called allotment gardens. Those are
gardens dating from the time before World War II. The
people were poor at that time and they cultivated their
vegetables and potatoes their selves on a piece of ground
mostly belonging to the municipality. At present there is
almost no one still doing that - cultivating their vegetables.
The gardens however stayed until now and have
completely been changed into ornamental gardens where
people -living in high apartments- spend much of their
private time during summer. Often they built a small cabin
on it provided with all kinds of comfort. So we have a cabin
with electricity, gas cylinders, a shower, a kitchenette, a
bathroom with running water etc. It is also allowed to sleep
during summertime but we prefer to sleep in our own bed
at home that is much more agreeable. Next time we will
send you a picture of it.
Historical Charlois is still going strong so also there it is
very busy, busy and much more busy.
In the meantime we booked for the month of September for
Toronto. Laurens is marrying the 5th of September. Right
after the wedding he wants to travel with us to Vancouver,
BC. We are going then for a week to Vancouver Island and
he is going together with his just acquired bride alone for a
week too. After this week we are going all four of us -
probably- to the Rocky Mountains. You see, we can look
forward to successful holidays.
Canada is a huge country which you do not finish
sightseeing for the time being. Perhaps you know or you
don't, but Canada is larger than the United States in square
meters.
But also to your lovely country I surely like to go once again
but you know the age plays more and more an important
role. Some weeks ago on May 24th I became 69 years old.
It is a rather strange idea that next year it will be already
70!!!
We are still active and fortunately in a restricted way also
the money. We do not have complaints in any aspect
especially when I look to my brother in law who took really
too few notice in building up a pension and now has to live
-as we say- from starvation wages.
Economically it is going very bad at the moment. Here in
Holland they really need to cut back the governmental
expenditures. Besides that they also want to cut back
pensions. All in all measures that will hurt! But ok we will
see where it will bring us.
From Laurens I understood that economy in Canada runs
ok. I am glad as you never know. In the meantime he is
developing himself as the expert (Fire and material risks)
of all electric power stations in that country. He travels
through the whole country and is seeing a lot in this way. It
is not only Canada he has to inspect for these risks but also
abroad. The program shows some power stations in
California, U.S. There are also plans for some inspections
in Middle-America, Paraguay and Mexico e.g.
So I am going to stop with this message. As I told you
before I can speak English reasonably but my writing is
less good and therefore a good friend (Harry
Wols) Historical Charlois always translates these words for
me. If I make it too long I possibly run into trouble with him
(joke!).
During last week I made some digital pictures of our
antiquity room and new museum. I send them as
attachments of this e-mail.
Regards from Holland,
Conny and Henk van Eijk
[ Photo Section ]
We mourn the passing of:
Angela N. Booy, 23 of Battle Creek, Michigan, died Sunday, August 3, 2003, in Oscoda County as the result of an auto accident. Angela was to start at Wayne State Medical School the next day, a life-long dream of hers. Angela is the daughter of Daryl and Karen Booy , the granddaughter of Leonard and Lena Niemantsverdriet Booy, and sister of Sean Booy. Angela was valedictorian of her graduating class in 1997. She was active in volleyball and basketball throughout her school years. Angela graduated Summa Cum Laude fro Western Michigan University's Pre-Medical program in April 2001.
Donald W. Niemantsverdriet, 85, of Grinnell, Iowa, died on September 5, 2003, at Grinnell Regional Medical Center of an aneurysm. Don was a devoted family man, a Navy veteran, and Mason. Don was the brother of Russell Niemantsverdriet and Lena Niemantsverdriet Booy. His wife, Dorothy, has recently moved - see her address in the next column.
These folks have moved or have been found:
Jeff & Stacy Niemantsverdriet
5774 Avonhurst Ct.
Galloway, Ohio 43119
Laurens A. and Collet van Eijk
373 Front Street West
Apt. 2808 Toronto ON
M5V3R7 Canada
Tel. 001 4168834251
Tim and Heather Niemantsverdriet
7485 East Galbraith Road
Madeira, Ohio 45243
Gillian and Angelique de Leeuw-Niemantsverdriet
Blazer 34
3251 P A Stellendam
The Netherlands
Tel. 0187-493003
Hermine E. Stensland
Morningside Nursing and Rehabilitation
3420 Old Lakeport Road
Sioux City, Iowa 51106
Leona Braafhart
Fairhaven East Room 311
607 E 3rd St
Pella, IA 50219-1762
Dorothy Niemants(verdriet)
1024 1st Ave
Grinnell, IA 50112-2404
(641)236-4831
Alex Shultz
P.O. Box 994
New York, New York 10014
Nathan Shults
3263 Riva Ridge Way
Boise, ID 83709-3806
(208)562-1029
A Parable
Behold at the time of harvest the ears of corn did bring forth kernels which were dried and prepared for the popper's hand.
And then it was that the popper did take the kernels, all of which appeared alike unto him, and did apply oil and heat.
And it came to pass that when the heat was on, some did explode with promise and did magnify themselves an hundred fold; and some did burst forth with
whiteness which did both gladden the eye and satisfy the taste of the popper; and likewise some others did pop, but not so much.
But, lo, there were some that did just lie there and even though the popper's heat was alike unto all, they did bask in the warmth of the oil and kept everything
they had for themselves.
And so it came to pass that those which had given of themselves did bring joy and delight to many munchers, but those which kept of the warmth and did not burst forth were fit only to be cast out into the pail and were thought of with hardness and disgust.
And thus we see that in the beginning all appear alike; but when the heat it on, some come forth and give their all, while others fail to pop and become a
chaff to be discarded and forgotten.
William James Mortimer
Dear Carolyn,
We enjoyed a beautiful month of September in Canada but also suffered from bad luck during that period. In the beginning of September we flew to Toronto where Laurens lives and works. The first day activity was to recover from the flight. The second day Laurens asked us if we were interested in a trip to the Niagara Falls, which we had visited in 2002 too. We really loved to see these impressing waterfalls, so we left the second day to honour his request.
As we arrived near the Falls, Conny stepped out of the car and lost her footing on the wet grass. She took a very unlucky tumble and broke her ankle, as was later discovered in the hospital. She suffered from quite a lot pain, her ankle was plastered, and later on return to Toronto using a pair of crutches. Okay - she is a born optimist and she said: It might have been worse I could have been my hip!
But the other story was that Laurens should marry on the fourth day and the number of tasks that should have been done during the service by Conny could not be executed by her. Together with the mother of the bride she light the candle of the Menorah -- that appeared to be impossible!
Laurens' best friend, who came to Toronto, took over this task. At first I would like to tell you something about Collet, the spouse of Laurens. She was born in Jamaica and came to Canada at the age of 7. After primary school she received university education and at the moment she is working for Allianz Insurance -- a company that is also active from the USA, in particular Los Angeles. As Laurens had to set up - for the same company in Toronto - a technical inspection department they met each other and felt in love. Well as we say in Holland: "and so it happened"! …
After the wedding the four of us (Laurens, Collet, Conny and I) left for Vancouver. Laurens and Collet spent a week at the most southern part of Vancouver Island while Conny and I were at the most northern part of the island. We enjoyed a really lovely week there! From one of Laurens colleagues Conny borrowed a wheelchair and with the help of that vehicle we made beautiful trips with my lease-car.
After this week we met each other again and together we travelled through British Columbia and Alberta to see the majestic Rocky Mountains.
The final week of our holidays we spent in Toronto again. If there is any chance we like to go next year again to the same area to undertake a much longer trip as in our opinion we still saw far too few of it. Funny thing was that during our trip we saw in a small village - I thought it was Kamloops - the name of Niemantsverdriet in a telephone directory. Time, however, was too short to call the person which was a bit of a pity. Perhaps you can tell me who it was!
We - here in Charlois - should be delighted if you should decide to come to Holland again in 2005 and pay a visit to us. Of course I am prepared to organise some trips again for you provide that I know it in time. Would you be so kind as to bring our best regards to everyone we met previous time. With all kinds of pleasure we think back to that special visit!
Conny and Henk van Eijk
and of course Laurens and Collet.
A three year-old boy's prayer: "Our Father, Who does art in heaven, Harold is His name...Amen."
A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am."
A Sunday school class was studying the Ten Commandments. They were ready to discuss the last one. The teacher asked if anyone could tell her what it
was. Susie raised her hand, stood tall, and quoted,"Thou shall not take the covers off the neighbor's wife."
After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys."
I had been teaching my three-year old daughter, Caitlin, the Lord's Prayer for several evenings at bedtime, she would repeat after me the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. I listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word right up to the end of the prayer: "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us some E-mail. Amen."
And one particular four-year-old prayed, " And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."
A Sunday school teacher asked her children, as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."
Six-year-old Angie and her four-year-old brother Joel were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang, and talked out loud. Finally, his big sister had had enough. "You're not supposed to talk out loud in church." "Why? Who's going to stop me?" Joel asked. Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, "See those two men standing by the door? They're hushers."
A father was at the beach with his children when the four- year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked. "He died
and went to Heaven," the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, "Did God throw him back down?"
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'" Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"
A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?
Russell Niemantsverdriet has completed his chemotherapy treatments and is doing well. Please keep Russell and Doris in your thoughts and prayers. They will be going by train to Colorado for the holidays - doesn't that sound like a wonderful trip!
[picture of a hulk in football gear]
Brandon Whitworth and team from Parkview High School in Gwinnett County, Georgia, were in the playoffs for the football championships - four years in a row. Unfortunately, they finally lost after being champs for three years and ranked number two in the nation. His mother, wrote" "But our boys have nothing to be ashamed of. They've played well and hard. Of the hundreds of teams starting out in the fall, we were one of 8 quarterfinalists. The thing that has me the most depressed is that now it's truly over. There is no next year for Brandon. He won't go to spring practice. There's no looking forward to trying again next year. I was warned by the senior moms last year how hard this is. I keep putting off washing his uniform because I know it will be the last time. That's really ironic, considering how much I hate laundry. So it's sitting in his bag on the porch. Have you ever heard of a 49-year-old woman crying over laundry! You may think I'm just being silly, but some of you have been where I am, and understand. Till later, GO PANTHERS! …. Betty
"It's just a game; it's not life." - -
Brandon Whitworth as he hugged his mom at 9:45 on 12/5/03. (this boy has a head on his shoulders!!! - cnb)
Way to go, Brandon!!!!!
I wish you enough …. C
Picture Section -- 2003 Reunion