Let Freis-dom Ring
Last weekend I, accompanied by Jessica and some relatives, explored a greater part of the Northern Dutch province known as Freisland.
I'm sure you've seen traces of it before - the colorful blue stripes and red lily pads of their flag, the Freisian Hulstein cow, dikes and of course, "slukjes." (Up until last weekend I was a bit skeptical of JT's numerous references to his Oma and "slukjes." But, rest assured, they exist. And boy, are they tasty.)
The weekend was very relaxing for a change, as we spent a lot of time chatting with numerous members of the enormous Brouwer family over a cup of coffee. We stayed with the sister of Jack and Elko, and if it means anything to you, she's the female version of Elko. (I'll let the imagination do the rest.) So, in order to allow Jessica to get in touch with her roots, we took a few nice drives through the Freisian countryside in search of a little family history.
The results were fascinating for me, and it's not even my family. As it turns out, Jessica's great-grandfather, Gerrit Brouwer, was a fallen hero of the Dutch Resistance during WWII. He was part of a small group of Freisian men who took up arms in order to stop the German invasion of Freisland. On April 14, 1945, just one day before the Canadians liberated Holland, he was struck by a German grenade during a rural skirmish. Due to a lack of hospitals and transportation, he didn't survive the night. Gerrit, a man of only 37 years old, left behind a wife and six children. Soon after the war, all but one child immigrated to Canada.
This story in itself probably wouldn't have meant as much as it did if it weren't so real. It's one thing to hear the story, but it's another thing to be standing on the same ground in which the events took place. We also visited the homestead of the family, Gerrit's gravesite, and a special memorial dedicated to the Freisian men of the Dutch Resistance. They all served as powerful supplements to the already intriguing stories.
So that's the story of Jessica's family. Hard to "top", you might be thinking. It's quite a "tall" order. But wait 'til you see the great "heights" to which the Faber Family has gone to. The tension is "rising," and the blood pressure is "high........"
Great Grandpa Hans
I'm sure you've seen traces of it before - the colorful blue stripes and red lily pads of their flag, the Freisian Hulstein cow, dikes and of course, "slukjes." (Up until last weekend I was a bit skeptical of JT's numerous references to his Oma and "slukjes." But, rest assured, they exist. And boy, are they tasty.)
The weekend was very relaxing for a change, as we spent a lot of time chatting with numerous members of the enormous Brouwer family over a cup of coffee. We stayed with the sister of Jack and Elko, and if it means anything to you, she's the female version of Elko. (I'll let the imagination do the rest.) So, in order to allow Jessica to get in touch with her roots, we took a few nice drives through the Freisian countryside in search of a little family history.
The results were fascinating for me, and it's not even my family. As it turns out, Jessica's great-grandfather, Gerrit Brouwer, was a fallen hero of the Dutch Resistance during WWII. He was part of a small group of Freisian men who took up arms in order to stop the German invasion of Freisland. On April 14, 1945, just one day before the Canadians liberated Holland, he was struck by a German grenade during a rural skirmish. Due to a lack of hospitals and transportation, he didn't survive the night. Gerrit, a man of only 37 years old, left behind a wife and six children. Soon after the war, all but one child immigrated to Canada.
This story in itself probably wouldn't have meant as much as it did if it weren't so real. It's one thing to hear the story, but it's another thing to be standing on the same ground in which the events took place. We also visited the homestead of the family, Gerrit's gravesite, and a special memorial dedicated to the Freisian men of the Dutch Resistance. They all served as powerful supplements to the already intriguing stories.
So that's the story of Jessica's family. Hard to "top", you might be thinking. It's quite a "tall" order. But wait 'til you see the great "heights" to which the Faber Family has gone to. The tension is "rising," and the blood pressure is "high........"
Great Grandpa Hans
posted by Aaron at 9:49 AM
7 Comments:
Here's one for any of the old Freisians that read your blog, "Fryslan boppe, Hollan in de groppe". Oma always liked that one.
Did you hear that they are getting a new zoo in Holland?
They are putting a fence around Freisland.
Now I'm even; I've insulted both side of my family.
Hey Aaron my dad got a real good laugh when I told him your description of Tante Anke. It's so true.
Dave B! You're out there! Man, Taute Anke is a crack up, I tell you. I have to say, though, that I searched the house inside-out for a picture of you, but no traces of your existence were to be found. Adopted?
jt - thanks for the four posts. This comment page has four of your lovely pictures down the left side. I like that.
Where have I seen that last picture before? Ohhh, now I know.
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