My diary when I was 17

Sunday April 14, 1957

Today would have been Mother's Birthday

This is her first Birthday she is not with us. I woke up this morning and that was my first thought. I talked about it with Father; he had a difficult time with it as well. We all do, it has been such a emotional year without her, at least that is what I found. Father is so very lonely; he sits alone at the breakfast table every morning reading his Bible and praying. He always is very bold about his faith even with his co-workers. That is one thing about my Dad, his faithfulness to God.

So was Mother, when I was much younger we lived in Heemstede, (a smaller town may be 15km away from Haarlem) us being Baptist, in a total Roman Catholic neighbourhood. She would every Wednesday evening have the pastor come over to the house to have a Bible study and singing. During the days prior Mother would go from door to door in our street to invite the neighbours. I am sure she must have gotten many a door slammed in her face. Yet she would continue her pilgrimage through the neighbourhood week after week.

She even bought an pump organ so that they could sing hymns. I always had to go to bed, but I could hear quite a bit, never really knowing exactly what went on there! My older sister Bertha had to learn to play. Mother bought a self teach course called “Klaverskribo”. The notes run up and down instead of going sideways. Mother was as determined as they come.

One Wednesday evening during supper our family got into a fight, which was not uncommon in our household (of nine kids of which two were married by then, all living in a small three bedroom house). I can’t remember who started it. But…it got pretty nasty, words were said, some fists went flying. When you have a couple of hot-headed guys, well need I say more! Even the dining table went for a walk! But by the time the dishes were washed things simmered down as they always did the “Brussee” style, hahaha. All was peace when Pastor Weenink came in at around eight. He mentioned to my parents, it is good to know that there are some nice Christian families around. While Mother of course thought along with the rest of us, “a good thing you weren’t here an hour or so ago!”