This is a little project created by Mary De Ridder. Her niece Jen (me!) scanned in photos from Holland for you all to see, detailing early life in Elsendorp.

 

It’ll probably take us a very long time to do this, but it will be we have had some good fun writing these stories for all of us.

 

As the oldest cousin (daughter of Peter Van De Kamp) I don’t know much about our family history, and I assume my cousins would know even less. I have always taken great delight in the snippets and stories my Aunty Mary, Tante Oma to many, has told me over the years and I’m sure there are others in the family who would also enjoy them too.

 

I've transcribed these family stories - little gems - I’m sure there are plenty of them. They are so different to the stories each of us are now collecting in our own lives today, but our family’s early stories have something about them that we can all relate to. We all know of the people in them, and we all recognise some of those family traits - sense of humour, a sense of family, a sense of mischief.

 

We thought that between us, we would write down as much as possible to get thing started. We would love the rest of the brothers and sisters to send any stories they remember, and we can add them in to the mix.

 

It doesn’t, nor will it flow very well while we are still collecting. My aim is to get as much written as possible, and we can play around with the narrative style later.

 

The beginning - a little bit of history about Oma and Opa Van De Kamp.

 

Then tales from Mary, our hub, our rock, our lovely Tante, the middle of the oldest brothers and sisters. The reader can see how life was through the eyes of children growing up in Holland and what it was like moving to a country so far away.

 

The ending is still open because the story of the family doesn’t end, we focus on growing up in Holland during and after the war, the trip to Australia, and then settling into the new lifestyle.

 

This is all open to additions of course!

 

Family names :

My Oma’s grandma Petrus Van de Wijst (Uden – 14 March 1820 (married twice)

Henrick van Erp (Uden 28th jan 1827)

Married 22nd November 1851)

Oma’s Mum - Johanna Strik (born Zeeland 1st July 1890 – died 11th March 1984. daughter of Johannes Strik and Anna Maria de Joeij. (they were married in Volkel 28th July 1916) Cold women who didn’t know how to show affection. Had lost all her hair when she was 18. She was a domestic servant. Lived in. She would have been taken advantage of but it was never talked about. She met Adrianus.

Oma’s Dad – Adrianus van der Wijst (Volkel – 2nd June 1864 died 27th March 1932)

Married 28th July 1916)

Was married with a grown up family – three kids. His wife died, then he married Grand Oma who already had Tante Fien. Then they started the family.

When Adrianus van der Wijst died, (Oma was 15) Hendrika married Smits.

Smits had 9 children. His wife had died.

They got together and ended up with 18 children. 9 from him and 9 from the maternal side. Most of the kids were working – they all lived in, working from early dawn to dusk. Started working at 13 or 14.

Oma was working for a farmer (he took advantage of her). The memory stayed with her as she wouldn’t let Opa send Mary out to the same fate.)

 

The grand Opa was a horrible man. He sent all the kids out to work and collected all the money. He kept the money in a tin under the bed. He was supposed to pay for everything when the kids got married.

 

The girls had no life. The men took advantage of them. Promised everything until they got what they wanted and then left.

Grand Oma lost all her hair on her body.. She was taken advantage of. She went to Rotterdam to have Tante Fien. She went back to Uden where she met Adrianus – got pregnant with Mary's mum, my Oma and they got married.

Girls were made out to be loose.

The farmers they were sent to work for were considered as holier than thou, abused the servants, while attending church regularly.

Their wives turned a blind eye – at least they were left alone, while the husband abused the servants. The girls were not allowed and didn’t talk back.

OK if you were from a family who were well off, but if you were poor, as our family were, this was your fate.

 

The brothers and sisters all got on famously. Even til this day, they still are friends.

Tante Fien Striek (Hendrika had her before she married Adrianus. Born out of wedlock)

Hendrika Maria (born 30th December 1916)

Johannas (Has) (born 13th Decemeber 1917)

Petrus (Piet – 20th June 1919 - died very young , 1949?)

Jan (10th Septebmer 1920)

Toon (Johannes Maria) 18th June 1922

Lambertus (Bert) 26th June 1923)

Adriana (Tante Jaantje) 19th February 1926

Adrianus (19th February 1926 – died 27th March 1926)

Petrus Willhemus (Om Peer 22nd March 1931

Adrianus Johannes Maria (15th May 1932 – 7th June 1932)

 

Smits –

Johanna

Riek

Len

Mien

Nol

 

Om Bert left home as while he was courting Tante Dora, Grand Opa Smit continued to take all his money.

He went to the south to work in the mines in Limburg staying with Om Len his step brother, and Tante Martha (she was German (born Goch 14th November 1916 died 16th March 2002).

He didn’t like working in the mines. He wanted to save up to get married. He moved in with my Oma and Opa around 1951.

 

Opa’s Mum – Petronella van de Ven (what was her last name?)

Opa’s Dad – Petrus van der Kamp (lived in Schaik).

Opa grew up there.

 

Has (the eldest of the van de Kamp boys)

Driek (Anneke his daughter is still alive and living in Gemert – Joe would know.)

Han (the only girl) married Jochin Vanhoeven. (Joanna Vanhoeven in Holland is her daughter, Gerrit the son in Holland, Jan Vanhoeven in NZ)

Jan

Knelis (they called him Cornelius)

Joe Van de Kamp married Hannie – children Carlos, Renee Van de Kamp (married Ilsa) and Jacqueline.

Marinus Petrus - Opa – (1911-1975)

When Opa was a kid he was very spoilt – always had money.

On his first holy communion he wanted a cigar. He got it and smoked it…

 

The Van De Kamps moved to Elsendorp in the early 20’s. They had a small café on the edge of Elesnedorp near Oploo. They kept the café until Opa’s mum died.

 

Elsendorp is in the Gemert-Bakel municipality in the North Brabant province of the south of the Netherlands.

  

Tante Han – Opa’s sister got married around 1925 (will check) when Opa was 14.

Mary has a photo of the wedding party.

 

Oma – Maria Hendrikus Van De Kamp (nee Van De Wyst) (There’s a Dutch spelling too I think) (30-12-1916 to 16-06-1982).

 

Oma’s mother was not a pleasant woman, and as a consequence, Oma’s upbringing was very harsh. She was sent away to work as a live-in cleaner on a farm at 14. The farmer paid Oma’s wages straight to her mother. It must have been a horrible time in her life, as she never talked about it, and she normally loved telling stories.

 

Oma met Opa at one of the local dances or in church. She was 18. They had to marry in October 1935. Oma fell pregnant in the high summer - carnivale, drinking. Opa was hot to trot, and was a man’s man. He was very popular and had lots of friends.

They were married in 28th October, 1935. Oma was 18. Opa was 23. On March 1936, the first son, Petrus Adrianus was born.

 

Peter – Petrus Adrianus (named after Opa’s dad) (11th March, 1936)

Adrian – Adrianus Petrus Marinus (15th May 1937 – 8th May 2005)

Joe – Johannes Henricus (11th January 1939 – 6th April 1993)

Mary - Petronella Maria (named after Oma’s mum) (9th February, 1940)

Corrie – Cornelius Marinus (11th June 1941 – 28th June 1990)

Little Leo Johannes (Died of cot death. Had trouble breathing. Mary was ill, so Oma got up to see how she was and change her bedding, went to tuck Leo in and he was dead (24th December 1942 – 18th December 1943)

She was already pregnant with

Leo – Leonardus Johannes (20th April 1944)

Petra – Johanna Petronella (named after Tante Han) 13th January, 1949)

Rini – Marinus Lambertus (named after Om Bert - 14th September, 1952)

Theo – Theodorus Lambertus Maria (after Tante Dortje) 16th May, 1954.

 

Marinus and Maria (Mit) Van De Kamp and the children lived in Elsendorp.

I think it was a two bedroom house. There were a few pigs, chooks, and a vegetable garden.

 

What year did Om Bert move in?

Om Bert got kicked out because he had to hand over all his pay to his dad. When he fell in love with Dora, he wanted to save money to be able to marry her, but his Dad insisted he continue handing all his money over. In those days, you weren’t necessarily able to marry who you wanted either. The church was very influential and Protestants couldn’t marry Catholics. His family didn’t want him to marry Dora. (Was this because she was protestant?)

 

Om Bert moved in with our Oma. From then on Oma’s father disowned our family.

During the months of May and October the family would have to do the rosary every night. Prayers every night.

A Holy Mary for the 10 small beads of the rosary, and an Our Father for the big bead. After dinner, the long table that would seat 10 was cleared and covered in newspaper (a multi-purpose household product – also used as toilet paper).

A big bag of potatoes was put on the table, the children around the table were each given a knife and a pot of water sat in the middle of the table. Opa would walk around the table, saying the rosary while they all peeled potatoes. The children had to join in with the Hail Marys and the Our Fathers in the appropriate place in the prayers. Inevitably the kids got bored, and to make it a little more interesting, finished off their part of the rosary in time with the toss of the potato into the pot. Amen, PLOP! Too much smirking and giggling for Opa’s liking. This was supposed to be serious. Without missing a beat, Opa delivered a smack on the back of the head to each of the kids in time to the rhythm of the rosary recital, the Amen and the PLOP, SMACK!

 

Historical background information accessed (and edited) 15th February 2006 from website en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Netherlands:_modern_...

 

The Great Depression of 1929 spread across the world, and by the early 1930s, the Dutch economy was crippled and felt the effects for longer than most European countries. Unemployment and poverty was widespread, and there was also much social unrest. There was an increasing concern of another war as Nazism gathered strength in Germany.

 

World War II began in 1939, and the Netherlands declared their neutrality (again), but the Nazis launched an attack on the Netherlands and Belgium on May 10, 1940. Most of the country was over-run very quickly as the Dutch army was poorly-equipped. Within a few days, fighting was isolated to a few locations, including Rotterdam. On the 14th May, the Nazis demanded, in an ill-formatted ultimatum – by an unknown sender - that the Netherlands surrender the city within two hours. The commander in chief, General Henri Winkelman, said that only a correctly-signed ultimatum would be considered. A couple of hours later, a new ultimatum was handed out to a Dutch officer, and a reply was expected before 16:30. At the same time, without waiting for a response from the Dutch, the Nazis bombed Rotterdam began, killing about 800 people and destroying large parts of the city, leaving 78,000 homeless. The Nazis threatened the same fate for Utrecht, so general Winkelman capitulated and surrendered. This technically only affected the Royal Netherlands Army — not the Royal Netherlands Navy, the air force or the Netherlands East Indies Army, in the Dutch East Indies, so the Netherlands did not cease to exist, and continued governing of the overseas territories and the Navy continued to fight the Germans. The royal family and some military forces fled to Britain.

 

Before 1943, the German position very strong, and many Dutch citizens started to cooperate with the Germans, while the majority of the Dutch population was indifferent or remained silent.

 

Tante Doorje (Om Jan Van De Wyst's wife) remembers as a young girl, packed trains full of Jewish prisoners going to Germany and Poland – to the concentration gas chambers. She heard them wailing, left at the station overnight without food, water, toilets. A lot of dutch people dobbed the Jews in.

 

Elsendorp was closer to Antwerp, and was also close to the German border.

 

Opa and his brothers had licenses to drive trucks, a rare skill in the area at the time. This was useful to the Germans during the war.

 

Opa’s brother got him the job with the Germans to drive the tankers. He took the work, as it was regular money and he needed to support the growing family.

 

The local priest said to Opa that it was money of the devil. Opa said “who is going to feed my kids – not you.”

 

His mother had died, his father had just died.

He went to the priest and asked for a mass for his mother and father. The priest wanted money of course, so Opa said “But it’s money from the devil though” The priest didn’t mind then and took it.

 

Opa was on the a plane on the tarmac. He took the lighter out of his pocket. He had a little fuel lighter which he wanted to dip into a container to fill. The Germans thougth he was going to do something more sinister – blow up the plane perhaps, and put a gun to his stomach and told him to drop the lighter. All he wanted was fuel for his lighter. He was lucky he was a good driver, and they didn’t kill him. Life was cheap back then.

 

Dutch nationalism became strong again in 1943, when the Germans started to lose the war.

The Germans lost the complete control over Dutch society, which then formed a front against the Germans and Dutch people who were associated with them.

 

Hongerwinter (Hunger winter) in 1944–1945 was very harsh, and many Dutch starved.

Many starved to death in the city.

 

Opa made a shelter in 1944. They saw the dog fights between the Germans and English overhead – sirens, search lights. A plane crashed not far from them.

 

August 1944 Canadian soldiers lived in the street. Farmers would burning rubbish at the back of their properties on the field (no incinerators) . Mary thougth she was walking on the cold ashes, but they were hot ashes. She lost the skin on the soles of her feet. The Canadians bathed, dressed and wrapped her feet and gave her chocolates and rice pudding. She would have looked a mess. Hair uncombed, dirty face, covered in ashes – she would have looked like a real little street urchin.

The Canadians nicknamed Corrie "Snowboy" because of his white hair.

War finished in the South of Holland September 1944.

 

On May 5, 1945, following Allied victories in Nazi Germany, Nazi Germany finally surrendered, signing the surrender to the Dutch at Wageningen.

 

When the war was over, Opa was arrested and interned for 9 months – (1945 – 1946) - sent to prison for working for the enemy.

During this time there was no income for the family. No social services. They had to live on handouts from the local farmers, families - not the church who turned their back on the family.

 

The kids' imaginations were able to let loose, finding all kinds of things to do. They kept rabbits for food, grew potatoes, beans, peas, carrots, lettuce, spinach, corn. They had fruit trees and were given a lot of fruit by neighbours.

Oma learnt to sew through pure necessity and made clothes for the children from other clothes. She had a tredle sewing machine. Out of one coat, she’d make Mary a winter dress. Out of a pair of trousers she’d make a couple of pairs of pants for the boys.

 

While Opa was in prison, Oma would have to take food parcels for him two or three times a week. She would pedal for 23kms during the night. When she arrived, she would throw the food parcel over the high wire fence, often missing the mark which would illicit much abuse from Opa. Peter was nine years old and being the oldest, was responsible for looking after the 5 kids. Corrie was 4 Leo was 1.

He would have hot water ready for when Oma returned, as her feet were like iceblocks after the long ride.

 

Opa came back in 1946.

 

After the war.

 

Opa lost a little bit of faith in the church after the war. The priest had fallen from the pedestal for the children when he turned his back on the family during their father’s imprisonment.

 

To celebrate Opa's release from prison, the family had bought a piglet and fattened it up. The local butcher, who would go around to the farmers on demand, would kill the pig. It would be hung up and then inspected by the government to check it for disease. Once the meat was cleared, they smoked it, salted it made sausages - everthing was used.

They had a cellar where they kept the meat picked in brine or smoked the ham, sausages. What ever they had was to last the whole winter.

The priest knew the butcher had been around and came around after it was all cut up, wanting a piece of fillet. Opa was ticked off so much, he kicked the priest out of the house. Mary who was seven or eight, watched this event unfold as she hid behind a door, taking great delight in seeing the priest get what he had long deserved – he thought only of his own needs and always had his hand out for more.

 

They lived in rental places until 1935 - 1949.

The last place was rented by a landowner to a farmer who rented a house on the property to Opa and Oma, but they had to eventually leave as Opa continually fought with the farmer.

 

The landowner was going to knock the house down, so Opa talked him into letting him take it away.

He also bought an acre of heather from the landowner. Heather was very hard to get rid of.

Opa had worked for a company that a group of farmers had started up. Each of the farmers had a specific job within a team.

Opa hired the team to turn the ground – six foot down – the dutch call it “bunker” – to make the land fertile. He could then start growing wheat.

 

In 1949 when the family first moved in, they lived in the shed for a few weeks over summer, while Opa and his friends built a house.

 

The brothers got together with their mates and scooped of the heather on the property and made a football field – tough work - so they only had a half a field.

Mary wanted to join in, but girls weren’t allowed to play.

 

There was not much to want for. The kids made their own fun.

They were surrounded by manicured forest owned by wealthy landowners. Park rangers would turn a blind eye to the kids collecting small pine cones. They had a little hand cart (no pony – the kids were the ponies).

They had 4 weeks holiday in August - late summer - and all the kids in the neighbourhood would spend the time collecting pine cones and small kindling for lighting fires and the wood stove in winter.

They’d also get a ton of coal for the winter which was kept in the shed.

 

Sunday was the day they’d go out walking as a family. Tante Dora’s mum would join them too. They'd take a wheel barrow and empty wheat and sugar bags to collect the apples and pears that were lying on the ground in the farmers' orchards. whilst he farmers had an afternoon nap after their outing to church and the pub.

 

Saturday afternoon Adrian would go to the local blacksmith and ask for an old milk can. He said he was going to make a rabbit hutch with them.

(Farmers couldn’t weld them any more, so they’d take them to him to get rid of them.)

 

Just for fun, he would make a cannon out of it. He’d put carbine and water in the milk can, lay it on an angle with the lid on. The carbine would start reacting with the water, bubbling away, then Boom! It could be heard all around the neighbourhood.

 

There were lots of bullets left behind after the war and children would try to find them and then explode them.

Adrian would organise the Corrie, Joe and Mary to find them. They’d take the bullets in the shed and hit them with a hammer to blow them up..

Not one of them ever hurt themselves – look Mum no feet or hands.

 

Not unusual for a farmer to be ploughing in the field with the horse and boom…dead.

 

Two young cousins Martien (from Opas’s brother Jan) and ???, who were best friends, did everything together. One day they found a grenade and took it back to one of their homes, as they had decided to dry it out on the stove. Boom. House gone, kids gone.

 

The mother (Petronella) went mad with grief. She had a daughter (Bettie) after Martien died, she was neglected – at the age of 5 she couldn’t talk, was still in nappied, so the government took her away. Petronella died. Jan married again. Bettie returned to Elsendorp when she was in her late teens and lived with her dad, Jan. She was scarred and is still to this day. She got married and had a daughter who is lovely. She was 16 in 2000, Chantelle.

 

Mary and Tante Dora took time to get to know Bettie They left a card to congratulate them on the 25 yerars of marriage, but but the rest of the family never took time to know her.

 

The van de wijsts had big reunions.

 

Van de kamps didn’t mix. They would maybe acknowledge you on the street, but that was it. Even after returning from Australia to visit, they weren't really interested.

 

In spring, Adrian would collect birds eggs to make pancakes.

 

He’d climb up the tree, gather the eggs, storing them in his pockets, and one in his mouth. The kids would be under the tree, cracking jokes to make him laugh. The one he had stored in his mouth was propelled smack bang onto Mary’s head.

 

He would also catch owls, a protected species even back then to sell. He’d tie the baby birds by their legs to the nest on the way to school, and on the way home he’d pick them up and sell them.

Entrepreneur. His report card said he would never amount to anything although he was the cleverest of them all, much loved and he had a good heart. He was just bored. Not enough for him to do at school. He ended up the richest of the lot.

 

In the summer, there were lots of dutch gypsies who lived in caravans. There were a couple of parks where the council would let them live. They were always trying to make money. They’d hang around the school at lunch time as everyone went home for lunch. They’d show off their wares - cheap watches, little games. “If you bring rags, we’ll give you a present.”

The clothes they wore were practically rags. Adrian, Joe, Mary and Corrie would be on the scrounge. They’d undress scarecrows in the fields for the rags.

A farmer was plowing a field and had laid his jacket on the site of the paddock. Nicked for a gypsy gift.

 

Kids would collect acorns to throw about. Joe threw one and hit the postman at the back of the head. Big chase. Not sure if he got a hiding.

 

Mary would often walk home by herslef. Get to the corner, and close her eyes. A few times, she’d not get it right, and end up in the water on the side of the road.

Peter Adriun and Joe would pushbike about 7 kms to high school joined by cousins and friends. About 20 of them would travel together.

 

For fun they’d take it in turns to shut their eyes, and be guided by the others, yelling out instructions left right straight on, left right. Get it wrong and you’d end up in the water in the ditch on the side of the road.

 

In summer, after the chores were all done, the kids would be off outside. If you hung around, more chores would be found to do.

 

In winter, Peter, Adrian, Joe, Opa and Oma played cards. Mary, Corrie and Leo would play dress up in the kitchen and in the back of the house with old curtains. If they played quietly, they didn’t have to go to bed early.

Mary was allowed to join the adults to play cards when she was 12 or 13. She had no idea how to play and inevitably made a mistake and was kicked out. She was pleased, as Opa was a serious card player and it didn’t seem like much fun to her.

 

Before they went to school the children would knick a barley (tarwe) strip of the leaves, to get a handful of wheat to take with them. Mary would chew it to the right consistency with lots of spit, and give the wheat flavoured chewy ball to Corrie and then make another one for Leo. The teacher would make them spit it out. She never had any problems with her teeth.

Big kitchen sat and ate.

Back – side kitchen with a sink and a pump (no tap) and next to that was another little room where the toilet and the bikes were.

 

Dishes mary always washed. Boys wiped them. Mary picked them up to take them into the kitchen with wet hands and dropped the lot on the cement floor breaking every plate in the house. Leo went straight into Opa to dob her in and everyone expected he’d go mad. He said – it was an accident.

 

She had to clean Opa’s dentures after dinner. He wouldn’t ceremoniously put them in a glass of water for her, just take them out and plonk them in her hand. She got on very well with him, teasing him, bumping into him, hitting him. He caught here once and tickled her until she wet herself.

 

He was the best dad he could be with what he had. He was a provider. He never abused the girls.

He fought with Oma. Oma would sometimes not talk to him for months. She’d bang his coffee on the table. Whistle. It’d drive Opa around the bend.

Lots of pressure – no money. Lots of kids.

 

The kids were innocents.

 

Leo started school in 1949.

The local priests were very influential in village life. They would tell you who you could or couldn’t marry.

When you were about to get married, the priest would advise the couple on what they had to do to have children, and if after a year there was no babies, he would come to find out why not.

 

Oranges were not very common in Holland and were a treat for the children. When Oma bought an orange at the market it was carefully shared between the older children. Oma would peel the skin very finely, then the pith was saved, put into 7 piles for each of them, then the segments were shared amongst them too. One each.

The finely peeled skin was laid out on newspaper and roasted in the wood stove. This would then be added to a pudding or perhaps a rice dish, sparking up the flavour.

 

The boys would hunt rabbits

 

The boys would get in trouble with the neighbours as they trespassed on to their properties sometimes pinching apples.

 

As they grew older, rest of the boys were also all put through trade school with an expectation they would get an apprenticeship and support the family.

 

The girls were expected to help at home. Mary liked reading, but this was not a luxury to be indulged in if you were a girl. Whenever she could, hiding from Opa, she'd take a book and reading underneath the covers with a lamp. (How did you avoid setting your bed alight!)

 

Mary would write stories every week and submit them to the local Saturday paper in Elsendorp. (What was the paper’s name?) Did they put your name on the story? Did you get anything for your story – free lollies? Or just the pleasure of having your story printed?

 

While they cooked, Oma would sing, and the kids would join in singing in harmony, some more harmonious than others.

 

Living in the country, the family had a stream of sales people who would come to their home with their products. Bread, lollies tobacco, insurance.

 

Peter was always so serious – probably because he shouldered lots of responsibility from a very young age. He didn’t join in with the other kids on their adventures. He seemed to be very distant from everyone. He wanted to keep studying but was sent to trade school instead so he could bring money in for the family. He was often teased by the others. They’d ask Oma “Are you sure he’s our brother? Maybe he got swapped at birth?” Oma would always stick up for him, telling the children off.

 

Peter had chosen to cut loose from the family ties and leave his life in the Dutch countryside, choosing to take up the free ticket to Australia with a £10 settlement grant from the Australian Government.

 

His maternal uncle Om John Van De Wyst and his wife Tante Dortje had already made the break (what year did they move over), so he would head to Adelaide and see where a new life would take him.

 

The lure of a new life and Oma’s desire to keep the family together saw them all take up the Aussie offer in 1956.

 

Six weeks on an Italian ship was a luxury for them all. The waiter took a shine to the kids - they were cheeky, cute and very likeable. Dinner time was a real treat. They all learnt a lot from the waiter who taught them table etiquette – you have a plate for your soup, one for your bread another for your main meal. You have a spoon for this, then another for this and then another for that, a knife for this and one for that, and so on. The children were incredulous - you need more than one spoon and one plate for a meal, even if there are different courses? Opa turned the cabin boys who came to clean the rooms away, insisting Mary do it. She was also expected to wash all their clothes. She had to sit with the clothes as they dried, while the boys were left to explore the ship and get into mischief wherever they could. The youngest children were sent to the nursery to play and enjoy other planned activities.

 

They arrived in Melbourne and caught the train to Adelaide, getting off at Bridgewater, Adelaide Hills in South Australia on Saturday (date?).

 

They rented a small house. Neighbours? Near Om John, Tante Dortje and their children Adrian, John and Else. (Were John and Else born when you moved over?)

Opa didn’t have the control over the children as he would in Holland. The culture was different.

On the Monday, an insurance man had found out about the immigrants arriving and had come around to sell them some insurance. Opa of course, was not interested and quizzed the salesman for information on employment for their daughter Mary.

 

By Wednesday, four days after arriving in the new country, Mary was sent to a house at Sommerton near Brighton, on the other side of Adelaide, to work as a domestic cleaner for the Black family, an acquaintance of the salesman. The Black family had a chain of shoe shops in the city and were reasonably affluent. They had three children, and Mary shared a room with the oldest and only daughter who was 12. Mary was 16 years old, couldn’t speak any English, and had never been away from the family before. The first English phrase she learnt was “I go home” which she repeated incessantly to her boss, who eventually capitulated and let her go home for the weekend(?)

 

Once settled in the tiny community, the boys found places where they could work their trades, or continue their apprenticeships, the youngest children were enrolled in the local school.

 

Train station was a half hour walk up the hill, and the train trip to Adelaide took one and a half hours. There were three trains a day to the city. One in the morning, one in the afternoon and one evening. Bus trip?

 

Boys bought motorbikes.

 

When Mary began dating, her brothers put the new beaus to the test.

 

When she was driven home by her date, there was no time to sit in the car for a cuddle, as the brothers were outside with an alarm clock incessantly ringing, yelling “Time’s up”.

 

John Heyman hung in there. John was extremely good looking, with impeccable manners, and immaculate dress sense. He dressed beautifully. As it was so far for him to travel home at night, Oma invited John to stay over. The brothers told him that in their house, they all shared clothes. The first up, was best dressed. He must have looked around at the Van De Kamp boys in their work overalls or hand-me-downs and been mortified. The next morning he was up well before dawn, well before everyone. He waited in the kitchen, dressed, immaculate as usual, eyes hanging out of his head. The brothers loved it. John still came back for more.

 

Genealogie van Antonius van der Kamp

   

Bestand : WETERING

 

Datum : 14‑08‑2006

 

Selectie : 'Personen in genealogie van Antonius van der Kamp [4327]'

 

Sortering : Per tak

   

I.1 Antonius van der Kamp.

 

Gehuwd met Johanna Johannis van Hintum.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Petronilla van der Kamp, geboren op 05‑01‑1774 te Heesch, gedoopt (rk) op 05‑01‑1774 te Heesch (getuige(n): Joannis van Hintum).

 

2. Franciscus van der Kamp, geboren op 28‑06‑1777 te Heesch, gedoopt (rk) op 28‑06‑1777 te Heesch (getuige(n): Joanna Francisi van de Kamp).

 

3. Petronilla van der Kamp, geboren op 10‑12‑1779 te Heesch, gedoopt (rk) op 10‑12‑1779 te Heesch (getuige(n): Petronilla Joannis van Hintum).

 

4. Gerardus van der Kamp (zie II.4 op blz. 1).

 

5. Maria van der Kamp, geboren op 05‑10‑1785 te Heesch, gedoopt (rk) op 05‑10‑1785 te Heesch (getuige(n): Joanna Joannis van Hintum & Maria Joannis van Hintum).

 

Gehuwd op 40‑jarige leeftijd op 12‑04‑1826 te Heesch met Antonie van Beekveld, geboren te Heesch.

 

6. Johannes van de Kamp (zie II.8 op blz. 4).

 

7. Joanna van der Kamp, geboren op 21‑10‑1792 te Heesch, gedoopt (rk) op 21‑10‑1792 te Heesch (getuige(n): Tomas Francissi van de Kamp & Maria Joannis van Hintum).

 

8. Jacoba van der Kamp, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 12‑04‑1826 te Heesch met Joost Hanegraaf, geboren te Heesch.

   

II.4 Gerardus van der Kamp, geboren op 24‑02‑1783 te Heesch, gedoopt (rk) op 24‑02‑1783 te Heesch (getuige(n): Antonius Verhoeven & Anna Maria Tomae van de Kamp), overleden op 26‑03‑1870 te Heesch op 87‑jarige leeftijd.

 

Gehuwd op 30‑jarige leeftijd op 20‑01‑1814 te Heesch (getuige(n): Adrianus Buuts & Ida Schel) met Ardien van Berkel, geboren te Heesch.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Johannes van der Kamp (zie III.1 op blz. 1).

 

2. Francis van der Kamp (zie III.3 op blz. 4).

 

3. Johanna van de Kamp, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 21‑05‑1859 te Heesch met Johannis van Oort, geboren te Heesch.

 

4. Wilhelmina van der Kamp, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 19‑10‑1839 te Heesch met Antoni van de Bergh, geboren te Heesch, zoon van Sebastiaan van de Bergh en Johanna van de Wetering.

   

III.1 Johannes van der Kamp, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 11‑05‑1861 te Heesch, gehuwd voor de kerk op 05‑05‑1861 te Heesch (rk.) met Anna Maria Hanegraaf, geboren te Heesch.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Petrus van der Kamp (zie IV.1 op blz. 2).

 

2. Gerardus van der Kamp (zie IV.3 op blz. 4).

 

3. Petrus van der Kamp, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 19‑06‑1903 met Caroliena van de Heijden, geboren te Nistelrode.

 

IV.1 Petrus van der Kamp, geboren op 11‑02‑1862 te Heesch, overleden op 13‑04‑1939 te Gemert op 77‑jarige leeftijd.

 

Gehuwd op 33‑jarige leeftijd op 04‑05‑1895 te Schaijk met Johanna Petronella van de Ven, 28 jaar oud, geboren op 14‑03‑1867 te Schaijk, dochter van Hendrikus van de Ven, Uurwerkhersteller, en Johanna van de Zanden.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Johannes Henricus (Has) van der Kamp, geboren op 14‑09‑1897 te Heesch, overleden op 09‑01‑1966 te Helmond op 68‑jarige leeftijd, begraven op 12‑01‑1966 te Handel.

 

Gehuwd met Helena Maria Buuts, geboren op 27‑05‑1906 te Oss, overleden op 02‑08‑1993 te Bakel op 87‑jarige leeftijd.

 

2. Johanna Adriana Maria van der Kamp, geboren op 06‑12‑1899 te Schaijk, overleden op 06‑04‑1972 te Deurne op 72‑jarige leeftijd.

 

Gehuwd met Jochem van Heumen, geboren op 20‑12‑1903 te Bakel‑Milheeze, overleden op 13‑11‑1960 te Deurne op 56‑jarige leeftijd.

 

3. Henricus (Driekske) van de Kamp (zie V.5 op blz. 2).

 

4. Cornelis (Knelis) van der Kamp (zie V.8 op blz. 3).

 

5. Marinus Petrus van der Kamp (zie V.10 op blz. 3).

 

6. Johannes (Jan) van der Kamp, overleden op 26‑08‑1970 te Elsendorp.

 

Gehuwd (1) met Hermans.

 

Gehuwd (2) met Hermes.

 

Gehuwd (3) met Broeksteeg.

   

V.5 Henricus (Driekske) van de Kamp, Vrachtwagen chauffeur, geboren op 04‑11‑1901 te Schaijk, overleden op 25‑04‑1989 te Gemert op 87‑jarige leeftijd, gecremeerd op 28‑04‑1989 te Heeze. In 1928 begon Hendricus samen met broer Cornelis een transport‑

 

bedrijf met een vracht wagen. een chevrolet twee en een halftonner.

 

Dit was in Elzendorp.

 

Eerst werkte Driekske zoals Hendricus genoemd werd op de boerderij

 

als landarbeider en reed zijn broer de wagen later toen het drukker werd

 

losten zij elkaar af zodat er dan meer uren gamaakt werden.

   

info boekje Het Gouden Dorp (Parochie st.Jan evangelist Elzendorp) Gehuwd (1) met Maria van Rooij, geboren op 06‑09‑1903 te Mill, overleden op 31‑01‑1977 te Helmond op 73‑jarige leeftijd, begraven op 03‑02‑1977 te Gemert, dochter van Martinus van Rooij, landarbeider, en Johanna (Anna Maria) Jansen.

 

Gehuwd (2) met Maria Hubers.

 

Uit het eerste huwelijk:

 

1. Petrus (Piet) van de Kamp (zie VI.1 op blz. 2).

   

VI.1 Petrus (Piet) van de Kamp.

 

Kind:

 

1. Henny (Henny) van de Kamp (zie VII.1 op blz. 2).

   

VII.1 Henny (Henny) van de Kamp, vrachtwagen chauffeur, geboren op 10‑08‑1956, overleden op 02‑04‑2002 op 45‑jarige leeftijd.

 

Gehuwd met Maria Hendrix.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Ramona van de Kamp.

 

2. Manita van de Kamp.

  

V.8 Cornelis (Knelis) van der Kamp, geboren op 25‑04‑1905 te Schaijk, overleden op 29‑12‑1957 te Elsendorp op 52‑jarige leeftijd, begraven op 02‑01‑1958 te Elsendorp.

 

Gehuwd met Cornelia Jansen.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Nellie (Nel) van der Kamp, geboren op 16‑02‑1934 te Elsendorp, overleden op 10‑06‑2006 op 72‑jarige leeftijd.

 

Gehuwd met Wilhelmus (Wim) van de Bosch.

 

2. Jo (Jo) van der Kamp, geboren op 23‑03‑1935 te Elsendorp.

 

Gehuwd op 27‑jarige leeftijd op 22‑11‑1962 te Boekel ? Echtgenote is Hanny Weemen, 22 jaar oud, geboren op 02‑05‑1940 te Venhorst.

 

3. Tiny (Tiny) van der Kamp, geboren op 14‑09‑1936 te Elsendorp.

 

Gehuwd met Jan (Jan) van Lankveld, geboren op 02‑07‑1928 te Gemert, overleden op 03‑08‑1983 te Helmond op 55‑jarige leeftijd, begraven op 06‑08‑1983 te Handel.

 

4. Marie van der Kamp, geboren op 27‑01‑1938 te Elsendorp.

 

Gehuwd met Sjors van de Elzen.

 

5. Antoon van der Kamp, geboren op 12‑08‑1939 te Elsendorp.

 

Gescheiden ±1995 van Jo van de Ven.

 

6. Theo van der Kamp, geboren op 23‑07‑1941 te Elsendorp.

 

Gehuwd op 25‑jarige leeftijd op 23‑11‑1966 te Boekel ? Echtgenote is Mariet Kanters, 22 jaar oud, geboren op 29‑08‑1944 te Venhorst.

 

7. Mieke van der Kamp, geboren op 04‑01‑1943 te Elsendorp.

 

Samenwonend te Venray met Harrie Smets.

 

8. Corrie van der Kamp, geboren op 05‑03‑1945 te Elsendorp.

 

Gehuwd ±1973 met Claus Mertens.

 

9. Martien van der Kamp, geboren op 02‑11‑1947 te Elsendorp.

 

Gehuwd met Helmy Haegens, geboren op 21‑03‑1948 te Elsendorp.

 

10. Trees van der Kamp, geboren op 23‑12‑1950 te Elsendorp.

   

V.10 Marinus Petrus van der Kamp, Landarbeider.

 

Gehuwd met Hendrica Maria van der Wijst, geboren op 30‑12‑1916 te Uden (gezindte: rk.), overleden op 16‑06‑1982 te Stirling.South Australia op 65‑jarige leeftijd, dochter van Adrianus van der Wijst en Johanna Strik.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Leonardus Johannes (leeke) van der Kamp, geboren //‑01‑1943 te Gemert, overleden op 18‑12‑1943 te Gemert. Leeke is gestorven aan een zware verkoudheid (Kinkhoest).

 

2. Peter van der Kamp.

 

3. Adrian van der Kamp, overleden op 07‑05‑2004, begraven op 14‑05‑2004.

 

4. Joe van der Kamp.

 

5. Mary van der Kamp.

 

6. Corrie van der Kamp.

 

7. Leo van der Kamp.

 

8. Petra van der Kamp.

 

9. Rini van der Kamp.

 

10. Theo van der Kamp.

 

IV.3 Gerardus van der Kamp, geboren op 16‑10‑1864 te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 27‑jarige leeftijd op 19‑02‑1892 te Heesch met Francisca Meulendijk, 27 jaar oud, geboren op 28‑11‑1864 te Heesch.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Marinus van der Kamp, geboren //‑//‑1899 te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 18‑04‑1921 te Heesch met Woutrina van den Berg, geboren //‑//‑1898 te Heesch.

 

2. Anna Maria van der Kamp, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 26‑04‑1920 te Heesch met Cornelis van Venrooij, geboren te Nuland.

   

III.3 Francis van der Kamp, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd (1) op 21‑05‑1859 te Heesch met Woutrina van Oort, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd (2) op 23‑01‑1869 te Heesch. Bij dit huwelijk is hij weduwnaar met Johanna van Vugt, geboren te Heesch.

 

Uit het tweede huwelijk:

 

1. Wouter van der Kamp, geboren //‑//‑1870 te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 18‑04‑1902 te Heesch met Justina Ruijs, geboren //‑//‑1874 te Heesch.

 

2. Johannes van der Kamp, geboren //‑//‑1871 te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 03‑06‑1910 te Heesch met Wilhelmina Maria Muller, geboren //‑//‑1879 te Uden.

 

3. Gerardus van der Kamp, geboren //‑//‑1873 te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 22‑04‑1904 te Heesch met Christina van den Akker, geboren //‑//‑1876 te Heesch.

 

4. Antonius van der Kamp, geboren //‑//‑1876 te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 03‑06‑1905 te Heesch met Johanna van Peufflik, geboren //‑//‑1876 te Heesch.

 

5. Ardina van der Kamp, geboren //‑//‑1878 te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 03‑10‑1913 te Heesch met Adriaan van Uden, geboren //‑//‑1885 te Heesch.

  

II.8 Johannes van de Kamp, geboren op 22‑06‑1789 te Heesch, gedoopt (rk) op 22‑06‑1789 te Heesch (getuige(n): Maria Joannis van Hintum & Joannis Jois van Hintum).

 

Gehuwd op 39‑jarige leeftijd op 12‑02‑1829 te Heesch met Johanna Leeijen, geboren te Heesch.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Johannes van de Kamp, geboren op 24‑05‑1838 te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd (1) op 29‑jarige leeftijd op 15‑02‑1868 te Nistelrode met Johanna van de Akker, 28 jaar oud, geboren op 24‑03‑1839 te Nistelrode.

 

Gehuwd (2) op 42‑jarige leeftijd op 19‑02‑1881 te Dinther met Johanna Dortmans, geboren te Dinther.

 

2. Antonius van de Kamp (zie III.13 op blz. 4).

 

III.13 Antonius van de Kamp, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 15‑06‑1860 te Heesch met Johanna Maria van Uden, geboren te Oss.

 

Uit dit huwelijk:

 

1. Johannes van de Kamp, geboren te Heesch.

 

Gehuwd op 01‑02‑1895 te Heesch met Petronella van Oort, geboren te Heesch.