Brother Bill

It is hard to think of Bill without wondering what he might have been had there been facilities then as we have them today such as the Ottawa Area Center. As long as can be remembered, Bill was one we had to deal with in a special way. He was always accepted for what he was - mentally handicapped. The extent of his formal education is not known. He went to school, but undoubtedly, after failure to progress from grade to grade, somewhere along the line he dropped out. He had certain abilities, but could not always be trusted to perform as instructed. He was strong, and was capable of doing most of the work around the farm. It may have been a blessing for him and for all of us in our relationship to him that we lived on a farm. He was given work to do and although he didnÕt always appreciate those jobs, and sometimes someone else had to finish what he started or redo what he had done, nevertheless, he was kept busy. This was quite necessary in order to discourage as much as possible his making a nuisance of himself with the neighbors.

As stated before, Tuesdays and Saturdays were peddle wagon days. On these days Bill would stock up on all kinds of candy and cigarettes. On those nights, as well as others too, he would walk to the BoersmaÕs about a mile from our house. There he would share his goodies with the children.. He would stay for a couple hours and then return home. This went on for years and years. We often wondered how they put up with him and often apologized for his regular visits, but the Boersmas were kind, patient people. They never made him angry. Teasing him could make him very upset, and result in his not wanting anything to do with such individuals.

It was surprising sometimes to see how much he could read and grasp from the Zeeland Record. He read all the area news, Knew who died, who was getting married, and who visited whom. His favorite pastime when at home was listening endlessly to the phonograph, as stated before. He had many favorite records, and these were heard over and over again. He had many favorite hymns which he sang and did so fairly well too. He wouldnÕt think of skipping church services. He kept me supplied with cigarettes for a long time - Kings, Marvels, Sensatipn - to name a few. Sometimes Dad would become provoked over his performance. His cleaning of the stables often meant removal of a little here and there and to leave the rest. If he had some place in mind he wanted to go, he could work fast, but his usual pace was slow and less than deliberate. He could become angry very easily and he often chased us with a pitchfork threatening to kill us. He didnÕt really mean it, but we didnÕt take any chances. Seeing him cry, not from pain, but from frustration, was pathetic. He did a lot of work with the horses and related machinery. Sometimes in his attempt to fix something he would make it so badly messed up that major repairs were necessary. He couldnÕt drive a car, but one attempt ended up in a ditch not far down the road. In later years, he sometimes drove the tractor, but that was quite risky. One day while plowing a neighborÕs property which adjoined the drain ditch mentioned before, he failed to turn soon enough when he came to the end of the field and ended up in the ditch, tractor, Bill, and all.

His later years were ones of frustration and disappointment. After Dad sold the farm and remarried, Bill went to live at the County Farm in Eastmanville. He was not happy there. One day, while chipping insilage in the silo on the farm, a large piece of frozen insilage came loose above him, fell on him, and he died. It was a tragic ending to a life which seemingly had little hope for the future in terms of earthly existence, but very definitely had a purpose. He could be content with so little. He would do so much just for a little consideration and would become overjoyed with just a little kindness extended. Many of his pet phrases still ring in my ears, but the promise of God that he will be a God to parents and to their children sounds out very clearly in its extension to Bill also. Someday I hope to see him too in perfection - without mental restrictions.

Brother George

George was the financier of the family. From earliest recollections George always had money. At least these were the impressions we lived with. Maybe it was because he earned money while driving the milk route. Undoubtedly, he didnÕt make much on that job, but he didnÕt spend it foolishly either. ItÕs not what you make, but what you save that counts - so the old saying goes. Anyway, George was able to buy a car all his own and was it a dandy! It was a 1928 Chevy Convertible with rumble seat and spare wheels mounted in the front fenders. He always kept it clean and polished. Being the man with the money, he was also able to travel. He and Al Meengs went on trips together. He also had a camera and took a lot of pictures on his trips. We were all eyes and ears as we viewed his pictures and listened to him relate his experiences. Well remembered is a trip he made to Traverse City. To us, Traverse City could have been in Europe so far as accessibility for us was concerned. We would check it out on the map and wow, what a long way from home. It seemed especially far for us kids whose radius of operation was restricted to nine miles. It seemed to me that on some of his trips George would wrap a couple extra tires and inner tubes to the rear of the car. In those days, flat tires were common place and a thing to be expected. Why, that was one of the first questions asked of a person who just returned from a trip - how many flat tires did you have? Cars were equipped with all the necessary tools for changing tires. Also part of standard equipment was a tire pump and a supply of patches and cement for making repairs to inner tubes. Tires were of a much poorer quality in those days, but the roads were more hazardous too. Also, tires were used until there was almost nothing left of them. The tread was generally completely worn off with the fibers showing below the treaded area. Nowadays, as soon as the tires show considerable wear, but long before the tread is completely worn down, new tires are installed. We just donÕt dare to take a chance with worn tires at todayÕs speeds on todayÕs highways. Blowouts were common in those days, but of course, the speeds traveled were not that great. Still, a blowout was quite a shocker and required expert maneuvering to avoid going into a ditch or losing control.

Brother Marve

Marv was always considered the intellectual one, the thinker, the innovator, the inventor, the one with ambition, imagination, and determination. His goals consisted of ambitions beyond that which could be readily attained and represented desires not immediately realized. His satisfaction was not in the accomplishment of the ordinary, but in striving for the heights. His specialty was not in the day to day work around the farm, but in thinking up ways to do the job more efficiently with less effort. He was the electrician who hooked up the electric light in the barn before the days of electricity. He was the brewer of home brewed beer. He was one we always looked up to. We were proud of him and admired him. We always regarded him highly and it was with a feeling of pride that we referred to him as Òour brother Marv.Ó He was not at home much. He was the first to go off to high school, sometimes riding horseback to the Allendale High School and sometimes boarding there. He was also away from home much of the time during his Junior and Senior years at Zeeland High School. One thing remembered during those years was a Model T touring car he and cousin Pete Lamer owned together. One time repairs were necessary in the transmission and in the process of putting the parts back together, the reverse was interchanged with the forward gears. The result was going backwards in high gear. What fun it was riding through the hay field next to the house in reverse gear at a pretty good clip too. He attended Hope for a short time and then transferred to Calvin. Upon completion of college he was admitted to the University of Chicago Medical School. His leaving for Chicago was another occasion which brought tears to my eyes. How treasured are the memories of Marv even to this day!

Sister Mae

In my estimation, Mae possessed the qualities and the beauty to become a movie star. That was in the days when movie stars were deserving of admiration at least to some extent. We werenÕt even that familiar with movie stars, because movie going was strictly forbidden, but we did have some concept of what a star was like. In my estimation, she was Òit.Ó For someone to have impressed me so highly it would only seem likely that much would be remembered regarding her. But there isnÕt. She did work out, first at the Veneklasens in West Olive and later at the Battjes in Grand Rapids. It was then that she was regarded as having joined the higher class.Ó The Battjes were wealthy people and to have your sister work and live in such luxury did something for us younger ones. Sometimes we would go along to take her back on Sunday night. That was quite an experience driving up to their beautiful home and letting our minds wander as we tried to imagine the comforts and the luxuries that existed behind those closed doors. Mae is best remembered for her love and kindness. She was always sweet and helpful.

Sister Nell

Nell was about two years older than myself and as such was more directly involved in daily experiences. It seems that she and I were always competing with one another in various ways. For one thing we didnÕt always cooperate very admirably when it came to who was to drive the car. This was a controversial issue on many occasions. But to dwell on our differences is not my intent now nor would it be very relevant. The deepest impression gained from her was during the last few days of her struggling, painful life on earth. When reminded of the words of the 23rd Psalm and asked if the lord was her shepherd she said ÒYes, Len, He is my shepherd, I shall not want.Ó Then to see her lying in a casket with the scars of pain and suffering now gone and in their place an appearance of happiness, of beauty, and of peace, brought a joy to my heart which cannot be expressed. God had erased the marks of years of suffering and had given to her an appearance of heavenly ecstasy. She is another who Òhas gone on beforeÓ and we await the day when we shall all be reunited. 

Sister Jeanette

No matter how many words are spoken or how many praises are extended, never can enough be said for the role Jeanette played in our lives. Here was one who had real potential, who had ambitions, abilities, and dreams of fulfillment, but one who laid everything aside for the sake of family. She would have liked continuing her education and would have been excellent in any chosen profession. As a child she dreamed of being a nurse. She played nurse, but never had the opportunity to put the play into practice. However, in a sense she did. Where could we ever have found a person capable of filling in for a mother? No one could have filled that role as lovingly as she did. She was the anchor which held our family together. It wasnÕt an easy job, but never was there a word of complaint. She never expressed a regret over being deprived of educational benefits. There were no ÒifsÓ in her life. She accepted her function as a commitment. She performed willingly because she felt God had called her to this task. And the love she demonstrated to each of us was a love she first of all experienced in her life, a love born from the knowledge that she was loved of God.

As stated before, her role was not an easy one. She was only fifteen when Mom died and the responsibilities of the family immediately became hers. There was the family wash. How well are remembered the days that she struggled with the inconveniences of carrying washing and water to that ice cold wash room; how she labored over an endless batch of ironing and always did such a good job of it; how she prepared meals, days, weeks, and years on end; how she worked to keep the big house clean; how she administered her loving care in times of sickness and above all, how she so cheerfully accepted every responsibility and responded with a happy heart to every challenge which came her way. She came to be known as ÒNettie.Ó This was not a nickname. It was more a title of affection. It was disheartening at times to think that one who gave so much of herself was not appreciated more and that with the passing of years, with an opportunity to look back and to make a proper appraisal, only then does there come a realization of the greatness of our little sister. For some of our family the time is no more for making compliments, for commending, for praising, and for extending appreciation or expressing thankfulness. But for you, Nettie, the time is now, the occasion the present, and the desire is to tell you in all sincerity: Thank you for all you did for us; Thank you for all you meant to us; Thank you for the wonderful, cherished memories we have of you our sister whose heart was in tune with the heavenly directive which represented the will of our loving Father. IÕm sure I speak for all of us when I say, we loved you then, and we love you now.

Brothers John and Jay

John and Jay will be considered together because during the period represented by this summary, they seemed to operate as one. Where you saw one, you saw the other; where one went, the other followed; what one did, the other was sure to imitate; when one had an idea, the other helped carry it out; what one purposed to do, the other assisted in the plan. Now, all these comparisons must be considered in the light of the fact that John was the older of the two. He exercised authority over Jay; he decided the direction to follow; he made the rules; he interpreted the regulations; he influenced the decisions; and he had the last word in any disputed issue. So, you see, the oneness of the two was in a sense a forced or imposed relationship which was not always greatly appreciated by the second party (Jay).

At one time Jay and John became interested in playing a guitar. They pooled their meager resources and sent for a guitar from Sears. John immediately took to learning how to play it. Jay stood by waiting his turn, but John somehow always seemed to be able to convince Jay that his role was that of observer rather than as a participator. On certain occasions Jay got to pick away at it, but not very frequently. John went on and became skilled at playing and along with his singing performed for quite some time on WKZO radio. His followers still refer to his program, but they are becoming few with the passing years. John had the ability to perform among the best of cowboy and western singers, but the world was not quite ready for him. Had he come along a number of years later, he would undoubtedly have made Nashville.

Another interesting combination is the baseball pitching and catching performance. John was the pitcher and Jay the designated catcher, not necessarily by choice. John would take his position on the ÒmoundÓ and Jay stood next to the barn using the barn for his backstop. Catching was not an enviable position considering the equipment they had to play with. The catcherÕs glove was little more than a piece of leather with very little padding. John had pretty good speed, and I can still see Jay shaking his had and jumping around in pain after catching one of JohnÕs fast balls. Jay would intentionally let the balls hit the barn and then retrieve it rather than suffer the anguish of trying to catch it. It is quite possible that the barn still shows the scars of broken boards following repeated battering. Jay would manage a turn at pitching now and then, but John kept telling Jay that he (John) had to keep his arm in shape. His favorite expression was Òmy arm feels good today.Ó Jay knew immediately what he was in for. John was a good pitcher on the Zeeland High School team, and may have been headed for the Majors until he had an accident playing ball at school. This ended another illustrious career.

John took a job at Hubble Mfg. Co. following graduation and later worked at the Chemical Co. Before long he was sporting a car of his own. I believe it was a 1935 Chevy, the model with the doors opening from the front. Jay entered Hope College following graduation, and shortly thereafter the draft changed the course of the lives of all of us.

Following the service, John took up residence in Kalamazoo, worked for a dairy for a time, and when the new General Motors facility located in Kalamazoo, got a job in the accounting department from which he retired. Jay continued his education and received his M.D. degree. He continues his practice in Miami, Florida. He is the only wise one of the family, having located in a warmer climate.