I call this group of kids the "Oosterstraat Ploeg" which means the "East Street Gang". These are some of the kids in the neighborhood that we played with. In the back row are Freek, My brother Gerrit, and Wiebe..standing in front of Gerrit with his arm blocking the sun in his eyes is my little brother Libbe. The front row L-R is Me, My sister Trijntje, my best girlfriend Geertje and Fientsje..whom we called for years Fienkje..we never said her name correctly.
Fientsje lived right across the street from our house with her adopted mother. Her adopted dad killed himself when he found a grenade in the field behind their house..during the end of the 2nd World War...he tried to take it apart and apparently and it exploded. This was a sad time for Fientsje and her now widowed mother..and she always had a rough life. But one thing for sure we loved her as one of our very best friends..in fact we used to go to her house a lot and her mom would bake cookies..or would give us an apple...I still remember the very large grandfather clock in their dining room....and also the cuckoo clock which would go cuckoo every half hour..I have no idea how they could sleep at night. She and my sister Trijntje were the best of friends and close to the same age.
Geertje was closer to my age..and was my best friend. We would play over at my house or her house. Her dad was both a mailman..and a shoemaker..so if we needed our wooden shoes or leather shoes repaired he would do it most of the time..unless he was too busy then we would have to go to another shoe repairman in town. I remember going to Geertje house a lot..and they had a piano in their living room..and lots of Christian song books from the Psalms. I will tell more about her in another segment.
Both Fientsje and Geertje and also Freerk all went to the Christian school..about a block from our house. Wiebe and our family went to the public school.. I suppose if my parents had been church goers they would have sent us to this school also..but my parents ..although good people..did not go to church..although my mother when she was of school age did attend this Christian school. This is the reason I would usually go to church with my grandmother...since my own parents did not go.
Freerk also lived across the street from us..he was from a large family..I cannot remember the names of all in his family..except for his parents Ulbe and Trien, and his sisters Elske, Minke, and Afke..he has some older brothers I just cannot remember their names. They moved to Canada not long after we moved to the US..but his parents were homesick and moved back to Friesland with some of the kids. Freerk still lives in Canada..and also his sister Elske..I believe he also has a brother who lives in Michigan. I hear from Freerk and Minke through e-mail every once in a while. Freerk grew up to become a minister.
Wiebe still lives in Witmarsum..we saw him and his wife..in 2000 and visited in their home..and we enjoyed some time together also in 2002..and saw them shortly when I was there in 2007. He is doing well..and has a lovely home and a garden in his back yard that keeps him busy in his retirement days. Wiebe and Freerk were my brother Gerrit's best friends.
Next time I will talk about some of the games we played when we were kids. There were no computers..and no TV's in the house..so as kids we actually went outdoors and played. Which more kids should be doing today..it's a lot healthier than staying indoors all the time. I am closing this for today so come back to the next section next time.
If you have missed any part just click on Aaltje's stories or Aaltje's Verhaaltjes to catch up. God Bless You!!
More to come!
