I think I have already explained that my husband's mother was a Dutch lady from Rotterdam who met her future husband when he was stationed in Rotterdam after the war. She came over to England and married him here in Worcestershire.
The photo above is of her parents. Johannes Antonius Van Schijndel born 1889, died 1976 her father.
Geertruida Maria Smeehuizen born 1894, died 1965 her mother.
They had the following children:
Maria born 1923, died 1924
Maria (my husband's mother) born 1925, died 2003
Hendricus Jacobus born 1926, a son
Jacoba Johanna born 1927, died the same year, a daughter
Antonius born 1928, died 1977, a son
Geertruida Jacoba born 1931, known as Truus still living
Just like me, Bb was not aware that his mother had other siblings, he was not aware of the ones who died in childhood, however I was given this information by the daughter of Truus, a cousin of Bb's.
Maria was very much like her mother, I can see that from this photo.
Bb always tells the story of his grandfather having smoked a pipe from his teenage years and living until a grand old age - his excuse for smoking his pipe me thinks!
Mind you when I met Bb he smoked the most horrible stinking cigars I have ever smelled. To be honest had he not given them up and taken up the pipe on my instruction, it would have signalled a very quick end to our relationship. He started smoking a pipe and we went through numerous flavours of tobacco until we found something we both liked, me for the smell and him for his palate. We opted for Black Cherry - enough said.
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