Grandma Femmetje Willing
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Grandma Willing lived with her daughter Martha (we called her aunty Mam). Aunt Mam had a pension and therefore could look after her mother who was of high age. Sadly this situation had to be changed when looking after the aging Femmetje became too much of a burden for Martha and grandma Willing had to be placed in a retirement home. There was a great vacuum, grandma Willing had moved, and her chair at aunt Mam's stood empty. She had moved to the retirement home |
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Her new home was a small room with a bed and a small table, a chair and a bedsidetable next to her bed.
The home was in Achterveld, father and I cycled to her through the meadows; sometimes we saw groups of soldiers. Later they would flood the entire area since it was part of the defence line.
When we arrived, grandma stayed in bed and had a bandage on the right side of her face. Father found out from a nurse that she had burned herself with a warm water bottle. Poor sweet grandma, we kissed her and silently we cycled back to Amersfoort over the small paths through the meadows.
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Grandma past away on 19 april 1940 in Achterveld. She was a member of the Jewish Community and so her body was to be taken to the Amersfoort Synagogue for mourning. Her body had to be in the Synagogue before dusk (Friday evening before the Sabbath). The horsedrawn carriage, accompanied by wailingwomen had to arrive before dusk, through the flooded landscape. |
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The troops were mobilised for war and there was strict military control in the surrounding area. Fortunately the officer on duty, lieutenant Rozelaar, was a lodger at our home, and knew about the death of grandma Willing and so we were spared any inspections along the way.
In those days a lot of illegal slaughtering took place, so there was a strict control by the police and military. Understandably, the soldiers along the way did not trust this funeral procession, but lieutenant Rozelaar was able to interfere.
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