These notes were compiled by my sister Astrid Beugeling from the oral history given to her by my mother Eva Beugeling

1929

Roelof Jan Christiann Beugeling (my Dad), born - September 22, 1929, died - December 29, 1994 (Heart Attack)

• - Jan jr. started elementary school in Amsterdam and then moved to Willemstad, Curacao when he was 9, because his father got a job working for the Shell Company as a Technical Engineer.
• - When he was a little boy he never wanted to eat. He would always wear his dads hat and disappear when dinner was ready. They would call him and call him and then would see his head pop up with the hat on it and he would yell no! he would often get a spanking to eat his food. He was so skinny and people would ask Oma if she was the mother of that thin, frail child!
• - Completed High School in Curacao and went on to Technical School to complete a program as an Airplane Mechanic.
• - In 1948 he was sent by KLM to work at Schiphol in Amsterdam as a mechanic from July 21 until October 31.
• - In October, he returned to Curacao. In 1950 he returned to Amsterdam still working for the KLM working in a machinery factory.
• - In June of 1950 he worked at a Welding Factory until May 2, 1951, for .72 cents an hour, he received 3 sick days in the year 1951.

1931

Everdina Johanna Gerarda Beugeling nee:Tiemessen (my Mom), born - September 25, 1931, died - September 1, 2011 (Lung Cancer?)

• - Everdina was born in her home where her mother had all her children, hs 255 Lijnbaansgracht.
• - She attended elementary Catholic schools from grade 1, 1937 until grade 6 and then the higher school St. Maria High School for grades 7 and 8.
• - She went to school all through the war, which began May 10th, 1940 until May 5th, 1945.
• - She would take a shortcut through Weteringstraat Park. One day on her way to school, they came out of their house and there was a jail across the street, kitty corner to their home. They saw the Germans marching with their machine guns, a bunch of Dutch prisoners. So, she was curious and followed them. Once at the park, the Germans shouted HALT and they all stopped. They had lined the prisoners up along a heap of garbage and shot them all. One guy wasn't quite dead and was calling out for his mother. A German went up to him and shot him in the head. Then they picked them up and threw them into a truck and drove off. Mom and her friends had to carry on and get to school but they were very distraught. A lot of people had witnessed this event. She was only about 12 years old.
• - One day in the summer of 1942, mom and her sister Sjannjte were walking across the canal and to the street across where there was a temporary kitchen truck because they could smell the food. The German soldier cook didn't think they were sisters so he told them to go home and get a pail and come back for some food. They ran home and then back with two pails which he filled with some stew. They came home so excited and happy.
• - After school, mom and her sisters Grada and Sjaantje and some other kids would go steal the wooden planks in between the Trem tracks. They would fill up the baby buggy and go home with their wood, drop it off and go back for more. One day three German soldiers in grey SS uniforms saw them and called HALT and pointed their rifles at them and asked them what they were doing. The told them and they let them go!
• - She was 8 1/2 when the war started and 13 1/2 when it finished.
• - After grade 8 they were finished school and needed to find work.
• - Her first job was doing housework for various people.
• - She also worked for a Clock Factory, painting the fronts of the clocks.
• - She once went out with a guy whose family owned the Perfume Company called 411. She was 17yrs old. They had a big ship and they toured all the canals around Holland. One day it got a rag jammed in the motor underneath a bridge late in the night. The guys had to jump into the water to unjam the mess. She broke up with him because he was a lot shorter than her. She didn't like that. He was cute but way too short.

1950

In September of 1950, Dad met our mother in a restaurant. He and his buddy threw some dice to see who would take her home. Dad won. They went out together for about 6 months when mom became pregnant. No one knew that she was with child. Mom was 19, dad was 21. She didn't want to marry him and decided she wanted to break up with him. When she told him this, he was devastated as he loved her very much. He said, "Well I can't make you but it is my child too so could you please let me know if it's a boy or girl. I am going to sign up for the Korean War."

After he left she thought about what he had said and felt that that it was very sincere and she was scared that he might go into the war and never return so the next day she walked to his parent's place in South Amsterdam 1/2 hour walk. She told him that if he still wanted to marry her she would marry him. He was very happy. Once they decided that they would marry each other mom told her parents that she was pregnant. They weren't very happy about that but there wasn't much they could do at that point. They were both of age to get married. Dad didn't want to talk to his parents so he sent mom to talk to them. He had been kicked out of his home by his father because of a conflict with a 10pm curfew his dad had set. He was staying at mom's sister Grada's house at this time.

So, mom went to his parent's house alone and told them about their plans and of course they really didn't think they should get married because they thought that they were too young. Mom told them that she was expecting and they were shocked. After mom left she was about a block away when dad's mom stopped her and gave her 20 guilders(Dutch dollars). She wanted mom to buy dad a good pair of shoes and also said to take good care of her son.

They continued to date and got married on March 31, 1951. They got married at the City Hall of Amsterdam.

Both families were in attendance. Tante (Dutch word for Aunt) Anita loaned mom a blouse, suit, shoes, gloves and fur coat and Tante Joke got her a hat. Dad wore a brown suit. After they got married at City Hall they went to the De Duif Catholic Church to get married again. Which was common marriage practice in those days because the City Hall did not recognize a church marriage. This was the church that mom attended since she was a small child. It was the same priest that mom knew who married them. He gave the mass to them as a wedding present. Normally one would have to pay for it. They then all went to mom's parents' house where they had a party.

Mom's dad rented another home right next door to their house. It had 2 apartments. Uncle Gerry and Tante Joke lived on the first floor. A prostitute named Ria rented out the second floor. And mom and dad took the attic room at the very top. They had to pay 6 guilders a week for this tiny room which was only big enough to fit a double bed. There was no water, heat, toilet, or shower! Mom had to sit on the bed to get dressed. She cooked on a petroleum cooking unit. During the day, mom went to work at a Clock Factory as a spray painter. She was there for only a few months when she started to pass out from the paint fumes because of her pregnancy. She then stopped working and spent most of her time with Tante Hanny and Tante Anita.

Mom's maternal grandparents were separated for 18 years. This separation occurred during mom's childhood. They lived on a Tug boat on the Schellingwoude, with living quarters below. One day mom was over there visiting, she was about 4 years old. Her Opa tied a rope around her and lowered her down into the river and taught her how to swim. After that she doesn't remember seeing him anymore. He left her Oma and remarried a woman named Kay. Mom loved her Oma very much. They called her Opoe [Opoo]. They loved her because she was so kind and hardworking, and loved her grandchildren very much.

After about 18 years, Kay died and so her Opa came back to her Oma and she took him back. Mom remembers this and that they couldn't believe it. Her Oma lived on the 3rd floor of a little house. She had broken her hip and was quite crippled. Her walk was affected by this injury. Her Opa at this time wasn't living on the Tug boat but lived in a house. And Oma moved back in with him.

They stayed together for quite a few years after that, having celebrated their 50th in 1951. Her Oma died in 1954 of kidney failure, she was in her 80's. She was born with only one kidney and they never knew. She had problems with her kidneys and went to have an operation which is when they discovered that she only had the one. They couldn't do anything for her. Mom never liked her Opa. No one in the family liked him and after mom moved to Canada she lost touch with him. Her Opa lived alone for a while afterwards until he died of old age.

She had stopped talking to her parents because her grandparents had their 50th wedding anniversary on October 31, 1951 which lasted until 3am. Mom was 9 months pregnant and dad was away serving in the Air Force. Mom had asked if she could drive in the taxi with her parents and they refused, so mom began to walk home alone. An aunt of mom's overheard and told her sister Grada that Eve was walking. Grada caught up to mom and told her to come with them, so mom stayed overnight with them. The next morning when she came home her dad [Opa] told her that he had stayed there all night waiting for her to come home. She didn't believe him and was very angry and upset that they allowed her to walk so late at night but were now pretending to be caring. She told him that she could have been laying in a gutter somewhere for all his caring!! They stopped talking until after John was born.

1951

- Roelof Jan Christiann Beugeling Jr., born - November 5, 1951

Dad was away in the Air Force when mom went into labour. She walked over to Tante Hanny's 5min. She stayed overnight and the next day Tante Hanny and mom took a taxi to a hospital where midwives delivered babies. John was born at 6:55pm on November 5, 1951.

It was an average birth time and delivery. He was 7lbs exactly! Tante Hanny and Tante Stef [mom's aunt] came to visit her and weren't aware that she had delivered. Visiting hours were from 7 - 8pm so they had to wait because John had just been born! When they got into the room the baby was at the end of the bed and they didn't notice. But Tante Stef looked at mom's belly and said, 'Oh I think you had your baby!' and mom said, 'Yes, he's right there!' pointing to the new born.

Later around 7:30pm after the visitors left, her parents came in. They were called by the hospital to let them know that she had delivered. Mom said that she didn't want to talk to them. Her mom left but her father stayed behind. He asked her the babies' name. She told him. He then asked if she would change his name to Gerardus after him. She agreed right away. They hugged and kissed and made up. Although it's weird because she never named him Gerardus!

She had to stay in the hospital for 16 days because of an infection in her left breast which was clogged up. Dad came to visit on the second day as he had received leave after they heard he became a father. He had a week leave so he could visit every day. John was a very good baby. He was kept in the nursery and mom only saw him when he needed to feed. He didn't want to drink from the left breast because of the infection. Mom had so much milk in her right breast that she was able to feed two of the other babies whose mothers did not have enough milk.

Mom signed herself out after the 16th day. Tante Hanny came to get her in the taxi. She arrived home and went to stay with her parents. The first night John woke up about 3am to be fed. The next day they kicked her out.

She traded in her bike for a baby pram. She couldn't go back to the attic room because it was way too tiny for her and the baby so she would walk every day, feeding him on steps of local houses and would sleep various nights at most of her sister's places. [Tante Hanny, Grada and her Tante Stef] Eventually as the weather got colder Tante Hanny took her in.

Because dad grew up in Curacao and didn't move to Amsterdam until he was 20 he missed being called to serve in the Royal Dutch Army. When he returned to Amsterdam he had to register as a permanent citizen and that he was there to stay. At this time, he was working for the KLM. In May of 1951 he received notice that he needed to serve in the Army. He went down and asked to go into the Air Force as a volunteer because he was married and needed more money. A volunteer would make a monthly salary instead of the 1 guilder a day he would get if he had been drafted. On August 1, 1951, he joined Air Force voluntarily, which gave him more money and a better chance of a higher rank.

He eventually was made Sergeant, and when his contract was finished after 7 years, he left. During his time in the Air Force he was sent to the KLM in Schiphol to be the engine controller. His was the final signature to okay the engines. He stayed there for only 3 months.

Mom and John lived with Tante Hanny for 2 1/2 months during which time dad would come home on Saturday's by train. He lived on an Air Force base while he was doing his training. Albert and Joke were both born during this time so the house was pretty crowded. Mom did have a little attic room which was slightly bigger than her prior attic room! She could use all the amenities of the house. Eventually they found a room with the use of a bathroom and kitchen.

This was on 56 Scheldestraat. They moved in in January or early February 1952.They shared the first floor with a woman mom didn't really like. Mom got to know the lady on the second floor really well. Helene and Fritz Van Der Schulde. They were very wealthy. He owned a factory that made large weigh scales. She didn't work and was like a second mother to mom. They shopped together and she fed mom and John. Mom would help her with house cleaning and cooking and shared time together. They lived there for about four months when they moved to a room upstairs on the fourth floor. No toilet, heat, but they did have water.

1952

Mom got pregnant with Rob in September of 1952 while living in the upstairs room. Little John slept in a crib in the closet. Mom met Tante Willy Schmid who was a divorced woman with a boy and a girl. Tante Hanny knew her as well. She lived right next door to the house that mom lived in. They became very good friends. Mom knew that when she was going to have Rob that she would have to go to the hospital. Willy suggested that she have the baby at her home. Mom jumped at the opportunity to do this.

During this time dad became a Corporal and was able to come home every day. During the last week while they were waiting for the baby to come there was a soccer game on Tuesday night at the Air Base. Dad wanted to go so mom told him to go ahead because they had waited so long anyway that he may as well. When the time came to give birth, dad was at the soccer game and Willy had called the doctor and a nurse to come over. Her labour started 10 am and she gave birth at 9:50pm June 2, 1953, at 7lbs. Dad missed it by 5 minutes! He walked in the door and they said, "You have another son!" Willy was able to view the birth of Rob and was very pleased to have been there. She became the Godmother of Rob and John.

During this time, they still lived in a small attic room. Rob had to sleep out in the hall in the pram day and night. Mom kept the door open to watch him. There was absolutely no room in their room. When he cried, mom had to pick him up, hold him and feed him otherwise the neighbours would complain and they could be kicked out! He became very chubby and spoilt.

1953

- Robert Francicus Beugeling, born - June 2, 1953 died - December 1, 2014 (Pancreatic Cancer)

John was only about 18 months old at this time. They lived there until November 1953 about 6 months when they moved to a friend's mother's house. The friend was Ida who mom knew from school and was still in contact with. Her mother had a huge house in an expensive neighbourhood. They had a floor with 2 rooms, bathroom, 2 sinks, fireplace, and use of the kitchen downstairs. Ida's mother was also divorced and lived downstairs. She was a very nice lady.

At this time dad, would go for training sometimes for three weeks at a time. Mom worked at Frits De Ruiter which was a Deli type place. He was an Olympic runner who was friends with Fanny Blankers Koen who won the Gold medal for Holland as a runner in the Olympics. She is written in the world book of records. Mom made croquettes in the kitchen. She worked every day from 8 - 4 pm. Ida's mother took care of the kids for nothing.

During this time, many years after the war there was a terrible house shortage. People who owned large homes could trade for smaller ones and vice versa. The home that mom and dad were living in was really too large for the woman who owned it, so she traded it for a smaller home but because the family moving in needed all the space, mom and dad had to move out. It was very difficult to find anything. When they had moved in they put all mom and dad's furniture [what little they had] outside. Ida's mom had no idea that they would do this. When mom came home she found her things outside on the street. The kids were with Ida's mom in her new home.

The vegetable man who had a shop around the corner knew mom so she went to him and he drove his truck to pick up her things and took them to his house. Mom went to pick up the kids and took them back to the street. Dad came home and mom explained what happened. So, they walked to her parent's home and stayed overnight.

The next day dad went back to the Air Force base and mom took the kids and walked to the police station 11:30 am to see if they could help. They put her and the kids in the staff room. Mom is sitting there with the kids and put Rob on the table. While she was talking to the policeman Rob proceeded to eat his lunch! Mom had brought food along so she ended up making the poor guy his lunch in return.

This was at the end of April and she was pregnant with Paul. They couldn't help her with housing so they told her to put the tent up in the Dam Square, of course they didn't do this. They all stayed at the Police Station overnight with the kids! Dad was there too in his Air Force uniform. The next morning dad went to the housing office to request a house. He told them that he was fighting for his country and here he was with a pregnant wife and two kids living on the street. That if they didn't do something he would go to the local media and publicize this atrocity! This was at 10am. They told him to go home while they held a special meeting and to come back at around 4pm. He came back and they gave them the apartment on #10 Balistraat. The vegetable man held onto their things and they lived with her parents for 14 days until they could move in.

1954

- Paul Christiaan Beugeling, born - October 25, 1954

They moved in on May 15, 1954 with barely anything. They had a cardboard box for a table, one single bed, one double bed, a crib, dishes, and pots and pans. No fridge, stove, oven, wooden plank flooring, very basic. They did have a toilet, kitchen with sink and cupboards etc. It was their first real home. They were on the third floor. There was a milk store on the main floor, she didn't know the people on the first floor but she got to know the people on second floor, a couple with one daughter.

The rent was about 25.00 guilders per week. Mom wasn't working during this time and dad would come home every night. Paul was born that October 25, 1954. The labour was only about 1/2 hour. When the doctor came by at 2:30am and said that it would probably take until the next morning before she gave birth. It was early morning and dad had made coffee and offered the doctor a cup. He said sure and within the 1/2-hour mom gave birth. Mom first felt the water bag which hadn't broken. It came out and mom yelled out. He looked and as she sat up he told her to lay down. Soon after Paul just popped out. Mom never felt any pain at all! 2:50 am in the morning. Paul was 7lbs exactly. Dad finally saw a birth but it was so fast and so easy he thought that birthing a child was no big deal! Little did he know!!! Dad stayed home for the next 10 days as he took his holidays. Mom was required to stay in bed for the next 10 days as was the norm.

When dad brought the boys in the next morning they didn't seem very impressed. The night before there was no one and now there was this thing. What in the world was that! They looked at mom and couldn't quite figure it out. Mom will never forget the look on John's face!

1957

- Helene Astrid Beugeling, b. December 26, 1957

In 1954 Dad told mom that he wanted to go to Australia and mom said, 'No way!' as it was on the other side of the world and she thought she would never see her family again. This was the first time that she knew he wanted to immigrate. She always knew he hated Holland as he felt it was too claustrophobic. He was raised on a small tropical island and not used to the city life. Then the issue was dropped. A few years later he brought up the possibility of moving to the US or Canada. He basically talked mom into going, although she never really wanted to go. She lived her whole life in Holland and her whole family was there. She loved her husband and felt that that was what he really wanted to do so she went along with it. Dad needed her okay/signature in order to go oversees alone as he had a family with 4 kids. Once he knew that it was okay with mom, he and a few of his air force buddies who also wanted to immigrate all sat around a map of the United States and Canada blindfolded. Then they would each pick a spot on the map. Dad chose a spot near Edmonton. Originally Dad wanted to go to the States but there was a 2-3 year waiting list. He didn't want to wait so he chose to go to Canada.

This was in 1957 and he quit the Air Force in March 1, 1958 after 7 1/2 years. He then began working for Otis Elevators as a mechanic in Amsterdam and that was when he began the paperwork for immigration to Canada. He met with an Immigration Officer who asked why he chose Canada? And what could he do in terms of employment? Dad told him that he was an aircraft engine mechanic. The man told dad that he couldn't go to Edmonton then because there were no aircraft services there. The only options would be Montreal or Vancouver. Dad did not want to go to Montreal because of the French and never considered Vancouver he was stuck on Edmonton. The man then asked dad what his hobbies were. Dad told him that his friend and himself would get old beat up cars and repair them then sell them. The man thought that was super because there were a lot of cars in Canada, so he granted dad his application to immigrate.

They all took the train to Rotterdam on August 8th, 1958, Oma and Opa Beugeling, Tante Rina, mom and the 4 kids for dad to board the "Grote Bear" [great bear] boat to Canada. This was the immigration ship. When they said, good-bye mom cried forever and wondered when she would ever see him again. It could take from one month to a year or longer before she and the kids would be able to go overseas.

John arrived in Halifax on August 15, 1958. He then took a train to Edmonton, Alberta. When he got to the Immigration Office in Edmonton there were a lot of Hungarians, Russians, Dutch etc., but no one spoke English except dad. So, it only took dad 3 months to get all the paperwork, a job and was assured by his employer that he was okay for work before mom and the kids could go overseas.

The job was as an Auto Mechanic in Red Water, about 40 miles south of Edmonton at Maloney's Garage. Mr. Maloney was the man to give dad the okay and sign his papers to allow mom and the kids to come over. The landlord also needed to sign these papers to say they had a house. Dad was in Edmonton with another fellow by the name of John Sisk, a Dutch friend who he met on the boat and who was also an auto mechanic who worked with dad for a while. He and his wife are Stephen's Godparent's. They had 2 boys and a girl. Once we moved to B.C. they lost touch.

Once mom received the notice from the Canadian Embassy that she was able to go overseas, the Dutch Immigration had booked a four-person room on the luxury liner SS Maasdam because the Immigration boats had stopped going overseas for the winter. Mom was very excited about this.

Once she was packed, selling off those things that she didn't want to take with her she stopped the Immigration payments that she was receiving while dad was in Canada. The house was let go and mom had to move out on the first of November.

Paul went to stay with Oma/Opa Beugeling, John and Rob with Oma/Opa Tiemessen and I stayed with mom at a girlfriend's place. Her name was Sus Kok, her husband was Jan. They lived across from us on Balistraat. Mom met them in May 1954 while mom was pregnant with Paul and that is when they moved into the house. They had 3 boys and 1 girl who all played with together with John and Rob.

We were booked to leave on Monday the 10th, and on the Thursday, the 6th an Immigration officer came to Sus's and told mom that she was not allowed on that boat because it was a luxury liner and cost double the price the Immigration was willing to pay. Mom was very upset and cried and then went to the milk store below where we lived to use the phone to call the Immigration office to tell them how upset she was because now she had no home, no money, four kids who were all over at relatives etc. The man said that he would be in touch and he would see what he could do.

On Friday, the 7th which was the last day they could do anything because the weekend was coming up and mom was booked to leave on the Monday, the officer came again and told mom that they had made arrangements with the Holland America Line to accept mom and kids for the Immigration cost because they would not be able to rebook out that large room at this short notice. And they felt it would be better to accept a lower cost than no cost. Everything was settled by that evening.

On Monday, November 10, 1958 we travelled to Rotterdam from Amsterdam [1hr] by train with Oma Tiemessen, Tante Anita, Tante Hanny, Oma Beugeling, Tante Rina and her friend Willy Schmid and her two kids. We boarded the S.S. Maasdam a passenger boat not an immigration boat. This boat trip took 18 days!! A single woman with 4 kids!!!

The first day we were still on inside waters from Rotterdam to South Hampton where the boat launched for a few hours. We all stayed on board. Once we were on open waters, the North Sea, mom and the boys got sick throwing up all the time. They had a day care for me [11mths old] we had a cabin that consisted of four bunk beds and a basket for me. When the boys got sick mom rang a bell to get help as she was sick as well. They would help clean up the boys. If they stayed laying down in their beds they were fine but as soon as they got up they would get sick. They got room service as they couldn't go down to the dining room. This went on for about 10 days of the whole trip! Once they started feeling better we were all able to go to the 6 o'clock sitting in the dining room. But because mom spent all her time feeding me she ran out of time to feed herself. The crew noticed that she hadn't eaten so they offered her the second sitting on the captain's table. They took the kids so she could eat. This went on for 8 days. Around 8 am every morning, a lady from the day care would come by and get me and keep me until 5:30pm. Mom and the boys stayed in bed all day!

One day before arrival they had a Sinter Klaus party for the children on board. So, mom dressed us all up and went upstairs to the party. We were there for 15 min. when Rob threw up all over himself and three other kids! We were all hauled off back to our room to get cleaned up and never went back to the party.

We arrived in Halifax, Pier 21 on November 19, 1958. A travel aid helped Mom get on a train to Montreal. In Montreal, she had to change trains and there was a travel aid there to help her get on to the train to Edmonton. It took 3 nights and 2 days. She couldn't speak any English. They stopped in a little town by Winnipeg and she lost little John because she was with Astrid in a restaurant to get some baby food. The three boys were outside playing hide and seek. So, when the train was ready to leave she still didn't have John and told the conductor to wait, she yelled "No, no no!" and pointed to the boys because she couldn't speak English. She started to call for John then he realized that one child was missing. That took about 15 minutes until John came out.

Another time she bought some food for Astrid and this lady saw the three boys and gave mom a big bag of candy for them. She met a Dutch priest on the train and they talked Dutch and when he left he bought all the boys a chocolate bar.

Just before she arrived in Edmonton she washed Astrid and a lady held her while she washed the boys one by one because the restrooms were so small. Once they arrived in Edmonton, Dad was not allowed onto the platform so the conductor knowing mom was alone with four kids and a bunch of luggage had Dad paged to come up to the train. It was a happy reunion for all.

Dads friend Roy? had driven Dad and now took the whole family back to Red Water. There was snow everywhere. She was so happy to see her husband that she didn't care. She hated the house in Red Water. There was no heat!! They had no car and no telephone. The landlord gave them a small black and white TV so the kids would have something to watch. Dad had built a room onto the house but forgot to add heat. All it had was a tiny heater. Mom would stay in bed all day with the kids to keep warm because it was 40 below.

Through friends of Dad, mom got to meet some ladies. One was named Lil, who was a Ukrainian Canadian. Her husband was Bill and they had one son who was about 2 years older than John. Lil tried to teach mom some English. Mom also self-taught herself by reading magazines.

She really missed her family something awful. Mom miscarried in January/February of 1959, at 2/3 months pregnancy. She started to cramp and bleed sometime in the afternoon. There was so much blood that the entire bed was covered in blood. She was in so much pain. With no telephone, so no one knew what was happening until dad came home from work about 5:30/6pm. Neither realized the extent of the mishap so dad went ahead and took care of the kids until around 8pm when he found her throwing up and bleeding profusely. Lil dropped by to visit and realized what was happening and told dad to take the car and take mom to the doctor. She would watch over the kids because it was late at night.

They drove to Rad Way 10miles from Red Water but that was the only town with a doctor. He felt her pulse and quickly realized how seriously ill she was and told dad that she would have to stay until the next morning and that he wasn't sure that she would make it through the night. He also told dad to stay the night. The doctor called Lil's husband who then went over to tell Lil what was happening. The next morning a priest came, [the doctor must have called him] and mom refused to talk to him because she thought that if she talked to him she would die. She knew that a priest gave dying people their last rites and she was very scared that that was why he was there. She was taken by ambulance to Edmonton. They examined her and sent a Dutch nurse to translate what had happened and to let mom know what they were doing. Mom needed an operation to remove the fetus. She just about lost her life because it was a tubal pregnancy. She was in the hospital for 7/8 days. All alone because dad didn't have a car to come and visit. The hospital was in touch with Lil because they had a telephone. They then told dad that mom was released from the hospital and offered their car for him to pick her up. They were both relieved to see each other and the kids were very happy to see their mom.

Dad lived in Red Water from August 1958 to April 1959, we lived there from November 1958 until April 1959. They kept in touch with Lil and Bill for about 3/4 years when they moved away.

Dad's boss originally told dad that he would have fulltime work. But the minute we came over he got laid off and could only work 1 or 2 days a week at $1.00 an hour. Mom and a German neighbour, who mom could communicate with, hitchhiked to Edmonton to the Immigration office with all of dad's pay slips and showed them what was happening. They called Mr. Maloney who denied everything. They hitchhiked back home. The next day an Immigration Officer came to the house and picked up all the pay slips and went to the garage and asked to see the books and discovered that mom was right. They then told him that he would never get any more immigrants to abuse. They told dad that they would pick him up tomorrow to look for other work.

One day we were packing to move to Edmonton. Mom made some coffee for her and dad and when she put the cup and saucer down she accidently placed it too close to the edge of the table that I was able to reach up and grab it. I pulled it down and spilt the hot coffee all over my right arm. I had a wool sweater on which mom pulled off of me and took the skin off with it. She put me under cold water and wrapped my arm in a band aid. The next day the Immigration officers came to our house to help us move. One of them saw my arm and said to mom that when we get to the Immigration Hall you call for a taxi and take her to the hospital at their expense. Mom then took all of us while dad went to work. They took care of my arm and then we returned to the Immigration Hall where we all stayed for about 14 days.

Every morning a Catholic Priest came by and took mom and the kids to look for a house. Within a week we found a basement suite big enough for all of us on 118th Avenue. We moved in there a week later. When we moved out of the Immigration Hall they gave mom enough rent and grocery money for 14 days after which time dad would receive his pay. He was working for a Roofing Company. He worked for 16 hours a day at $1.50 an hour. He left there after working for about 6 months as he wasn't a roofer by trade.

After that time, he worked for Cor Van Klaveren, who owned an AutoBody Shop. Dad started there as a body mechanic and painter and eventually became the shop manager. Cor and Toos had a daughter and a son who were older than us. We became friends with them and that was how mom and dad were able to meet other Dutch people. We lived in the suite from April 1959 until September 1959 when we moved to the Beverly Motel because they rented by the month and they had more room. It had 3 bedrooms instead of the 2 we had before. This was on 114th Ave.

Mom met Lynn Schultz and her husband Dave and son Donny. She also met Joyce and Bill Bush, and their daughter.

John started school at a public school after the Xmas holidays. Poor John came home crying every day because he couldn't understand what they were saying and the kids were making fun of him. It took about six weeks before he could start to pick up some English words. That was grade 1, which he had to repeat. Only John attended school in Red Water.

Rob attended his first year of school in a Catholic School in Edmonton. So, both boys, John and Rob started grade 1 together. John hated being at the same level as his brother. Rob excelled at his school. He never had to study but John always had to work and study hard. Both boys were then in the same class. John and Rob were in this school until grade 2, and Paul was starting grade 1. They went through Catechism [learning about the bible], and the first Holy Communion.

One day a neighbour came to mom and told mom that they had seen the boys stealing milk money that people had left for the milk man. They did this because there was a contest at the school between the boys and the girls. The boys never had any money so they stole it. When mom heard this, she went to the School and told the nuns that they were making thieves out of her kids because of this stupid contest.

At some point Mom pulled the boys out of the School because she also learned that the nuns would separate the kids every Monday morning into groups. Those who attended church on Sunday would go to one side and those who didn't went to the other side. Those who attended church were told that they would go to Heaven. The others were told they would go to Hell. Mom noticed that they were always downtrodden when they got home. Finally, she asked them why. And they told her what the nuns had done. She was furious. They now went to Public School. But mom had to say that Dad was a Protestant in order for the boys to attend a Public School. At this point John and Rob were in grade 3 and Paul was in grade 2.

When they went to the Catholic School the school taxes went to the Catholic School. If they attended the Public School, the taxes would go there. Now their taxes were divided between the two school systems. It was here that they joined the Ajax Soccer Club and the Excelsior Club, which were two local Dutch soccer clubs. Dad always scored the goals and made the local Edmonton Journal News.

They also joined the Dutch Card Club. This is where they met Uncle Kees and Tante Willy who also happened to live near the home we were to rent in Mayfield. I remember the St. Nicholas [Christmas] Dec. 5, parties that were held for the Card Club members. Mom and Dad celebrated St. Nicholas Day, Dec. 5. We put our shoes in the kitchen, supposed to be by the fireplace but we didn't have one, because St. Nick and Black Peter come through the fireplace and take the food that kids have left for the horse and they leave a candy for the kids. Black Peter would be the one to listen to the children to see who was good or who was bad. He would write it down in a book. [St. Nickolas diary] When St. Nickolas and Black Peter would arrive at the house that is when the kids would learn if they were good or bad. If they were good they got a gift. If they were bad they got spanking with a broom. So, we would leave our shoes in the kitchen with a carrot and a glass of water. Hoping we would get a gift. We did this for at least four years until we eventually integrated the Canadian Christmas.

1961

- Stephen John Beugeling b. April 1, 1961

We lived at the Beverly Motel until Stephen was born on April 1, 1961 and moved in June of 1961 to the house on 118th Ave.

We purchased a two-storey home. The boys could still walk to and from school every day. Things were going really well for the boys now. One day mom was sitting with Stephen and me on the couch watching TV. The boys were in school. Stephen was about 7 months old. Mom noticed Stephen gagging and he started to turn blue. She stuck her finger down his throat and he started to breathe normally. The gagging had stopped but soon he started to swallow as if something was stuck in his throat. So, then she called dad and they took him to the hospital where they x-rayed Stephen and discovered that he had swallowed a penny. They had to operate on him to remove it and they did it through the mouth so that they didn't have to cut his throat. He was kept overnight.

When Stephen was born, dad took us to visit mom and the new baby. Dad made the comment to mom that this one doesn't look like any of the others! She said, 'I got news for you! This one is yours, the other four I don't know about!' Funny but Stephen is the one that looks the most like dad now! The nurses loved the comment that mom made to dad. He didn't see the humour of it. Ah well....... Stephen was in and out of the hospital from the age of 6 weeks' till about 1 year because of a recurring staph infection on his butt. They kept him in the hospital when mom was in there for her gall bladder operation in November 1961. Stephen got his first tooth in the hospital, he was 8 mths old.

Other Family Stories .

1962

One day I was playing outside swinging around a pole. I remember a boy coming up to me and twisting my arm. I went home crying in pain. Mom said we would need to go to the doctor. I didn't like this idea, so I ran and hid. Mom's friend Lynn came in her car to drive us but mom couldn't find me. She called and called and when she went to look for me she found me hiding in a small closet under the stairs. She had to coerce me to come. Sure, enough it was pulled out of the socket. I remember Lynn buying me an orange popsicle for being so brave. It was here that mom had her gall bladder removed. We lived here till June of 1962. We moved to Mayfield where we bought our first home. We lived here from June 1962 until November 1964. The house had no basement and three bedrooms. It was repossessed and we lost the house and had to move.

Dad started working with Cor in April 1959. He worked for him for 2 or 3 years until he left the job and started a body shop in Mayfield. He owned the shop with a partner who he worked with. They had it for about one year until Dad realized that his partner was not reliable and not paying bills. He closed down the business. He got a job right away working for Hank Mac Farland as a mechanic.

Hank and his wife had 4 kids. One was a little girl about my age who had a hole in her heart and had just had an operation. I went to stay with them when mom went to Holland. Stephen went to Uncle Jerry and Tante Joke. The older boys went to stay with the grandparents of the little boy named Steven who had some problem with his genitals and had to wear a leg brace after he had had an operation. After we moved to B.C. the father came to visit with Steven. Who is probably the same age as our Stephen.

It was at this time that Uncle Jerry had his own Plumbing and Heating Truck with all his own equipment. They had no children and were very upset with mom that she didn't have any slippers for Stephen. This created a fall out with mom that lasted for 13 years. They had moved back to Holland in 1967 to be with her mother who was ill.

During this time, Mom was working at a restaurant owned by Jeen Pool's parents who she had met through the Dutch club, she worked there until we moved to B.C. in 1967. Mr. Pool had won a ticket to Holland and because he knew mom was so lonesome for Holland he gave her the ticket. Mom flew to Holland in September 1964, but after about 3 days was ready to come home. After about 1 month she came home and about 1 week later Tante Anita came to Canada with Ronnie.

Our new German shepherd, his father was the Champion of Germany and his mother was the Junior Champion of Holland and belonged to Tante Anita! He was our dog until he died in 1971 when he had stolen a turkey that had been left out to cool. Mom had to run out to go somewhere for only about 15 minutes. When she got home she saw that Ronnie had eaten the turkey. He showed no symptoms until the next morning when he crawled to mom on the floor. Mom called Dad so that he could come home and take Ronnie to the vet. He had turkey slivers from the bones all through his intestines. They would only give 10% chance of surviving an operation that would cost then $500.00. They decided to put him to sleep. He was in so much pain. We all really loved him and to this day miss him so much.

Prior to the flight home mom had had a falling out with Tante Willy and unbeknownst to them they were on the same plane! Mom went up to her to talk to her but she wasn't interested. So, they didn't talk to each other and they still remember that today.

She worked part time, 5 hours a day so that she could be home when we got home from school. Stephen was able to go to mom's work and stayed in a playpen. I remember the animal heads on the walls. This was also the connection of where mom met Jeen Pool who at the time was 18 or 19 and needed a place to stay so mom offered him a room in our house. He was a truck driver who often came home with fruit and things. He rented with us for about 8 months until he found a place somewhere else. From that time on he remained in touch with our family.

He married a woman named Marilyn who had died of cancer in 1983 or 84. They had one daughter named Kim. He was a fulltime photographer who at one time worked for the Edmonton Journal. He eventually left that job and bought a trucking cab and would always stop in Chilliwack and visit with mom and dad. He eventually passed away sometime in the 1990's.

I started Kindergarten here in Mayfield but didn't like it very much. But I finished the year here and started Grade 1 at Central School. Which housed Grades 1 to Grade 8 at least. In Grade 4 the part of the school that housed the primary grades burnt to the ground late in the evening.

1964

In November 1964, we moved to 158th street in Edmonton. We rented a large yellow house with a finished basement that had a neat collage on the walls with movie stars. It was a two-story house with 2 bedrooms upstairs that were connected by the attic. At first I was downstairs and then moved upstairs when Jeen moved in. We lived there until we moved to B.C. in February 1967. We all still went to the same school.

1967 - MOVE to BC

Dad was called by Al Winzcura who had heard of dad through a mutual friend. He offered to pay for the trip to B.C. by train to come for an interview. On January 2nd dad left for B.C. after leaving degrees of 40 below in Edmonton and getting to Chilliwack during a really beautiful weather system with flowers blossoming etc. He stayed here for 3 days and headed home still unsure about whether he wanted to move the whole family. Once he arrived back in Edmonton and it was still 40 below he made up his mind to move. He told mom when he got home and they then gave 14 days' notice to Hank. Then he left for Chilliwack on January 16th to go work for Al at Fraser Valley Auto Body on Nowell St.

Mom had met some people through working in the restaurant called Mr. and Mrs. Rooyer who had 2 daughters who were teenagers. Mom was talking to them one day and they both knew they were moving to B.C. and they offered to take mom, the kids and Ronnie in their Station Wagon. Mom had packed all the house stuff and hired a moving company. After they took all the household items we went to stay with Theo Van der Linden and Jo who had 5 children for about 1 week.

Theo was in the army and in the band. He did carpentry on the side so mom bought the Teak Dutch cabinet for $40.00. He had given mom the Oak Table before because mom babysat a lot for them. Jo had had a baby that was only about 6 weeks old and she was in so much pain mom told her to go see a doctor. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died 2 years later.

We left early February 1967 with the Rooyer's family. It was a ride from hell with the car full with people and driving through the Rockies with lots of snow. Every now and again they stopped so that he could sleep. He snored so loud the car rocked! When they got to B.C. 3pm they drove to FVAB and we were all dropped off. Dad took the rest of the day off and borrowed Al's car to drive us to the Dogwood Motel on Yale Rd.

Mom and dad put an ad in the local paper looking for a house. Barb Monty came to the Motel to interview mom. They clicked right away. The same evening Barb picked us all up and drove to Agassiz to the house on the hill to view the house. We fell in love with the house right away. She said that she needed to contact her dad first. The next day, Vic Kelly arrived at the Motel unannounced. He was surprised at how clean the small room was with all these people and a large dog that that convinced him that we would be okay to rent his home. It was Feb. 15th a Thursday and Vic said we could move in on Saturday. But we didn't have any furniture so mom called the moving company and they didn't work on Saturdays. So, Vic's friend Ina had a Motel in Harrison and they had some hideaway beds that we could use. We slept in the house without any furniture for 2 nights. That was on Saturday and the furniture didn't arrive until Monday and they charged us $150.00 extra because they had to keep it for the weekend!

We didn't have a car but Vic had an old red truck that dad could drive. He drove that for 1month until Al sold him a 1958 Mercury Ford that Al co-signed for. Vic lived in the basement bedroom for 6 months and then his son, Tom came to live with us. Their rent was deducted from ours, so we only paid $75.00 a month. Tom lived with us for 1 ½ years.

After we were there for about 1 week, mom started working for Ina in the motel cleaning rooms. Stephen wasn't in school yet so he went along with mom. Vic would give mom a ride to and from work and then when he went to work for Riv Tow, he let mom use his car. She worked for 3 days a week for about 1 month until she got a fulltime job at the Lakeshore Motel as a house keeper and clerk. This had large pool in the front and it is where Stephen and I learnt how to swim. Mom worked there for 6months until Emery Barnes, who was a quarterback for the BC Lions, owned 'The Plug' nightclub right next door, approached mom and offered her a job as a hostess. This was in September or October of 1967. She worked there for 1year until we moved to Chilliwack. Living on the hill became a pain in the butt so it prompted mom and dad to look for a home in Chilliwack because dad worked there. They had a really hard time finding a home because they had 5 kids and a large dog. But they got the home on Carleton Street because they had good references.

1970

In 1970, Mom started working for Hilda Langton very soon after moving and quickly became the Head Waitress there. It was the Bridal Falls Restaurant that was open 24 hours. Mom did the graveyard shift for 5 months until she couldn't deal with it anymore and asked for a daytime shift. Mom was able to drive the 1958 Mercury Ford because dad got a car from work. Mom worked here fulltime for about 4 years until Hilda sold it. This is also where Paul started working as a dishwasher and graduated to cook and I began as a dishwasher graduating to waitress.

1974

In 1974 mom started working at the Lakeview Restaurant for Andre Ouellette who she had met while working at The Plug in 1967. She worked as both a waitress and a cook fulltime. Paul and I also began working there on weekends during school. This is where mom met Ruben and Hilda Cuba who had arrived from Lima, Peru. Andre hired them because he knew their son, George Cuba who was a pianist in the Gardenia Room of the Harrison Hotel. They couldn't speak any English so mom asked dad to come and speak with them because dad could speak Spanish. Dad suggested she ask them out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Mom put on her best oriental face and mocked eating and Ruben understood immediately what she meant. After their dinner Ruben ate his fortune cookie, fortune and all! They became instant friends and family to us. We moved around Chilliwack and they moved to Vancouver but we stayed in touch for many years until Hilda passed away on September 22, 1993. Afterwards, Ruben moved back to Lima, Peru and we lost touch.

1975

In 1975, mom was asked by Andre to manage the Deer Lodge Hotel. It meant that we would move into the Hotel and the room and board was free. This allowed mom and dad to save enough cash to buy their own home about 6 months later. Mom worked here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There was no break from the Lodge. Paul, Stephen and I all moved in. Mom and dad had a room upstairs which served as our main living area, Paul and Stephen shared a room and I had my own room downstairs. We all worked there as waiters and cooks and clerks etc.

1976

In February of 1976 we bought a house on 46583 Brice Road for $40,000.00. It had two rooms upstairs and a full basement. We put a pool in the backyard in 1979 with the help and money from our Tante Anita. It was 18' x 38' installed by Annis Pools and cost $20,000.00 including the cement, patio, fence around it etc. Tante Anita gave us $9000.00 towards it. Dad finished the entire basement with a bar, bathroom, utility room and finished the garage. We also put French doors in the basement leading out to the patio area.

Paul had moved out when he began working for Woolworths as a trainer for Manager Position. He got his own apartment.

In the summer of 1976 mom began working for the Husky gas station restaurant. She worked here for about 1 ½ years. She quit after they hired a new cook, dishwasher and waitress and expected mom to train them all while still waiting on tables. It became too much for her to keep up.

Then 2 weeks later she began working for Canton Gardens as waitress, hostess and cashier. She worked for about 1 ½ years until she quit as she had had enough. She went on UI and they said that the army base was looking for a cook. She had to swear to secrecy not to reveal anything that she heard or saw which might put them in jeopardy. She worked there for 6 months.

1992

Mom and dad sold the house on Brice in August 1992, for $150,000.00. They only got $130,000.00 after paying the commission etc. They bought a custom-made Ford truck and 5th wheeler called a Holiday Rambler from Bud Sutton for $75,000.00. They lived in this until mom sold it in 1999 for $11,000.00. Dad passed away in 1994 but mom still lived in there till 1998 when she bought her apartment on Broadway Street. She lived here until she passed away in 2011.

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Pauls' Direct Line of Desendancy

• Roelof Jan Beugeling [our Grote(Great) Opa B] [b. - November 30, 1867 in Den Helder, d. March 17, 1945 in Amsterdam buried in Amsterdam, Vredenhof.]
  • married - Wilhelmina Hendrika Roos [Our Grote Oma B] [b. December 1, 1870 in Loenen, d. October 6, 1933 in Amsterdam. Buried October 10, 1933] on September 19, 1895 in Amsterdam. (Her parents were Hendrik Roos and Christina Wilhelmina Louisse.They had three sons and three daughters.
    1. Maria Wilhelmina [b. 1897] married Cornelis Kok [b. 1894 Nieuwer-Amstel] on May 22, 1919 in Amsterdam.
    2. Roelof Jan Beugeling (Our Opa) [b. February 23, 1900 in Amsterdam, d. October 2, 1963 in Amsterdam of a heart attack at age of 63]
       • married - Wilhemina Jacoba Moolhuijsen(Our Oma) [b. November 16, 1907 in Rijawijk d. August 9, 1989 at the age of 81 in Amsterdam of old age. She also had Osteoperosis
       • They had two daughters and one son
         1. Wilhelmina Hendrika Christina [b. December 29, 1927 in Amsterdam, d. January 4, 2014. She had dementia and Rheumatoid Arthritis
         2. Roelof Jan Christiaan Beugeling (my Dad)[b. September 22, 1929, in Amsterdam, d. December 29, 1994 in Chilliwack of a heart attack.]
            • married - Everdina Johanna Gerarda Tiemessen(My Mom)[b - September 25, 1931, d - September 1, 2011 (Lung Cancer?)] on March 31, 1951. They immigrated to Canada in 1957. They had four sons and one daughter
            • 1. Roelof Jan [John]Beugeling [b. November 5, 1951] in Amsterdam.
              2. Robert Franciscus Beugeling [b. June 2, 1953 in Amsterdam, d. December 1, 2014 Cranbrook, BC - Pancreatic Cancer]
              3. Paul Christiaan Beugeling[b. October 25, 1954 in Amsterdam].
                 • On September 2, 1978 he married Diane Lynn Hastings [b. April 18, 1956 in Duncan, BC] in Duncan, BC. They live in Vernon, BC. They have 1 daughter and 1 son.
                   1. Suzanne Marie [b. February 26, 1982 in Chilliwack, BC]
                   2. Jason Paul [b. August 15, 1984 in Chilliwack, BC]
              4. Helene Astrid Beugeling[b. December 26, 1957 in Amsterdam]
              5. Stephen John Beugeling[b. April 1, 1961 in Edmonton, Alta]
         3. Apolonia Quirina Theodora [b. April 19, 1936 in Haarlem.] She married Herman Kuiper on March 27, 1962. They divorced in 1984. They have 2 daughters.
    3. Hendrika [Hetty] Maria [b. 1902 in Bussum] married Nicolaas [Niko] Franciscus Marie Van Deun on Thursday, October 18, 1923 in Amsterdam.
    4. Jan Roelof [Roel] [b. 1906 in Bussum] He married Catharina Jacoba Jantina Duffels [b. 1911 in Amsterdam] they divorced. His second marriage was to Augusta Johanna Helder [Guus] [b. May 9, 1911, d. January 3, 2003]
    5. Christina
    6. Hendrikus [Henk] Jacobus [b.December 15, 1907, d. at age of 89 in 1997]. He married Anna Maria Wilhelmina [Rita] Laauwen [b. January 2, 1905 in Dordrecht]