Saturday, January 27, 2024
Sonja and Anna regret they couldn't attend the service as they are both out of the country. Here are our thoughts:
In recalling memories of our "one and only uncle" in Canada, we realized how many memories are intertwined with our father's. Although Jan and Wim de Vries were seven years apart in age, they shared remarkable similarities.
Ome Jan followed in our father's footsteps by choosing to be a machinist/millwright as a career. In their spare time, both men enjoyed nothing more than spending time alone in their workshop, creating unique objects, tooling machine parts and working with their wood or metal lathes.
Both men were deeply religious and generous of their time in volunteering for church and community work.
The brothers both chose a Kerkhoven as their spouse by marrying two sisters. Thus began our "double" family. Sonja, Erna and Anna often had to explain to their friends the definition of double cousins, but this "double family" often spent time together in those early years, shuffling between Burlington and Hamilton, hosting Sunday visits and exploring different campgrounds for shared family vacations.
Although small in stature, Ome Jan was a giant in serving his country in war. He was also a hero to his five children and was loved and well looked after by them. His strong sense of family instilled strong family connections among them.
Although the brothers might have come across initially as reserved or quiet, they enjoyed the same sense of subtle humour with good jokes, a twinkle in their eyes, and a hearty laugh.
We know Jan and Wim and their sister Toos will be sharing some laughs and memories in Heaven.
