My parents, Antoon Houben and Ruth Tepper, met at a squaredance at the "Hexeberg" in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands, (spelling may not be right) which translates - witch mountain. It was love at first sight.They married on May 17th 1950 and emigrated to Canada in 1952, coming straight over to BC.
This is their engagement picture... don't they make a handsome couple!
This is their wedding photo. Mom's dress is brown because that was the material that the nun's had. She had been staying with the Poor Clare's in Limburg and they had been hoping she would join the order, when she met dad. The nun's made her wedding dress!
Mom was born on Jun 1st 1921 in Wesel, Germany. and lived with her father's family till she was in her teens, and then went to live with her mom. Her parents never married - their families would not allow it as her mom was Catholic & her father Protestant. Her father did eventually marry and she has 5 half sisters.
Her father's family called her Anne but her legal name was Ruth - something she didn't find out until an unpleasant teacher at school scolded her and told her that her name was Ruth - not Anne! (What a way to find out!)
She lived in Germany until she went to live with her mom, who had moved to the Netherlands.
In "high" school she learnt the craft of seamstress. High school in Europe was different than here in North America. You learnt everything you needed for whatever field you put in for. For mom it was how to make patterns from scratch, how to sew, how to embroider to embellish what was sewn, and bookkeeping to be able to manage any money she made sewing. By the time you "graduate" you can immediately start work & be self sufficient! I wish our school system worked that way!
When the war started, mom fled from the advancing German army (there is Jewish blood on my mom's side of the family) and briefly went as far as Belgium, eventually coming back into the Netherlands which is when she met dad.
Dad was born on Mar 26th 1928 in Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands. He was the 2nd youngest of 12 children, only 1 of whom died young.
This is my dad as a teenage scout. He has always been very active in the scouts - even to this day, though lately his health has slowed him down.
During the war scouting was forbidden by the occupying Germans, but they still met in secret when they had the chance - they just didn't wear the uniforms!
Being rather young when the war was happening, he didn't serve in the army, but several of his brothers were in the resistance. One brother was captured twice & escaped twice by jumping from the train the prisioners were put on!
Tomorrow's post will have a bit more on mom & dad....
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