Oom Harke, the 10th child and the 5th son of Grandpa Willem, turned 95 years old on Tuesday, September 3rd. 2024 is a sad year for Harke. In May, his dear Ellechien passed away, and he himself moved to the Lindenhof.
Despite his declining memory, Harke still sits on his soapbox. He shares that his family was poor. During the Great Depression, they had to get by on just 14 guilders a week. His oldest brother and sisters had already moved out by then. Despite the hardships, there was never any conflicts.
During World War II, Harke was a young teenager. To avoid being sent to work in Germany, his older brothers went into hiding with a farmer nearby. Harke was the one who facilitated contact between home and his older brothers. He was questioned multiple times by the local NSB member about where his brothers were hiding.