Zoals het klokje thuis tikt, tikt het nergens
“The clock ticks at home, as it ticks nowhere else.” or ‘There’s no place like home.”
Meaning: There’s nowhere quite as cosy or comfortable as your own home.
Dingena’s favourite place to be was beside Durk and her favourite thing to do was to hold hands with Durk. And of course, the best location for both of these things to happen was in their own home. Thus “Home Sweet Home” or “There’s no place like home” could very well have been Dingena’s favourite saying.
Only two times in their life together was Dingena separated from Durk. The first being the time he was in the military and stationed in Indonesia. The second time being when Dingena was pregnant with Anna Mary and the young couple were sailing from Rotterdam, Holland to Pier 21 Halifax in 1951. Durk was indeed aboard the same ship, the S. S. Yolendam, yet the men and women were separated for the entire 10 day voyage. These were difficult times in Dingena’s life.
Dingena Lindhout was born in the Netherlands to Cornelius and Anna-Maria (Meerman) Lindhout. She was the youngest of fourteen children and was raised in the southern city of Eindhoven. During the war she participated in the Dutch underground and after the war she moved up north to act as a nanny for a sister. It was here, after being encouraged to go out and meet people, that Dingena met “that blonde guy.” At first, Durk and Dingena had difficulty communicating as their dialects were so different. However, in time they managed to figure it all out. On Thursday, October 26, 1950 they were married.
Experiencing a lack of opportunity in Europe, Durk and Dingena applied to emigrate to Australia, the USA and Canada. Luckily, Canada responded first and the young family was sponsored by the George & Blanche Sutherland family in Chatsworth. For the first two weeks the Botmas lived with the Sutherlands and then moved into a very small house. There they lived happily for two years. As Dingena wrote, “The first winter was a great experience, lots of snow, roads blocked. In January, 1952 our first child, Anna Mary, was born. In May 1953 (May 9), we arrived at our next residence at Peabody. We bought the Evergreen farm from Mrs. Kate McGregor. That same year in August our first son was born. Roy Eaba. We were overjoyed.… We were warmly welcomed by the Peabody neighbours…. We had such happy years in that community. In Sept. 1955 our third child was born – our son George. Life was good! Even though we had a hard struggle.”
Both Durk and Dingena were so very proud to be Canadian. As with many immigrants at that time, their desire to assimilate into the local community prevented them from teaching the old country language to their children. They were Canadians now.
Her parents and her sisters Jos, Marie and Corrie were the most influential people in her life. Dingena’s faith was also very influential and important to her. Having a lifetime of faith in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Dingena’s most loved hymn was “Standing in the Need of Prayer.”
An artist at heart, Dingena was also strongly influenced by the artist Eleanor Lougheed. As a young woman she desperately wanted to be a fashion designer. Given the times and situation, Dingena was unable to do so but she became adept at sewing, knitting, and crocheting. Oil painting was another strong talent and passion for Dingena and she took many art classes. She was well known for her Christmas centre pieces. Music was significant in Dingena’s life as she sang with Durk in many choirs and was very proud of her alto voice. Her favourite music group was the Urker Mannen Ensemble.
Working or standing in a garden was yet another favourite place for Dingena to be. She definitely had a green thumb being a member of the Chesley Horticultural Society for many, many years even judging flower arrangements at local fairs. Believe it or not, Durk and Dingena were able to produce apples, plums, pears, grapes and berries on their farm. As if this all wasn’t enough, Dingena was also an excellent cook and baker. Her soups and cookies were beyond comparison.
Dingena was a feisty woman and not at all soft spoken. Determined, she was the matriarch of the family and fiercely held it together. She valued schooling and strongly supported her children in their education.
In 1980, the Botma’s moved off the farm and into Chesley. Then in 2000, they made the move to The Village in Hanover. Dingena passed away at Hanover & District Hospital on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 in her 91st year.
Beloved wife and best friend of Durk. Loving mother of Anna Mary (Ross) Weber of Guelph, Roy (Debbie) of East Linton and George (Elizabeth) of Bognor. Dingena will live on in the hearts and minds of her eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her thirteen siblings.
Visitation will be held at Rhody Family Funeral Home, Chesley on Tuesday, February 2, 2016 from 1 p.m. with the celebration of Dingena’s life beginning at 2 p.m. Spring interment in Chesley Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
