December 02, 2008
November 11, 2008
REMEMBERING | courage
Syberen & Hendrina Potma
My grandparents were remarkable people. I admire their conviction of faith and the courage it took to live it out in dangerous times.
Following is a story from that time.
Food ration coupons, issued by the Nazi occupational forces, were often the only way for Dutch people to get enough to eat during the war years. Jews were excluded from the food ration distribution, and many Jews were starving or hiding in safe houses. The Dutch underground, of which Opa Potma was a part, set out to forge food ration coupons and distribute them to Jewish families in hiding and to the Dutch families who took them in. Those who were caught assisting Jews were sent to the concentration camps or executed.
The coupons were first printed at secret underground presses, and then stamped with a forged Nazi ink stamp. There was one final step to make the forgeries complete: a signature of the Nazi district officer. There were only a few people capable of taking on this job, and one of those few was Syberen Dirk Potma. As an artist and calligrapher, Opa was able to use his gifts to assist the underground movement and save many Jews in the process. Secretly and methodically, Opa signed the forged food coupons and bundled them, ready for delivery. (some of the older children may recall seeing stashes of printed material hidden around the Potma home in Heerenveen, with never a word about their purpose)
Opa was also part of the coupon distribution system, and one day he loaded up his bag with bundles of forged coupons and set off on his bike to distribute them throughout the underground network. Suddenly as he rounded a corner, he was stopped by a Nazi checkpoint. The first Nazi soldier ordered him to get off his bike and to open his bag. Opa knew that if they discovered his cargo, he would certainly be killed or sent to the concentration camp. But just as he was slowly dismounting, a second Nazi soldier said, “No, that’s Mr. Potma – let him through.”
Opa could hardly believe what he had just heard – he didn’t know a single German soldier, and none of them knew him by name! Later as he reflected on this experience, the only conclusion that he could come to was that it was not a Nazi soldier at all, but an angel in disguise, sent by God to save his life and the lives of many more through him
My grandparents were remarkable people. I admire their conviction of faith and the courage it took to live it out in dangerous times.
Following is a story from that time.
Food ration coupons, issued by the Nazi occupational forces, were often the only way for Dutch people to get enough to eat during the war years. Jews were excluded from the food ration distribution, and many Jews were starving or hiding in safe houses. The Dutch underground, of which Opa Potma was a part, set out to forge food ration coupons and distribute them to Jewish families in hiding and to the Dutch families who took them in. Those who were caught assisting Jews were sent to the concentration camps or executed.
The coupons were first printed at secret underground presses, and then stamped with a forged Nazi ink stamp. There was one final step to make the forgeries complete: a signature of the Nazi district officer. There were only a few people capable of taking on this job, and one of those few was Syberen Dirk Potma. As an artist and calligrapher, Opa was able to use his gifts to assist the underground movement and save many Jews in the process. Secretly and methodically, Opa signed the forged food coupons and bundled them, ready for delivery. (some of the older children may recall seeing stashes of printed material hidden around the Potma home in Heerenveen, with never a word about their purpose)
Opa was also part of the coupon distribution system, and one day he loaded up his bag with bundles of forged coupons and set off on his bike to distribute them throughout the underground network. Suddenly as he rounded a corner, he was stopped by a Nazi checkpoint. The first Nazi soldier ordered him to get off his bike and to open his bag. Opa knew that if they discovered his cargo, he would certainly be killed or sent to the concentration camp. But just as he was slowly dismounting, a second Nazi soldier said, “No, that’s Mr. Potma – let him through.”
Opa could hardly believe what he had just heard – he didn’t know a single German soldier, and none of them knew him by name! Later as he reflected on this experience, the only conclusion that he could come to was that it was not a Nazi soldier at all, but an angel in disguise, sent by God to save his life and the lives of many more through him
October 11, 2008
THANKSGIVING
we've all got something to be thankful about.
i'm thinking these guys were happy they were being shot
by a Nikon D40
somewhere along a back country road
between stoney creek & stratford
wednesday, october 8th
HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!
September 22, 2008
Rev. George Tunks
"I woke up happy
and I'm happy I woke up"
A favourite quote from one of my favourite people.
He was in church yesterday.
He'd spent a few weeks in hospital.
Was feeling well enough to go home and to join us for worship.
He passed away yesterday afternoon.
I'm going to miss him.
You can read about him HERE
July 12, 2008
VACATIONS CONTINUED
we've done a few day trippy things ...
Niagara Falls was just yesterday.
we love the falls.
i love the colours ...
i love the sound of the roaring water
we ran to Lake Erie for a day ...
Glyn's mom has a trailer out near Knight's Beach ...
the back country roads have a lot to offer ...
one of my favourite parts of July is the Tiger Lilies along the roads.
on the way home we spotted this mamma & baby
On Thursday I bought a wedding dress ...
It looks NOTHING like this one ...
July 08, 2008
VACATIONS!
no spectacular plans for the week ...
some running around ...
some day trips will occur ...
we're being more diligent with the bike riding ...
The Dundas Rail Trail is a great bike ride ...
and you get to see old Canadian Pacific trains ...
and it was even in Sepia tones ...
or maybe that's the wonder of digital camera technology ...
some pretty things at the top of the rail trail ...
sometimes you need to just lay your head down on the deck and relax ...
Calvin's pretty content to have me home for the week ...
more photo's will follow ... i'm sure
June 09, 2008
SIX RANDOM THINGS ...
I had been given permission to ignore ... but what the heck ... here ya go ...
Numero Uno … When I was 9 years old (I think 9 … if not exactly 9 then some where around there … give or take a year) I hid a terrible secret from my parents. I was found out … eventually … as kids who keep secrets from their parents usually are. I was ratted out by a “PAST DUE” notice mailed to the house. Yep, the secret was out … I’d snuck out and got myself a library card from the Public Library that used to exist at Eastgate Square … up on the second floor … overlooking the food court. Apparently I’d failed to return my Little House on the Prairie book on time …
Dos … I originally went to school to become a History teacher. Did my four year degree at McMaster … decided somewhere around 2.75 years into the program I didn’t so much want to teach, but wanted to finish out the degree … perhaps I could translate it into something in Law … or museum work … or HEY why not go to do another 3 years at EPBC and do something ministry related … after that I began working “temporarily” in the office at the church on the mountain … needing to pay off those student loans. The first week of July I will have been at my temporary job for 15 years … yes indeedy that is correct. I’m expecting much fanfare and bro-ha-ha-ishness in celebration of that fact.
Tres … I lied about the last sentence in Numero Dos
Cuatro … I’m still seriously considering running away to get married … I can’t handle the pressure of the “who makes the invite list.” Glyn was asked by his mother this weekend if we were inviting church staff … she thought that we should … I think … “if I want a wedding with about 100 peops I really don’t want about 25% of them to be church on the mountain co-workers and their spouses … and if I don’t invite them all how do you decided WHICH ONES make the list?” … And the money that we are presently saving for THE DAY and the DAYS TO FOLLOW can be spent rather nicely on a house down payment … who knows … You may all one day read … “hey we ran away” …
Cinco … I’m incredibly nationalistic ... and eagerly looking forward to the Olympics in August. I can get weepy watching the Olympics and watching Canadian singing along as the anthem is played. Seriously … have you ever checked out Chandra Crawford and her singing during the national anthem … no timid little lip syncing with that girl!
Seis … I don’t speak Spanish … but I think it would be a sexy linguistic to pick up … or maybe I’ll just see if Glyn will learn to speak English with a Spanish accent … that would work too. :)
Numero Uno … When I was 9 years old (I think 9 … if not exactly 9 then some where around there … give or take a year) I hid a terrible secret from my parents. I was found out … eventually … as kids who keep secrets from their parents usually are. I was ratted out by a “PAST DUE” notice mailed to the house. Yep, the secret was out … I’d snuck out and got myself a library card from the Public Library that used to exist at Eastgate Square … up on the second floor … overlooking the food court. Apparently I’d failed to return my Little House on the Prairie book on time …
Dos … I originally went to school to become a History teacher. Did my four year degree at McMaster … decided somewhere around 2.75 years into the program I didn’t so much want to teach, but wanted to finish out the degree … perhaps I could translate it into something in Law … or museum work … or HEY why not go to do another 3 years at EPBC and do something ministry related … after that I began working “temporarily” in the office at the church on the mountain … needing to pay off those student loans. The first week of July I will have been at my temporary job for 15 years … yes indeedy that is correct. I’m expecting much fanfare and bro-ha-ha-ishness in celebration of that fact.
Tres … I lied about the last sentence in Numero Dos
Cuatro … I’m still seriously considering running away to get married … I can’t handle the pressure of the “who makes the invite list.” Glyn was asked by his mother this weekend if we were inviting church staff … she thought that we should … I think … “if I want a wedding with about 100 peops I really don’t want about 25% of them to be church on the mountain co-workers and their spouses … and if I don’t invite them all how do you decided WHICH ONES make the list?” … And the money that we are presently saving for THE DAY and the DAYS TO FOLLOW can be spent rather nicely on a house down payment … who knows … You may all one day read … “hey we ran away” …
Cinco … I’m incredibly nationalistic ... and eagerly looking forward to the Olympics in August. I can get weepy watching the Olympics and watching Canadian singing along as the anthem is played. Seriously … have you ever checked out Chandra Crawford and her singing during the national anthem … no timid little lip syncing with that girl!
Seis … I don’t speak Spanish … but I think it would be a sexy linguistic to pick up … or maybe I’ll just see if Glyn will learn to speak English with a Spanish accent … that would work too. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
