Maria de Weerd Donkers

Black Plague in Holland

This story is about Grandma Boot’s Great Grandmother
Maria de Weerd Donkers
Born: 31 March 1819 Culemburg, South Holland, Netherlands
Died: 29 January 1985 ‘S-Gravenhage, South Holland, Netherlands

My grandmother’s mother when the black plague was in Holland and people dying all over nobody wanted to help the sick. That my great grandmother Donkers went to help a sick family, everybody said don’t do that your own family will be getting it. But she said if the Lord pleases I have to help that poor family and she did. All died but one son and my great grandmother took him in as their own son. She did have 7 children of their own. My great grandfather did have a water and fire store. That is where you could buy hot water, coal, soap etc. also he was a man that walked early in the morning thorough town and called the time. Like, it is 6 in the morning. As they used to do in old days.

I remember the Red Cross lady......

"I remember the Red Cross lady came to our apartment"

When the end finally came the next day the Red Cross from England came with them, they brought a kind of stew because we were living almost in the center of The Hague. That is where they started out. I remember a Red Cross lady came in our apartment. She spoke English to grandpa, told him our apartment looked still clean en pretty, better than many she went into.

After she left grandpa told me she offerd us some stew, but grandpa told her we were OK. I said "Nick, why did you say that" he said "maybe our neighbor need it more than we do, because this morning we still both had one bit of bread", which was true.

Later we went outside, saw the first American Troops enter The Hague. What a wonderful sight that was, throwing chocolate bars, which we didn’t have for years. After that food came in from Sweden, bread. Then it came on the radio, "don’t eat too much you can die from it, your bodies have to adjust to it.

 

Grateful for America

"I am always grateful to America, they were so good to us"

For 6 weeks American soldiers picked little children up from morning til evening, brought them to a villa by the ocean, where American doctors and nurses fed them back to normal. Bep, Anneke and other children had malnutrition. I was so grateful what they did for my two little sweethearts.

Everything was broken up during the war, no airport, railroads. Then America send tons and tons of food, clothing. I am always so grateful to America, they were so good to us. And I thanked my Heavenly Father and his Son for all the good. I knew I would live and see the end of the war. I was so grateful and with gratitude in my heart, I thanked them.

 

Photo taken from collection of Nicolaas Boot



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