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



Amersfoort

The Beginning

Nell as a little girl with a brother and two sisters 

Petronella Boot

 

I am Petronella Blok Boot. I was born and raised in the Hague Holland, the youngest daughter of 7 children. I wasn’t raised in any Church because my father was Catholic, my mother Protestant. I married my husband in the Protestant Church, 5 children were born to us, 2 sons 3 daughters. We didn’t feel happy in our church. We did have some very important questions that the minister could not answer. So we investigated 30 different churches, plus the Jehovah Witnesses and knew they were not true. 

One day 2 Mormon Elders knocked on our door. We invited them in our home, spoke 1 hour with them they left and gave us the Book of Mormon. My husband read the book in 1 ½ days. Before he finished it, he knew it to be true! 

We were baptized in March 1952 as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We both served in different callings, also became Stake Missionaries together.

On May the 14^th 1956, we left Holland to go to the United States of America and hoping to make a new better life there. Our baby girl was 7 months old, then a son 4 years old, a son 9 years old, a daughter, 13 years old and our oldest daughter was 15. 

We start living in New Jersey. When we were 16 months in America, my husband was killed instantly at work. We were both 35 years old. I let my children finish the school year in East Orange, New Jersey. The end of June 1958, I moved to Utah. Bought a home Orem, Utah and raised my 5 children. They all are married in the Temple.

I went on a full time mission after my youngest daughter got married, from July 1977 to January 1979. I enjoyed my mission so much. Many wonderful experiences I did have. When I came back I moved to a condominium, because I did have two back surgeries. I lived there for five years.

In September 1985, I moved to Sandy, Utah to live with my daughter Johanna Long, her husband Randy and their two sons, Randy Jr. and Ryan. Randy built a very lovely apartment in their basement, where I live and don’t be alone anymore.

By now I have 30 grandchildren, 9 are married. I have 11 great grandchildren and two are on the way to join us in the near future. My Heavenly Father has blessed me so much. I love Him and His beloved Son, Jesus Christ so much. President Benson is His Prophet today! 

I am grateful to be a life at this time to see the things happening before our own eyes of the knowledge we have of the 2^nd coming of Our Lord an Savior, in the near future, to be part of this is so great and so wonderful. 

I will close now, this day, and I do this in the name of Him whom I love so very much. My Savior, my Redeemer, My Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen  (written about 1985)

Love at First Sight

Hoefkade

I remember very well the first day I met Nick. I was walking up the Hoefkade with my little niece, Toosje, she was my first niece, a daughter of my older sister Toos and her husband Jan. Well, dad came walking toward me and he looked so handsome in a brown suit. He smiled at me, and my heart was pounding so loud, I was almost 15 years old. The first time I saw him, a voice told me he was going to be my husband.

Later we met again and we talked for a while. We saw each other at different times. I worked at the house of 3 old ladies. Sometimes he stopped by.  (The ladies were paying me $2.50 a week with a lunch, from 8 until 2 in the afternoon for 5 days a week. (to do what?) When I got my money each week I must give it to my mother - the whole $2.50 then she gave me 10 cent, that was all, but remember you could buy a candy bar for 1 cent.)  

Poeldyksestraat, Den Haag

 My sister, Toos was living at the same street as we did, the Poeldyksestraat. It was close to the railroad station. Well sometimes Nick came to see me there at night. I must always be home at 9 o’clock. 

One night my mother came by and she didn’t like it too much, so she told my dad who restricted me. My brother Frans must bring me to work and pick me up again from work, this went on for months, I still saw dad sometimes when he came by at my work. 

A Letter to My Family

February 6, 1997

My dear children, grand-children, and great grand-children.  I am going to tell you all something very special. 

When dad died, I was so full of grief dat nobody will ever understand. I prayed day and night, please Father help me, keep me healthy to raise our children, if something would happen to me, what would happen to my sweet children in a strange land, no family. I was so helpless and alone, the big responsibility what was upon my shoulders.  Please Father what should I do,  return to Holland, stay in New Jersey or move close to the Church in Utah where they could get married in the Church in Gods Holy House?

 I promised my Heavenly Father if I could raise our children I would go on a mission when they all got married and you all know I kept that promise to my Heavenly Father.

 I served 18 months from July 1977 until January 1979.  I went on a proselyting  mission to my home land. It was in the summer of 1978. I was gone about 1 year and something happened to me that I want to tell you.  We had some investigators who wanted to know about the Holy Ghost. My companion and I studied each morning one hour by ourselves.  One morning when I was studying about the Holy Ghost and was finished, I stood up and suddenly something came upon me.  It entered on the top of my head,  it was a little shaky feeling a warm, wonderful peaceful feeling, a happy feeling, a humble feeling.  It went through my whole body, my head, neck, breast, arms, fingers, but it was also a soft feeling of peace and tranquility.  It went through my belly, back, legs and feet and then it left me. I was standing amazed, I didn’t want to move. Then did came into my mind, “I will be your constant companion.” 

This knowledge have never left me. When I came home from my mission, I had a hard time to go back into normal life. Well on February 6, 1997 I was home alone I didn’t feel good. I was studying my Relief Society lesson. I went to the New Testament John 14:12-27. When I came to verse 16 it said: “and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever.”

 Suddenly, when I read that, I got a personal witness from my Heavenly Father that in 1978, I had received that other comforter.  After 19 years my understanding was opened up.  I sat there by myself, crying and crying.  I then understood why I must go through so much trials and tribulations and that I was tested over and over again  - to see how faithful I would be. That day in 1978 it became clearer to me then ever before, with the knowledge that my Heavenly Father was pleased with me, that I kept my promise to go on a mission, and that He loves me. I am his daughter, even with all my faults and short comings. I have no matter what, have always been faithful never wavering. I am so blessed! 

I want you all to know that God lives! His son atoned for our sins. I am so grateful for this knowledge. I thank my Heavenly Father each day for all my blessings that he brought us to America.  Why, I understand better  then ever before the reason.  I am grateful to be a member of his Church on this earth.  I want you all to know that I love you all so much this all have made me a better person.  I know there are many things I still have to do and I hope and pray I will have the time to do so.  I see things now differently then ever before. God bless you all. 

Take care, with all my love always, 

Your Mam and Grandma Boot