Going Dutch

The Kingma family kept close ties with relatives in Holland, while adjusting to life in their newly adopted homeland

- Mike Kingma

The dark, rainy day suited the mood of those present who had gathered to say their goodbyes that early morning in May 1955. My wife Jeltje, our children Kathy (four), Janna (three) and John (eight months) and I were leaving Holland to immigrate to Canada. We were leaving the familiarity of our small country for something unknown. After eight days spent crossing the Atlantic aboard the Groote Beer, followed by five days of train travel, we arrived in Vancouver, which was to be our home for the next 37 years.