Full Circle
My father (1932 - 2004) had no idea that his granddaughter would become a Christian Reformed pastor in 2017 or that he had generations of 'dominees' in his family, as far back as the Dutch Reformation. But recent work with My Heritage has uncovered five centuries of faithfulness and a
Family History
It was a privilege for me to delve deeply into the lives of ‘Opa and Oma’ van der Laan in 2019, while editing and assembling the various writings and photos for the book "The van der Laan Venture" -- memoirs of my grandfather, but also of his wife and several
Exhibit ‘A’
Article in Christian Courier: When mom died I had the idea of taking the familiar objects that decorated our home and lifting them to another level, just like mom. That would strike a chord!
Herman de Jong
Writing for his descendants living during the year 2050. Publishing this work is a bit premature, but some of us will not be around in 2050 to read this. So, as Herman would say, let's just jump the gun.
Sarnia Christian School Album, 1953 – 1973
Here is a fledgling photo album for the first twenty years of Sarnia Christian School. Though I attended SCS for only six years (grades 2-8), it plays an outsize role in my life. My father was a teacher there from before I was born to the year that I graduated
Sarnia Christian School, 1953-1973
Twentieth Anniversary Booklet Written and produced by Herman de Jong In 1973, Herman de Jong (my father) was an upholsterer. Not an obvious choice for authoring this school’s anniversary booklet. Until you know that he taught there, off and on, for fourteen of its first twenty years. He quit teaching
AACS Niagara Family Conferences, 1970 – 1991
For me, there’s a string of outposts stretching back from 1991 all the way to 1970. The first AACS (now ICS) August long weekend Family Conference was held in Niagara (Fort Erie) some fifty years ago. I've made a whole website for this.
Harry van der Laan’s own story
An Improbable Trajectory. Harry van der Laan’s own story - Part 1: “… a little bit of fire” - 1936 – 1955
The Nature of Things
It is now already five years since the Christmas of 2016 when we last gathered fully as family in Niagara, some three months after Stiny de Jong's funeral. We were drawn together to hang on to that sense of belonging that only a matriarch can supply. We gathered for a
A place in the heart
Laura's repost in Reformed Journal: Perhaps my father was lucky. There is a place in the world that he called his own. It's a wonderful place that he could visit and remember and which never lost its essence throughout his own variegated life. That place is Terschelling
Terschelling – A place in the heart
Perhaps my father was lucky. There is a place in the world that he called his own. It's a wonderful place that he could visit and remember and which never lost its essence throughout his own variegated life. That place is Terschelling
The van der Laan Venture (epub)
Memoirs of Harm and Dina van der Laan. A printed book made available here in an ePub viewer.
Hinne de Jong
From the memoirs of Hendrik (Hinne) de Jong (1896-1982, translated/arranged by his son, Sense de Jong and maintained by grandson Henry.
Herman de Jong – Organ
Herman de Jong plays on the Covenant CRC organ
Objects of Affection
An exhibition of photographs of treasured objects from the home of Stiny de Jong, given new life - transposed, re-imagined and renewed out-of-doors in the natural settings she relished. Consider, from this juxtaposition, what it is to be at home, surrounded by simply lovely mementos, gathered from artisans and nature,
Terschelling
Perhaps my father was lucky. There is a place in the world that he called his own. It's a wonderful place that he could visit and remember and which never lost its essence throughout his own variegated life.
The van der Laan Venture (PDF)
Memoirs of Harm and Dina van der Laan. A printed book made available here in a PDF flip-book viewer.