Jochem was born in Rottum, Schoterland, Friesland, the 5th of six children, and the youngest of four sons. He did hard labor, working as a migrant farm hand for most of his life. According to his eldest son, "my father helped recover a number of bodies from a downed Allied airplane, probably in 1941; they are all buried in the St. Jacob cemetery." [Much to my surprise, they are the others listed on this website - Click on the cemetery link below to view the other interments to see who these young men who lost their lives were.]
He had two sons, who he often wished a better life for, according to his eldest son. His life was cut short at age 45 due to cancer of the liver. He would've been proud if he'd known that his family emigrated to the USA, and that today he has 4 grandchildren, 5 great-grandsons and 2 great, great-grandsons.
Jochem was born in Rottum, Schoterland, Friesland, the 5th of six children, and the youngest of four sons. He did hard labor, working as a migrant farm hand for most of his life. According to his eldest son, "my father helped recover a number of bodies from a downed Allied airplane, probably in 1941; they are all buried in the St. Jacob cemetery." [Much to my surprise, they are the others listed on this website - Click on the cemetery link below to view the other interments to see who these young men who lost their lives were.]
He had two sons, who he often wished a better life for, according to his eldest son. His life was cut short at age 45 due to cancer of the liver. He would've been proud if he'd known that his family emigrated to the USA, and that today he has 4 grandchildren, 5 great-grandsons and 2 great, great-grandsons.
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