M.J. Swaalep |
30-01-2014 |
How hard and horrible life can be. Sometimes the fate suffered by some people is beyond description you don’t want to experience it!
Our father Jozef (we called him Joop) Swaalep, born on 25 July 1911, came from a family of 5 children (all of them boys), one of whom, Michel, died soon after birth. So he was saved from all ‘the misery’.
Their father and mother, our granddad and grandma Swaalep, died of illness shortly after the Second World War. So they too avoided the suffering!
Our father had been married since 29 March 1936 to Sophia Goldsmit, who was born on 28 February 1916. She didn’t survive the war. Likewise, none of his brothers survived the war.
After years of living in the abominable concentration camps, our father was repatriated to the Netherlands, and after a long period of revalidation in a health-care centre he met our mother Gerarda (Ger) Tielen (a nurse in the sanatorium).
Together with her he returned to a normal life. They married on 24 September 1947 and had 5 children, 2 sons and 3 daughters. Unfortunately, our mother died of an illness in 1968. Even after this painful loss, our father had to persevere with his 5 children. Unfortunately, our father died of illness on 26 September 1985 (we still miss him).
How much ‘suffering’ can a person withstand!!!
As children we are therefore hugely proud of our father Jozef (Joop) Swaalep. As a tribute, we, his children, have adopted the name of his first wife Sophia Goldsmit. For if she… people can complete that sentence themselves.
Bram ┼ and Cobi ┼, Maup and Alie, Femmie and Richard ┼, Josje and Ron and Chelly and Vincent
On behalf of my family, I kindly ask you to place this story.
(Maup) M.J. Swaalep
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