As promised yesterday in my post about Museum Lace Factory - Antique Lace Toer or Poffer, I will now show them wearing their Lace Toer or Poffer. This is a special head covering for the Province of Limburg in The Netherlands from the past century. Both my Paternal Great-Grandmothers I will show here.
This is my Paternal Great-Grandmother (Dad's Mother's Mother) Petronella Nelissen-Smits wearing her Lace Toer or Poffer
What a beautiful embroidery on her collar and on the front of her black dress.
My Great-Grandmother was born in 1866, to give you just an idea of which time period we're looking at.
By Dutch law you hyphenate your name after that of your husband's.
Here in the USA you hyphenate your husband's name after your maiden name...
This is a Catholic prayer card from her funeral. She died on December 16 of 1931 at the age of 65. Probably due to respiratory problems, either asthma or more serious. In those days medicine was by far not as advanced as it is now.
Her husband was Pieter Nelissen who died at the age of 47, also due to respiratory problems. That made my Great-Grandmother a widow for 16 years.
This is art work from My OPA - GRANDDADDY, just click on the link in red. Probably a pencil drawing he did from his Mother.
This is Jacoba Van den Munckhof-Bus who lived for 32 years life as a widow. Her husband, my Great-Grandfather Mathijs Van den Munckhof died at the age of 52. My Opa was only 14 when he lost his Dad...
My Great-Grandmother Jacoba Van den Munckhof-Bus (center) with her two sisters.
Jacoba Bus lived to be almost 83... This is also the Catholic prayer card from her funeral.
Related link:
Museum de Kantfabriek Horst aan de Maas | Youtube video
This is a very touching post. It is good that you have all the recorded history. The Lace Toers are so lovely. Does your family have any of these pieces/
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this history and art.
Love to your, Ginger
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDearest Mariette, what a lovely post to remember of your family!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures with those old Lace Toers!
Have a great week,
sending love and hugs
Claudia
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeletewhat a nice post. I love those old photos and the lace toers are beautiful. The old time wasn't really a good old time. I think, we just feel so because their problems are today no problems anymore. But live was hard, as it was everytime. Thank you for sharing this part of your family history.
Best greetings, Johanna
Ciao Mariette, felice settimana!!!!!
ReplyDeleteUn abbraccio...
Silvia
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteimmer wieder freue ich mich über
deine Überraschungen.
Alles Liebe
Angela und Elisabeth
Magnifico!!! Que interesante pasado!!
ReplyDeleteGracias por compartirlo.
Saludos.
Veronica.
These lace headdresses are just stunning and what a special tradition of wearing a Toer: they make me think of bridal veils. It must be wonderful to have these family portraits that must be a very precious reminder of your heritage.
ReplyDeleteAnna
Hi Mariette!
ReplyDeleteIt must be verry nice to have those fotos left from your great-great grandmother, lovely laces.
Hug Anna
The lace and the jewelry were very beautiful. I also notice the large crosses all the ladies wore... were they Protestant?
ReplyDeleteLove,
Lorraine
Wat een bijzondere post is dit Mariette. Dat bij jullie in de familie de advertenties in de krant nog bewaard zijn gebleven. Dat zie je niet vaak meer. De tekening die je grootvader van zijn vrouw heeft gemaakt is prachtig. Hij had echt talent!
ReplyDeleteFijne dag,
Madelief x
Hi dear Mariette, what a beautiful and moving post this is: I simply adore your OPA's draw, very well done and it fully captures a bygone era.
ReplyDeleteHave a blissful week, ciao!
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteheute endlich versuche ich einen Kommentar. Leider dauert es bei mir im Augenblick bei einigen Blogs unendlich lang, bis sie geladen sind. Mein Notebook wartet dringend auf Aufrüstung. Ich hoffe, meine Männer haben wenigstens am nächsten Wochenende einmal Zeit dafür.
Das Leben damals war doch hart, die Frauen sahen viel ernster und angestrengter aus als heute.
Aber aller modernen Medizin zum Trotz - auch heute sterben einige viel zu jung.
Manche sehnen sich am liebsten zurück eine frühere Zeit, aber so rosig waren diese Zeiten nicht, wie sie dem nostalgisch-verklärten Menschen von heute in seiner Fantasie erscheinen mögen. Damals mußte man schon sehr stark sein und viel Glück haben, um bei dem Leben gesund alt zu werden.
Es war bestimmt anstrengend, diese Spitzenhauben zu tragen, aber sicher trug man sie nicht den ganzen Tag oder ständig?
Liebe Grüße und vielen herzlichen Dank für die Kommentare aus der letzten Zeit!
Sara
Bello questo post con foto e ricordi di famiglia..queste sono le tue radici! Buona notte cara Mariette! Anna.
ReplyDeleteMy dear friend Mariette:
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post, and it is amazing you have those nice pictures from your Great-Grandmothers, no doubt about it, these pictures are just a treasure for your family. I send you a big hug my friend, thanks for sharing this wonderful post with us.
Lots of love,
Laura =)
To have such treasured photos of great-grandmothers, is a beautiful blessing. We can learn so much from these strong women who came before us.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a fun outing to the museum. To be able to try on such a gorgeous peace of history. Thank you for sharing these wonderful inspirations from a simpler time, when people really knew and understood the meaning of family.
Many blessing my dear friend. xo HHL
Morgen liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteinteressant zu lesen... ich habe mich auch für unsere familiere Vergangenheit interessiert und es tatsächlich bis ins 16. Jahrhundert geschafft....
Man sieht es den Frauen an auf den Bildern immer an, wie schwer das Leben damals war.
LG Lea
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you have the precious old photos of your Great Grandmothers and can learn so much from them. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Hugs
Carolyn
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful and heartfelt post. Adorable pictures, treasured memories. There is a bittersweet side on those memories, like you said, the medicine was not as advanced as it is now, and people died at younger age.
That's why I now enjoy listening to the stories that my elderly residents have to tell from their lives in the early 20th century... It's amazing.
Lovely post.
Doris