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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Pieter's Mom in DEEP Thoughts While Penning Letter - Followed by Disaster!

You have read my blog posts about Pieter's older brothers being deployed in Indonesia for several years.
Pieter's Mom was the loyal writer and you have seen one photo where she is penning a letter...
This photo where she is in DEEP Thoughts while penning a letter... 
She also enclosed news paper clippings to send along with the letter, as well as some money...
Then, scooping up the leftover clippings, for throwing them into the stove - she ACCIDENTALLY grabbed her leather wallet instead! 
So Pieter recalls this incident very vividly. The bulging leather wallet inside the flames and by the time they tried to rescue it, with something - it was too late.
Engulfed in flames, wallet and household money went up in smoke...
SAD!
~
My Dear Mother-In-Law has been a loyal letter writer.
Till her death on November 21, 1989 she almost weekly wrote us a letter, just as I've done all those years.
She was 94.5 years old and a colon cancer survivor.
Below is her final letter to her family:
Zij die ik teleurstelde
Vergeef mij
Zij die mij teleurstelde is het vergeven
Zij die mij zoo dierbaar waren help mij door uw gebed
Dat mijn heengaan een blijde opgang moge zijn naar God.
Ik dank allen die mijn leven zoo mooi maakten.
Blijf elkaar genegen.
Moge mijn ziel met u in vrede rusten
Verder hoop ik dat de familie band sterk moogt bewaren.
Dit is mijn laatste wens, Moeder
~
The ones I let down
Forgive me
Those who let me down are forgiven
Those who loved me so much help me through your prayer
That my passing may be a happy onset to God.
I thank all who made my life so beautiful.
Keep affection for each other.
May my soul rest with you in peace
Further I hope that the family bond will be kept strong.
This is my last wish, Mother

My Mother-in-law also was very active for decades in the Elderly

Related posts:
1948 Gevaphone Record with Young Pieter Playing his Accordion for his Marine Brother | previous post
72 Years Later... Gevaphone Spoken Letters to Marine Brother Employed Overseas | previous post
1948 Gevaphone Record with Young Pieter Playing his Accordion for Brother in Uniform | previous post
72 Years Later... Gevaphone Spoken Letters to Military Brother Employed Overseas | previous post

27 comments:

  1. Dearest MAriette,
    thank you for sharing those wonderful and really private words from your dear Mother in Law!
    Wishing you and Pieter a lovely rest of the week!
    Love and hugs, Claudia xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Claudia,
      There was nothing private about her words. She was for more than 25 years a true Leader for the Elderly in my home town and for that she got rewarded with a Royal Pin! Her letter was addressed to ALL...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  2. Liebe Mariette,
    herzlichen Dank und liebe Grüße
    Elisabeth

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a most beautiful last letter to the family. She obviously knew she didn't have long to live.
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Sami,
      That indeed was a meaningful letter to her family and all whom she interacted with as longtime leader for the Elderly.
      This handwriting is done previous, not in her final stage...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  4. Hello Mariette, Wise words indeed, and not just for those at the end of life. I think people would be much happier if they adopt this philosophy at a young age, as I am sure that Pieter's mother did.

    The burnt wallet reminds me of the story of (the unsinkable) Molly Brown. Her mining husband made a fortune and hid it in the unused summer stove, which was lit however, to the loss of the fortune. Luckily, they made much more, and Molly became the toast of Europe and the queen of Denver society.
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Jim,
      Yes, you are right, Pieter's Mom lived by them for all those decades that she was a widow but a very active Leader for the local Elderly for which she got a royal recognition.
      Never had heard this Molly Brown story but it is quite interesting, at least the true story.
      Guess a lot more of such disasters. where money went up in flames, have happened...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  5. My goodness, what a beautiful letter she wrote! She must have been a very special woman, someone to cherish, a wonderful role model.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Kim,
      Thank you and yes, you are right, she was a true role model and a great leader for some 25 years for the Elderly.
      She got a royal recognition for that and well earned.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  6. Oh my gosh, wallet in flames! I didn't expect that coming...such a disaster indeed!
    I love Pieter's mom's handwriting. And this is such a touching, beautiful letter. This must be a treasure for all her family. xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Tamago,
      For the moment it sure was a shocking disaster but life goes on...
      So glad that Pieter captured her soft face while being pensive and writing to her two eldest sons.
      She sure had a beautiful handwriting and the letter is touching indeed.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Dearest Anne,
      Yes, a truly lovely memory, except for the burned wallet with money...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  8. Dearest Agnes,
    Yes they truly are very profound and meaningful and the memories are priceless.
    Glad Pieter captured it on photo...
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wat een mooie ontroerende laatste brief van je schoonmoeder. Mooie foto van haar. Fijne dag,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beste Willy,
      Ja, een heel waardevolle brief die ze toch wel langer van tevoren heeft geschreven.
      Wij hebben haar brief van daags voor het overlijden en dat handschrift is verschillend.
      Ben heel blij dat Pieter haar zo mooi heeft vastgelegd, in gedachten verzonken bij haar twee jongens in Indië, aan wie ze trouw al die jaren schreef en ook knipsels van thuis stuurde...
      Liefs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  10. Meaningful and touching letter. My prayers are with you....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Jyothisethu,
      Very meaningful indeed and something to cherish.
      We've long ago dealt with her departure but she will be remembered forever.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  11. What a treasure to leave for your loved ones...and my she had beautiful handwriting !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Janey,
      Thank you and it sure is a treasure that will make history this way.
      At that time, handwriting was a lot more practiced at school I think and it was demanded that you managed.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  12. Oh, the household money and good leather wallet, how sad for the family on that day! I can imagine how terrible your mother-in-law felt. The lost art of letter writing! This year I noticed also a decrease in Christmas cards … all do to electronic greetings, which to anyone over 30 is not a substitute. But alas, things continue to change with the maturity of a new generation, which is always the way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Debbie,
      Yes, that was a tragedy but there was nothing what they could do about it...
      My Mother-in-law managed to write beautiful and back then, everything was hand written.
      With the very high mailing cost and also the cost of paper (cards) it is quite economical for using electronic spoken greetings or video, whatever. That also is more eco friendly!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  13. Sono ricordi che resteranno sempre nella nostra memoria.
    Un sereno fine settimana per te.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Caro Giancarlo,
      Sì, tali ricordi durerà per sempre e fanno la storia.
      Un abbraccio,
      Mariette

      Delete
  14. Dear Mariette - what a lovely collection of memories about Pieters's mother.
    My MiL too used to write to us each and every week when we lived in Scotland - sadly it is now a dying art.
    I suspect the fact that Pieter still remembers so clearly the ocassion when the leather wallet burnt in the fire was partly due to the fact that loosing the families budget for food etc probably caused all the family much distress.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Rosemary,
      Yes my Mother-in-law was an excellent letter writer and her last letter to us she wrote the day before she died...
      Pieter does remember it vividly as the sight of that bulging walles was sheer horror and rescue too late. Another loss, one of so many like the depression years struggle, then part of their home destroyed end of WWII while they were evacuated and all their greenhouses flattened... There always has been a new start and Pieter's family was a good example of perseverance!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...

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