Remembering our roots -Joe & Diane Kremer

Times Contributor

 

Joe was born at Spijk, Holland in 1926, which made him 14 years of age when the Second World War began on May 5, 1940. At the time, he was living with his family in Rotterdam, which was the busiest harbour in Europe. On May 9, German Stuka bombers bombed the centre of the city, killing over 2,700 people and injuring many more. Holland surrendered the next day, and the German occupation began, which included many horrible atrocities, mainly against Jews, who were rounded up and shipped to the death camps. Joe’s father was ordered to guard telephone poles, as they were sabotaged every night. He was advised that if one of the poles in his area was sabotaged, he would be shot.

Diane was born on a river barge at Rotterdam in October 1937. She remembers little of the war, apart from some bombings and the Hunger Winter of 1944. As the Germans had shipped every edible item to Germany, there was nothing left for the Dutch people to eat. They survived by eating tulip bulbs, dandelions, sugar beets, cats, dogs and birds. In November 1944, Joe, along with many other males between the ages of 17 to 45, were rounded up and taken to the river where they were shipped on river barges to Amsterdam, then by a German destroyer to northern Germany, and from there by train to Oberhausen, a railroad town where, along with other prisoners, they spent their days repairing the railway tracks, which almost nightly were bombed by Allied bombers. He was liberated by the American Army in May 1945. Returning home he was then drafted into the Dutch Army and spent the next five years fighting an Independence War in the Dutch East Indies, now known as Indonesia. After returning to civilian life he became an auto body mechanic.

Joe and Diane met at a Singles Club in Rotterdam, and were married on October 14, 1981. Both had been married before, and had children by their first marriages. Joe had four children, one daughter now living in Chestermere, two daughters living in Holland, and a son now deceased. 

Diane also had four children from her first marriage. Unfortunately, two of them are deceased, one from an auto accident at age six, and the other from illness. Her daughter Marijke lives in Holland, and her son Tony lives here in Strathmore. Diane was a mother to her children, then became a housekeeper for a Baron, whose wife had passed away, and his five children. He was a Director of the Dutch Red Cross. 

In May 1981, they flew to Calgary for a vacation with friends, and on returning home decided life in Canada had more to offer than staying in Holland, so they applied to immigrate here. But there was a slight problem – Diane’s son Tony was approaching age 18, where he would automatically be called up to serve in the Dutch Army. If he moved to Canada before reaching that age, he would not be called up. So, they quickly made their arrangements to move to Canada, arriving here on May 7, 1982. On arriving in Strathmore, Joe continued to work as an auto body mechanic, and Diane, who initially spoke no English, worked as a housemaid.

Since 1982, they have lived in Strathmore, Calgary, Carseland, Indus, and Granum, where Joe served as Deputy Mayor for a year. Since retiring to Strathmore, they joined the now-closed Bowling Club, are members of the Happy Gang, and have participated in both Square Dancing and Line Dancing. In 1988, they were part of the green costumed contingent at the Opening Ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, with over 900 other square dancers! 

They also spent eight years working as campground managers in Kananaskis, then worked with a security company for another six years. So, Joe actually worked until he was 80 years old, before retiring.

In 1982 the population of Strathmore was around 3,000. The biggest change they’ve seen is the population growth, and the influx of the big box stores.

They thank Canada for permitting them to immigrate here, where life has been wonderful.