(from Verkley)
In 1948, Dirk and Martha (Timmer) (1906–1993) Van Rooyen and their eleven children, Henk, Berendina, Marten, Alie, Adrian, Martha, Kirk, Wiegert, Willem, Bertus, and Aletta, immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands. They sailed on the Kota Inten from Rotterdam to Quebec City. They were met by John Vellinga, a field man for the Christian Emigration Society of Holland and of the Christian Reformed Church. He brought them to their sponsor, John Seal and his family, in Merlin, Ont.
Dirk had been a market gardener in Holland. In Ontario he worked at various jobs, in tobacco, cucumber, tomato and sugar beet fields. The younger children went to school and the older ones found jobs to support the family.
In 1948 little ten month old Aletta died of an unknown cause. Three years later Francis was born in Chatham.
In 1952 Dirk and Martha bought a 150 acre farm on the 6th Line of Warwick (Hickory Creek Line) and farmed there for many years until his retirement to Chatham. Their youngest son, Bert, took over and operates a dairy farm.
Chapter 24 of 25 - Van Rooyen Family
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