The standing woman on the left is my grandmother Annie (Anna Laurentia Goossens) She is my mothers mother. The standing woman in the middle is my grandfathers (my mothers father) sister, Bets Loen. She was one of my grandmothers best friends. They later became sisters in law. My family from my mothers side is from Depok. (From my fathers side they are from Tasikmalaya). The two other women in the picture are my grandmothers best friends. My grandmother Annie married my grandfather Salmon Loen, who was also from Depok. They raised a large family, because my mother had 12 brothers and sisters. My grandfather was transferred to Ceribon and took his family there. Thats where my mother met with my father and they married in Ceribon. My father got a job with the KPM and was stationed in Jakarta. Thats why they moved to the capital, where all of their children, my two brothers Ruud and Riem, my sister Nanny and I (or is it me?) were born. My grandparents had a very strong bond. My grandfather didnt get permission from my great grandfather to marry his daughter, so they eloped. After my grandmother got pregnant, my grandfather tried his luck once more and went to my great grandfather again to ask for his daughters hand. But his request was turned down again. So my grandmother became pregnant for the second time and the ritual of asking for his daughters hand was repeated.. But my great grandfather was very stubborn and consistent and send my grandfather away, without permission for a marriage. To make a long story short, my grand father and frandmother had 5 children, when they asked permission from the queen, to get married and they were granted permission. (In Dutch thats called Met dispensatie van de Koningin.). My grandmother had reached the age of 21 when she delivered her fifth child. (So, it makes sense that my great grandfather objected against their marriage, five years earlier, because my grandmother was barely 16 years old. Anyway, my grandparents had a long life together. My grandmother was in het eighties when she died and my grandfater lived to be 99 years and 9 months. He has always remained faithful to her.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 20:56:20 +0000