So Came War Over The Netherlands
My mother, Jeanette Mary Parquette, while a high school student, a student at the Cook County School of Nursing in Chicago and then a student at the University of Illinois, corresponded with pen pals throughout the world. Most of the letters are WWII Era and shortly after. A year before Jeanette died in South Carolina at the age of 92, she gave me (her daughter) these letters. Rather them store the letters away for another 70 years, I am sharing them on my Web site. The letters are retyped as written (grammatical and spelling errors) and occasionally I have to guess at a foreign word/place/name, etc., even after researching it on the Internet.
Jeanette was the eldest daughter of Clara Charlotte Nielsen and John Griggs Parquette of St. Charles, Illinois. She was born 15 November 1921 and died 14 October 2013. She had 3 sisters, Carol, Olive, and Dorothy. Jeanette graduated from the Cook Country School of Nursing in 1944. As a nurse she put herself through the University of Illinois. After WWII she met Jay True Dodge of Rushville, Illinois at the U of I. They were married 21 August 1948 and had 8 children (2 boys and 6 girls.) Ultimately Jeanette left the medical profession and became an English composition and literature teacher at Bradley University. Her love of writing started at an early age and continued until her death. She published three books after retirement. They can be viewed at http://www.songofiam.com/.
Her nickname Parky was given to Jeanette in nurses training when medical professionals only used their last name. Parquette was deemed too long and she became Parky ..... forever more.
Jeanette was the eldest daughter of Clara Charlotte Nielsen and John Griggs Parquette of St. Charles, Illinois. She was born 15 November 1921 and died 14 October 2013. She had 3 sisters, Carol, Olive, and Dorothy. Jeanette graduated from the Cook Country School of Nursing in 1944. As a nurse she put herself through the University of Illinois. After WWII she met Jay True Dodge of Rushville, Illinois at the U of I. They were married 21 August 1948 and had 8 children (2 boys and 6 girls.) Ultimately Jeanette left the medical profession and became an English composition and literature teacher at Bradley University. Her love of writing started at an early age and continued until her death. She published three books after retirement. They can be viewed at http://www.songofiam.com/.
Her nickname Parky was given to Jeanette in nurses training when medical professionals only used their last name. Parquette was deemed too long and she became Parky ..... forever more.
Jeanette Mary Parquette, 1939-1940
Hermmanes Roelofs, Holland
Letters from Hermmanes Roelofs, Stieltjeskanaal 4, Dalen Drenthe, Holland
and later from Anreperstraat 135, Assen Holland
and later from Anreperstraat 135, Assen Holland
- 1937, June 15
- 1937, November 07
- 1938, January 12
- 1938, Postcards of Holland. trees, palace, ruins, Vondelpark, canal
- 1938, February 28
- 1938, August 01
- 1938, Postcards - B.Hummel 4493 & B.Hummel 4929
- 1939, February 26 NEW
- 1939, November 31 NEW
- (Note: The Netherlands mobilized in 1939 and Germany attacked on 10 May 1940)
- 1940, November 12
- 1941, September 09
- 1946, January 10
- 1946, April 10
- 1946, July 28
- 1947, April 20
On the back it reads:
"Hermannes Roloefs
1945 April
Two weeks before our liberation"
Interesting News:
A friend, Barb, read my post/link on Facebook and did a little research on Hermannes Roelofs. She found a photo of the house where he lived when he wrote the letters starting in 1946. She also searched for him on ancestry.com and thinks he married Gretel Vrielink in Coevorden.
More sleuthing is in the works - stay tuned.
"Hermannes Roloefs
1945 April
Two weeks before our liberation"
Interesting News:
A friend, Barb, read my post/link on Facebook and did a little research on Hermannes Roelofs. She found a photo of the house where he lived when he wrote the letters starting in 1946. She also searched for him on ancestry.com and thinks he married Gretel Vrielink in Coevorden.
More sleuthing is in the works - stay tuned.
Wolfgang May, Germany
- 1937, June 3
- 1937, Postcards
- 1937, Dresden Pamplet
- 1937 Dresden Booklet with pictures of the city before the bombing in 1945.
The above items are the only letters, pictures, etc. that I have from Wolfgang May. Parky did not hear from him during and after the war and she always wondered if he survived.
