14

Ruth's brothers Arnold and Allan were working for other farmers in Cressy. Each tells a similar story of a farmer's wife who made an extra effort to improve his English by making him read aloud from the newspaper.

15

Hennie Bulten English lessons
19 October 2006
Wellington, Prince Edward County, Ontario
TEXT ATTACHMENT


16

There were also English classes at night school in both Picton and Wellington. Hennie Bulten (Hammers) and her sister took turns attending classes in Wellington and Johanna deVries (Tolkamp) took lessons in Picton. She also learned English from watching television.

17

Johnanna learning English
31 January 2006
Trenton, Ontario
TEXT ATTACHMENT


18

Grace: Mother learning English
2005
Wellington, Prince Edward County,Ontario
TEXT ATTACHMENT


19

For the older generation, learning English was more difficult and they tended to depend on their children as teachers and translators.

Grace Van Vliet (Ebbers) remembers her mother asking her to bring home her school books and determinedly going through her daughter's lessons to learn English at the age of 46.

20

Andrea Miller: Children translating
24 August 2006
TEXT ATTACHMENT


21

Andrea Miller (Van Vliet) marvels at family stories of her father at the age of 13 going to the bank with her grandfather in order to negotiate the loan needed to buy or expand their dairy farm.

John Huizenga accompanied his father to court to act as translator, after his father was involved in a car accident. John remembers getting angry as a lawyer cross examined his father trying to trip him up into admitting the accident was his fault. Finally the judge put a stop to the questioning and ruled that Mr. Huizenga had not caused the accident. He was able to keep his license, which he needed for his job.

22

English Dutch Bible
1953
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

23

The Christian Reformed Church was another venue for the older generation to learn English. Although it was an important focal point in many peoples' lives because it provided an opportunity to socialize with other Dutch speakers, from the early 1950s one service was conducted in Dutch and the other in English. Because the congregation was familiar with the hymns or scripture in Dutch, the English was easier to understand.

The order of service was written in English with helpful notations in Dutch.

24

Order of Service, Christian Reformed Church
20 July 1952
Bloomfield, Ontario