Antoon and Dora Janssen

The Janssen Family by Johanna Keyzers

On February 12, 1952, Antoon Janssen, with his wife Dora and 5 children, Ricki, Josephine, Henry, Jerry and Maria, left the Netherlands on a long and arduous journey - a journey that would change their lives, and the lives of their children, forever. This 10 day voyage began aboard the immigration ship Zuiderkruis on which they travelled across the ocean to arrive in Halifax, N.S., Canada. From there, all seven travelled by train to Tuffnell, Saskatchewan to stay and work on the farm of the Hoffman family, their Canadian sponsors. In January of 1953, with almost a year of Canadian life, the family decided to back track through Canada. After a brief stay with the Van Den Hoogen family in Uxbridge, Ontario, they decided to make a permanent home on Reach Street, in Uxbridge, Ontario, for which they paid four thousand five hundred dollars.

After working for a lumber company for seventy-five cents an hour, Dad wisely decided to return to his former trade as a baker. He worked a short time at the Bradbury Bakery, and then moved on to open his own bakery in 1954 with all the support of Mom and his 5 children. After 5 years of owning his own business, Dad decided to close the bakery and work for St. John's Training School in the kitchen and bakery. In 1963, the family moved to 233 Brock Street West, also in Uxbridge, a home that many of the grandchildren will remember.

Dad retired in 1972 at the age of 65. He and Mom enjoyed the years of retirement together, finally able to rest, relax, and enjoy their ever growing family of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

On April 8, 1982 Mom suffered a severe heart attack at the age of 77 and passed away.

Although sadly missed, Dad recovered from the loss of his lifelong partner and found the courage to start a new life. He met an old friend, Nellie Van Loon, sold the house on Brock Street and moved to Whitby, Ontario. In 1991 Dad learned that he was ill with the debilitating disease of Parkinsons and Alzheimers. He took up residence at Fairview Lodge Nursing Home in Whitby. After a courageous struggle and a lot of love and support by both Nellie and the family, Dad passed away peacefully on January 29, 1994 in his 87th year.

We, the children, are all very thankful that Dad and Mom made the decision to bring the family to Canada, in search of a better life. We are sure that their ultimate goal would have been to know that their children would be successful.