Jacob Van Vliet

Born Jan. 11,1929 to Jacob Van Vliet & Adrianna Van Vliet at Ysselmonge Zuid,Holland,Nederland. I was their seventh child.They were to have a total of ten children. I have three older brothers, three younger brothers and three older sisters. When I was four years old we moved to a place called Waddinxveen. It is a small town and we lived in the rural area about six km from town.I started school in grade one at six years of age.Our school year went from April til March, we only had three weeks vacation.( Which I spent the last three years of school with my older brother Arie on the farm where he worked.)I recall that during these three weeks I lived mostly on milk (direct from the cow) I attended public schools and government paid the schools by the number of students.Seeing that there were seven or eight kids going to school in our family ,the principals from the schools in Waddinxveen and the one from Moerkapellen used to approach mom and dad to have their kids go to their school and would offer them free klomden ( wooden shoes) for all of us to attend their school. I recall that in grade four I was promoted to grade five on a trial basis. It scared me so bad that I had to work real hard and as the result turned out real good. I skipped grade six. So it turned out I completed eight grades in seven years. I turned thirteen in January and finished school in April, and went to work right away. I remember working on the farm for two years before I got my first pair of long pants, which was the norm then.The second world war was already in it's second year when the German's invaded Holland in 1940. I remember a Dutch fighter plane that was in a dog fight with German planes overhead. The Dutch plane made a crash landing about 1000' from our house. When we went over to see if we could help the pilot in some way, I remember he was shot up so bad, to kill his pain he had three lit cigarettes in his mouth. He died within minutes. The German planes with soldiers standing in open doorways waving at us. The planes were going so slow that if one had a gun you could have picked them off. In less than three days they had invaded Holland.I recall German soldiers marching by us and they told us that they were marching to England. They were so brain washed.The farm where I worked was on the highway between Utrich and The Hague.It also had a railway under the overpass.The allied air forces would bomb the overpass on a regular base. Smaller planes would pick-off anything moving on the highway with incinerator bullits, and they were very accurate. One evening I was out in the field milking a cow when a stray bullit hit the cow right from under me and killed it. The allies were also told that the haystack next to most farm houses were loaded with ammunition, so they got bombed every now and again. That's when I found out that when you hear a bombs whistle you were o.k. it had gone by.The farmer I worked for was not all that smart and told the German soldiers Hitler was a S.O.B. etc. The next day 2 SS soldiers came and took him to jail. The farmer's brother got him out of jail by telling the german he was mentally handicapped. Then in 1943 and 1944 the highway used to be full with starving people from the big city, trying to find something to eat on the farm. I've seen people drop dead from starvation.In the meantime my two older brothers (Dirk & Arie) had been picked up by the Germans and taken to labour camps in Germany, and did not return until after the war had ended in 1945. And things kept getting worse for the Dutch people. If the Dutch underground people had sabatoged and killed say six soldiers overnight, the next morning the six people saw on the road would be shot dead.Finally in the spring of 1945 the Canadian Tanker Division liberated our area. They were the nicest people we had ever seen. The celebration went on for days and the Canadians could do whatever they wanted and they did. After the war I went to work in a tabacco factory that just opened in town,The German troops had occupied the factory all during the war years and it was never bombed, all american money. I made less money in the factory than on the farm. Mom said you can take the job but you have to put the same amount of money home, which worked out o.k. as I didn't smoke and we were given an amount of tobacco weekly, which I then sold on the black market. It paid off, I could buy a small 125cc motorbike and also save up enough money to pay for my trip to Canada. By that time I had made up my mind to go there and had all my papers in order, but being underage my mom would not sign them. In the meantime my brother Leo was in the Dutch army and was sent overseas to the Dutch East Indies(Indonesia) He died there in late 1947. I was to be the next one to be called up for the army so mom broke down and signed my papers to immigrate. So in February of 1948 I got on the boat to make my trip to Canada. The boat(Cotto inta) was a converted freighter with two holds, one for women and children, the other for the men. After out to sea a couple days the weather got real rough and the vast majorty of the people got real sea sick. So the few of us that were still alright had to pitch in and help looking after the sick. After being on the Atlantic for seven days we arrived in Halifax. That's when the fun began. Hardly anyone could speak english, including me. After some fun with sign language, we were put on different trains. I was lucky, just one day on the train. Some of them had to be on the train for up to seven days. My new boss, Edger Jewett was waiting for me at the station. After some soul searching who I was to go with, I got into this fellows car. After about one & a half hour drive we arrived at my new home in Sheffield, New Brunswick. I was introduced to his mother and two spinster sisters. Real nice Jewish family( I found out later on). Shortly after we all sat down for a nice supper,even had cake with a cup of tea. I thought the cake was for my benefit, we never had cake at home.But it turned out that was to be so everyday. The next day I started my $50.00 a month job on the mixed farm, dairy and vegetables. We got along real well, both my boss and one of his sisters were school teachers and they were very helpful in trying to make you understand. The summer we spent our workday by milking the cows and raising tomatoes for the green market. In winter I used to take the horse & sleigh way back on their property across the lake to cut and haul birch trees for firewood in full lenght, to be cut near the house into blocks, then split them for the next winter. On one trip I took harmonica to play a tune on. However once I put the harmonica in my mouth it froze to my lips. The temperature being about 35 below, a lesson well learned.Stayed there for one & a half years, then took a job in a factory where they made the big snow ploughs. My job was to look after the boiler and spray painting the snow ploughs. From there traveled by train to B.C. I was already hired in New Brunswick to go to work in a logging camp, just outside Port Alberni, "Camp1" on the end of Beaver Creek Road. My job was to set chokers, the money was good $1.29 per hour. My job in New Brunswick paid $0.80 . Changed to Franklin River to break in as a faller. Two years later went to Ontario . Got a job as a steel worker in Smith Falls. Stayed at the job only six months. Bought a delivery van, delivering bread and cakes from the factory to bakeries and stores. Kept the van and after a visit to my sister and her family in Grand Rapids , Michigan, went back to B.C. Just missed the mountains and the weather. Went back to work as a faller at Franklin River. Summer shut down I went to work as a travelling salesman, selling vacuum cleaners. All over the province right up to Alaska border. Sold vacuum cleaners in Fort St. James where they did not have electricity yet, they knew they were getting it the next year. Back to Sirita River as a faller. The next summer shut down I travelled B.C. as a salesman in life insurance and membership in "The Indepenant Order Of Forester ". Back to Sarita River as a faller in the spring of 1955. Met a young lady from Glasgow in the summer, her name was Teresa Nixon. Over on a visit to her war bride sister. Four months later Dec. 1955 we were married. Moved to Surrey and became a bus driver in Vancouver and New Westminster. The outfit I drove for used to be known as BC Electric, now BC Transit. Next job was part owner of a logging truck. My partner also my brother in-law had to get out for health reason. I carried on and trough time ended up with two 848 Kenworth trucks. Sold them around 1961 and all my different jobs and became a building contractor untill my retirement.

The best thing about semi-retirement is ones health and family.

I have been very fortunate to have enjoyed every line of work that i have done. And by doing all the different jobs have a broader outlook on life.

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Van Vliet, Jake passed away at the West Coast General Hospital with his wife and sons by his side on Friday, April 1, 2011 at the age of 82.Predeceased by parents Adrianna and Jacob Van Vliet; brothers Leo and Derck.

Survived by loving wife of 55 years, Teresa; sons, Leo (Pam), Randy (Deb), Brent (Janet), Ronnie (Laura), and Neil; grandchildren, Terien (Dave), Karli (Dave), Taylor, Jadon, Jake, Reese, Dionne, Ross, Brynn, Morgan, Connor, Logan, Cameron, and Alex; great-grandchildren Davin, Mya; as well as 7 siblings and numerous nieces and nephews in Canada and abroad.

At the age of 18, Jake immigrated to Canada. Landing in Halifax, Jake worked his way to the West Coast where he started falling in Sarita. On one of his trips on the Uchuck, he met the love of his life, Teresa who had just landed in Canada that day. They married 5 months later with the help and support of Bill and Cathy Luchinski. Always a hard worker, Jake started his own logging company in Sarita with his Brother-in-law, Frank Stowe. Jake and Teresa later moved to Port Alberni where he started Van Vliet Construction. Jake kept himself and his 5 boys busy. They spent many hours together on the soccer fields, both playing and volunteering. They built many houses in the community both for themselves and for others. Family was always very important and even in retirement, Jake kept busy with grandchildren, great grandchildren and still found time to use his skills with wood to build furniture for family and friends.

A Service of Remembrance will be held at 1:30pm, Friday, April 8, 2011 from the Chapel of Memories Funeral Home, 4005 – 6th Ave, Port Alberni, BC with Rolly Nystrom officiating.

The family would like to take the opportunity to extend thanks and appreciation to the staff at the West Coast General Hospital and to Dr. White for the care and compassion extended to Jake and his family during his stay.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jake’s memory may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, 3030 – 3rd Ave, Port Alberni, BC., V9Y 2A5 or the charity of your choice.