On July 5, 2019, at nearly 98 years of age, our beloved Mem and Beppe was called home to be with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Elizabeth was born on the 13th of July in 1921 to Doekle Gerritzen and Tryntje Gerritzen Sikkes, on a dairy farm in a community known as Heidenschip in the province of Friesland, Northern Netherlands. Although she was born in a time when Europe was adjusting from World War 1 and heading toward a time of economic depression, her formative years were sheltered and idyllic with a loving supportive family, life on the farm, friends and school around the town of Workum. When she was 4 years old her brother was born, and when asked what she thought about her new brother she promptly replied (translated from the Friesian language), “I would have rather had a new calf!”
Elizabeth graduated from the local Christian agricultural and home economics school and got around the typical Dutch way - on bicycle, by ice skating when canals and shallow lakes froze over, or sailing. It was truly a fun time to grow up.
Her father was a dairy farmer, a respected judge of cattle, and one of the founders of the local creamery in Workum. On occasion, Elizabeth would go with her father on business trips to the south of The Netherlands to do business in the cattle trade; there she was introduced to one of her good friends, but also became more aware of the growing anti-Semitic tensions at that time.
Elizabeth would recall many stories and events from her life to share – whether personal, involving family, or regarding the community during life under German occupation – it was during that time in which her precious father had a stroke and then later passed away, just before the war ended. Besides being low on resources, although living out on the farm had its advantages, the war and occupation brought a state of terror to keep citizens under control, and one could not trust anyone. The Friesland capital city Leeuwarden had an air base for the Luftwaffe and the community lay in the flight path of English and American air defense en-route for Germany.
Elizabeth met her future husband sometime after the war, but nothing was serious at the time since she felt responsible for the family dairy and for her brother after her mother’s passing; and her beau, like so many others, was seeking employment during this time and intended to immigrate to the United States. Immigrating to the U.S. at that time was a big decision to make as one never knew when or if they would be able to see their family again back in the Netherlands.
But later, feeling a bit disenchanted, she decided to visit Doeke (who had worked for her father and was like a big brother to her and had already immigrated his little family to California) and Matte Buma in the U.S., in 1953. There she was reunited with and married Roelof Vander Hoek on January 19, 1954. It was easy to settle in the already-established California Dutch community, but since she did not have the correct visa and papers to stay in the U.S., she had to travel back to the Netherlands to gather documents and apply for the correct visa that would allow her to stay. After receiving her visa, on her way back to the states she had a chance meeting with Andy and Janke Jacobi as they were sailing together on the same boat!
After a while of being back in the U.S.A., a daughter, Tryntje Elizabeth Vander Hoek, was born on June 2, 1956. Elizabeth had cared for other people’s children in the Netherlands, but now she had someone of her own. Two years later she had a baby boy, Douglas Gerrit Vander Hoek, born on October 20, 1958. Her family was complete and her husband Roel had a secure job on a California dairy farm. After a turn of events, Elizabeth and Roel Vander Hoek decided to go back to the Netherlands to visit family and ended up staying about three and a half years with the possibility of operating the family dairy farm in Hommerts, Friesland. Seeing that they were not getting ahead financially, they decided to return to the U.S. and so in November of 1962, the family traveled back and settled on a dairy in Orange County, California. Four years later, at 44 years of age, another daughter was born: Irene Joanne Vander Hoek, who arrived February 27, 1966. Now their family was truly complete!
Roel en Lize, as Dad (Heit) and Mem (Mom) were often called, had been able to sponsor their nephew, Minne Van der Hoek, to come and immigrate to the United States, as well as his two brothers, Jelle and Rimmer. They all stayed with the family awhile as they settled into life in the U.S.
At one point, around the time of Irene’s birth, southern California was expanding their freeway system and the old Anaheim California dairy was to be demolished. The family had to move, cattle and all, to a temporary dairy farm in Chino, California. After making a home on their farm there for about 11 years, Roel en Lize bought their own dairy farm in Visalia, California and shipped the cows to this new location on Avenue 304, in 1977. The dairy farm needed some work, but with everyone pitching in and with a remodel, it became something Elizabeth could be proud of. She never felt lonely with the activity on the dairy.
Lize was a very attentive mother and a health conscious, good cook; she would make sure one had a healthy meal and she cooked until the day she could no longer stand at the task. She was also an experienced gardener and had an educated, skilled, and critical eye whether it be regarding livestock, home décor, fashion, or behavior. She was a no-nonsense type of lady with a heart of gold, who loved the Lord, her refuge, strength, and Savior. She was accustomed to hard work and loved to walk, but later as arthritis set in her legs, this limited these activities. Lize did love the life of living on the dairy farm, and actually had never gotten her driver’s license, so she had always depended on her husband, family, and friends to get her around. Elizabeth lived for her family and friends and enjoyed supporting Christian global outreach. Even when the time came when she was unable to travel to church, she enjoyed listing to pastors Adrian Rodgers, David Jeremiah (the ‘Billy Graham pastor from South Africa’), the 700 Club, Hagee, Graham, Schuler, and Jesse Duplantis to name just a few.
Elizabeth is preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, Roelof Vander Hoek, and her son Douglas Gerrit Vander Hoek. After losing her husband, our father, quite suddenly in 1992, she went through some trying times. After losing her son, our brother Doug, whom she loved deeply, she never got over the grief of missing him in her life, although the love from Doug’s sons and their children often filled that void during their visits. The love and support from her remaining family was a comfort and a joy to her.
Elizabeth is survived by her two daughters, Tina/Tryntje Vander Hoek (Wiebe Groenveld), and Irene (Vander Hoek) Pendergast; 6 beloved grandchildren she was so proud of: Thomas Edwin (Laura) Vander Hoek, Phillip Douglas Vander Hoek, Noel Elizabeth (Michael) Vander Hoek Stevens, Andrew Gerrit Vander Hoek, Stephen Roelof Vander Hoek, and Mitchel James Pendergast; and 2 adored great-grandchildren: Willow Elle Vander Hoek and Charlotte Jo Vander Hoek. Not forgetting several nephews and nieces on both northern continents (America & Europe), whose well-being she was always interested in.
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