Clinton News-Record, 1986-04-23, Page 88The birth of a new generation...
By Shelley McPhee-Haist
In part the Klompen Feest
celebrations help raise funds
for the Clinton Public Hospital
(CPH). This year CPH is em-
barking on a major fund raising
campaign to help finance anew
obstetrics wing and to upgrade
the present chronic care has beennit.
The fund raising goal
set at $350,000.
The Dutch -Canadian connec-
tion with the local hospital's
maternity ward began on Oc-
tober 21, 1948.
Klaas Harkema, son of Sam
and Tina Harkema, was the
firskbaby of Dutch immigrants
to be born at CPH.
It was a proud moment for
the new Canadian family, the
hospital staff and the old doctor
from Auburn who helped
deliver the baby boy.
Mrs. Harkema remembers
the day well, "My neighbor
called the doctor. The doctor
came and took me to the
hospital."
Communication between the
doctor and patient was limited
because of language barriers,
but as Mrs. Harkema recalls,
"He shook his head. I shook my
head and we understood each
other."
Klaas was Mrs. Harkema's
sixth child, her first to be born
in a hospital. She recalls that
the hospital care as excellent.
A Dutch woman as even
call-
ed l -
in to visit— w
w
mother.
Three days after Klaas' birth
Mrv' Harkema came to see his
6► new son. The father had been
unable to come to the hospital
any sooner because he had no
transportation. lived
The Harkema family
between Auburn and Blyth on
County Road 25.
Life was hard for the new
Page 39
from the isolation and
loneliness of living in a new
land. They were one of the first
Dutch immigrant families to
settle in this area. Al the time
the only other Dutch people liv-
ing in the area were the
Burumas in Goderich
Township.
Mrs. Harkema remembers,
"Sometimes I had tears in my
eyes. I wanted someone to
come and see my new baby."
Mr. and Mrs. Harkema learn-
ed to speak English from their
children who attended the local
school.
At that time there was no
Dutch church in the community
as there is today in Clinton. The
Harkemas travelled with their
neighbors to the Sunday morn-
ing services at the
Presbyterian church in'Clinton.
Klaas was baptized there when
he was two months old.
Still, the .loneliness plagued
the family and in 1951 they
moved to the United States.
"We were used to Canada
and we liked it here, but we had
relatives in the United States,"
Mrs. Harkema noted.
With savings of $1,200 they
bought a half ton pick-up truck.
The -Harkemas and their six
children crowded into the small
truck cab to make the journey
to Michigan. All the family's
worldly possessions were
stored in the back of the truck.
And Mrs. Harkema was preg-
nantz again, six months.
man. Life in the new country was
Mr. Harkema lost his $75 a difficult, beginning with a
month job as a farm hand, frightening confrontation at the
however, he soon secured work border.
with Frank Bainton at his Blyth Mr. Harkema remembers
tannery. that he was very nervous at the
"1 made a dollar an hour and border. The language dif-
1 thought that *as pretty ferences between him and the
good." border guard led to a
Still, the family 'suffered Tarn to page 40 •
Klaas Harkema, son of Sam
and Tina Harkema was the
first baby of Dutch parentage
to be born at Clinton Public
Hospital on October 21, 1948.
Canadian family. They had no
car, no telephone, no electricity
and no running water in their
home.
And money was scarce. Two
weeks before Klaas' birth Mr.
Harkema learned that his
employer, Major Youngblut,
had no more
work 1 for his hired