Clinton News-Record, 1986-04-23, Page 76Page 22
Starting over isn't easy
By Anne Narejko
Moving from one town to
another is not an easy adjust-
ment to make, but moving to a
different country where the
language and lifestyle is
foreign, requires a tremendous
amount of adjusting.
Anne Bottema, her husband
Bill, their three-year-old son
Isaac and their seven -month-
old daughter Frances,
journeyed to Canada from their
homeland of Holland in 1952.
They found the transition dif-
ficult but have no regrets.
"It isn't easy to go and
change your life. I might not
have done it had I known what
it was going to be like, but
we're here and we're glad to be
here," said Mrs. Bottema of
Clinton.
Mrs. Bottema was born in
Friesland, Holland and was one
of 12 children. One sister had
moved to Canada four years
earlier and another sister had
been in Canada for one year
before the Bottemas made the
journey.
The family left their
homeland because there wasn't
enough work for Mr. Bottema
as a baker.
"It was a little town and it
was so full. They already had
seven bakers," explained Mrs.
Bottema. "Bill said it doesn't
matter what kind of job he got
(in Canada) as long as he could
make a living." -
The Bottemas boarded a boat
in Holland and docked in
Halifax, Nova Scotia nine days
later - a journey Mrs. Bottema
did not enjoy.
"I was so sea -sick. I sure
wouldn't do it over," she said.
From Halifax, they travelled
by train to London where they
were met by Mrs. Bottema's
brother-in-law who had spon-
sored them.
The couple brought many of
their belongs with them, in-
cluding clothing and furniture.
Much of the furniture they
brought with them can still be
found in their home.
Mrs. Bottema's sisters were
living in the Wyoming area so
the Bottemas first settled in
that area so they could be near
familiar faces. They then mov-
ed to the country, just outside
Petrolia.
Six months after settling in
Canada, the Bottemas added a
new family member, Betty.
The Bottema's next move
was to Thedford where Mr. Bot-
tema rented a bakery and con -
Turn to page 23 •
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