Problem with corrupted mail in my mailbox led to loss of some messages. If anyone applied to me, please resend. alm > [Original Message] > From: ed/lindaroorda <elr1074@clarityconnect.com> > To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com> > Date: 3/24/2007 5:50:48 AM > Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Qualities & Traits of the Dutch > > I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments on qualities and traits of our > Dutch heritage, and how they learned of their Dutch ancestry. > ...sharing that at first I only knew of Dutch ancestry through my dad's > parents who immigrated in the early 1920s until I began researching my mom's > 1710 Palatine ancestry and discovered a treasure of Dutch ancestry whose > lines married into the German/Swiss Palatine lines, with the Dutch lines > going back thru the early 1600s settlers in New Amsterdam. > On my more recent Americanized Dutch grandparents - some generalities > are definitely true - they were a hard-working and thrifty folk who quietly > worked and saved their way up to a comfortable wealth like others after > losing everything in the depression, again like other Americans. They > assimilated well into the new culture, though my grandparents' parents were > austere and stern folk, perhaps from all they'd already been through in life > unless that is more of their Dutch heritage. They were proud to be > American, but never lost site of being Dutch. Their families were "well > off" in the Netherlands, but came for a better life after the effects of > WWI. In each family, the father and oldest son came to work here, saved > their money, and brought the rest of the family over a few years later. > They settled in Dutch enclaves in Michigan at first and later in > northeastern New Jersey. They were a respectful people of others and ways > not their own. My grandfather's younger brothers fought with fellow > Americans in WWII. > On arriving here at 16, my grandmother was placed with first graders to > learn English and made to sit at their small desks, and was so humiliated > she quit school to go to work as a "nanny" for a physician, and later a > seamstress. She never finished school, nor did she ever learn to drive. It > was the custom for mothers to secure jobs for their daughters, and fathers > got jobs for their sons or worked in the family business - which took place > in my grandparents' lives but not in their children's lives. My grandparents > followed the Dutch naming pattern with their own children, but not at all > among us grandchildren. I was told one did NOT marry outside your > provincial peoples in Nederlands - which attitude carried over in America > with my grandmother's mother (a family from Brabant and Rotterdam) being > rather upset at first that my grandmother's choice of a beau in Michigan > came from Uithuizermeeden, Groningen of all places! But ruffled feathers > soon settled down. It is believed my grandmother's family, Vos, have French > blood in their veins; however, that was vehemently denied by my dear > grandmother; it was horrifying to her that she may have French blood as the > French from Napolean and before were not held in high repute. Yet, they > held very few intolerances of other people or nationalities around them. > Their days were punctuated by set schedules - tea/coffee breaks were > important. Every day of the week held certain tasks, every week, for all the > years they were alive. You knew she did laundry on Monday, ironing on > Tuesday, baking on Friday, cleaning on Saturday. > Their Dutch Reformed Church was an important aspect of life. They read > from a Dutch Bible (and received magazines in Dutch), but also had an > English Bible to read to their children and grandchildren. Dutch holidays > were sort of celebrated yet when I was a child, i.e. Christmas was > different - Christmas Day was spent at morning church service, never ever > for opening gifts; that we did the week before. We grandchildren eventually > changed that. Yet, we also celebrated American holidays with a party or > picnic. Dutch foods were routinely made, though not as much by the next two > generations. Though they did not return to Holland in later life as did one > of their sons and their daughter, their house was obviously Dutch in decor - > Blauw Delft and other items of genuine Dutch make were collected and > displayed. They spoke Dutch on occasion to avoid their children or > grandchildren knowing what the conversation was about, but I never took the > time to learn the language or many of the songs from my grandmother, though > I recall some words and did learn to count in Dutch. > My husband's paternal grandparents immigrated from Holland also in the > 1920s, while his mother's Dutch families came to New Jersey in the 1800s - > they seemed to follow more Dutch traditions than did our families who came > over in the 1920s. > The Stubborn Dutchman epithet is accurate - a nickname I earned in > school, again among many Dutch classmates. > Thanks for allowing me to share -- Linda > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <ALarue3325@aol.com> > To: <Dutch-Colonies@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 7:09 PM > Subject: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Qualities & Traits of the Dutch > > > > Sorry...my email was sent before I finished it. > > > > My granddaughter has a school paper to do...she can use some help! > > > > The assignment is... > > > > Discuss in the paper the information gathered detailing the > > characteristics > > of your particular ethnic background which conform you or do not conform > > to > > the commonly held ideas. This should be as personal as possible to enable > > the > > paper to be revealing. (5-6 pages) > > > > Everyone is a consequence of their ancestral origins. Genetically, and > > through association, you have become reflections of them. The discovery of > > these > > origins enables you to identify ethnic groups that have influenced your > > development. An understanding of these ethnicities become valuable tools > > for self- > > realization. Family values, attitudes concerning life and even the > > celebration of holidays can be associated with your familial beginnings. > > > > She is going to compare and contrast them with what qualities, values, and > > traditions we have. > > > > I am assuming we are part Dutch...I am a direct descendant from Cornelius > > Melyn and John Winans. > > > > > > This is all I could find on the net about Dutch qualities. > > > > The Dutch are seen as sensible, hard-working, and thrifty. > > hey are very direct. Depending on your point of view, this is rude, > > tactless > > or refreshing. > > Dutch people spend less, and when they do spend it is on more practical > > items than extravagant decorations and status symbols. When given a > > chance to > > practically economize, they will. > > > > Alice La Rue > > > > > > > > > > > > ************************************** AOL now offers free email to > > everyone. > > Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message