Ruurlo Cemetery (11)
Photos of Ruurlo, and the history on my Uncle Clarence's grave site.
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The Ruurlo Country side
Travelling through Ruurlo, this photo was taken by my Uncle Lorn back in the 1990's, one of a few visits to his oldest brother's grave.
courtesy Lorn Soderstrom
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Ruurlo community
Photo of Ruurlo community taken while Clair's brother Lorn was over to visit his grave.
Photo courtesy Lorn Soderstrom
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Mrs. Bloemendaal
Mrs. Bloemendaal a local resident of Ruurlo heard the news of an allied airman killed in the crash of LK-801 near her home, Mrs. Bloemendaal took it upon herself to obtain permission from the Germans to bury Clarence. She had also lost her son earlier in the war.
An excerpt from a letter mid 1940's
Overwhelmed with compassion she vowed to maintain Clarence`s grave, In a letter to my grandmother (Agnes) she writes…
"…We care for the grave of love for your son and for our son. We think so often of our boy and he has nobody who can care for him. Your boy is also far from home, yet he has a father and mother close to him…"
Courtesy- Gerry Takken-Bloemendaal
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Sgt. Jan Bloemendaal
Sgt. Pilot Jan Bloemendaal, age 21, Born on the 25th June 1918 in Ruurlo, Netherlands. Jan served in Dutch Naval Services, East Indies. He was killed on the 29th December 1941 east of Singapore in a flying boat (Catalina). His body was never found, and his mother had no grave to console.
Photo 1939 prior to Jan's posting to Indonesia, courtesy - Gerry Takken-Bloemendaal (sister)
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Gerry Bloemendaal visits grave
A young Miss Gerry Bloemendaal visits Clarence's Grave
Over the years, member's of the Bloemendaal-(Reebergen) and Weustenenk-(Nieuwenhuis) families make visits to the cemetery to place flowers on the grave, very much appreciated by the Soderstrom's. The appearance of the grave is well maintained today.
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Here is an excerpt from a letter a few years ago...
"My father and I witnessed the crash taken place, but I was not allowed to go outside the house to see what happened, it was a frightening sight and my father told me to stay in the house and hide. I do know that my father was there at the sight and helped to transport Clarence to a farm nearby, just to keep him outside of reach for the Germans.
Two days later Clarence was taken to the morgue at the graveyard in Ruurlo. A day later they buried him there. My parents have always taken good care of the grave. There own heart was broken because of the loss of their own son and they wanted to do something back for somebody else".
Courtesy Gerry Takken Bloemendaal
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A Granite Headstone
On the 3rd of November 1954 the Imperial War Graves Commission notified Agnes that Clarence`s memorial was officially replaced with a granite headstone.
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The Cemetery
"Maple Leaf Legacy Project" Photo
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Clarence's Grave
The lone RCAF grave in Ruurlo General Cemetery
The Weustenenk-Nieuwenhuis family, along with Bloemendaal's make visits to cemetery over the years, placing flowers on the grave of Uncle Clarence and take photos which were then sent to my Grandparents. Mr. Weustenenk also had a son who died in 1940 and is buried within 20 yards of Clarence's grave. The Soderstrom family is very grateful that the residence of Ruurlo maintain, and place flowers by the headstone.
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The inscription
PILOT OFFICER
C.V. SODERSTROM
AIR GUNNER
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
17TH JUNE 1944 AGE 21
THROUGH JOYS AND SORROWS
SMILES AND TEARS.
HIS MEMORY WILL BE
EVER CHERISHED.
Photo taken in June 2003, 59th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion (6 June 1944), and the crash of Halifax LK-801.
Courtesy- Henk Welting
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Henk Welting
Henk and Carla in Ruurlo
Henk Welting has been an enormous help in doing some foot work in The Netherlands for me, searching the archives in Ruurlo, photo's and consulting with other fellow researchers in the area.
Photo courtesy Henk Welting