Gathering dust: The death announcement of Mietje Houthuijzen

On Saturdays I rummage through my old cabinet, pull out and dust off an item, and present it here on Roots. Today: The death announcement of Mietje Houthuijzen (1888-1945).

When someone dies it is customary here in The Netherlands to send a card announcing the death and inviting people for the funeral.

The card above announces the death of my great-grandmother Mietje Melessen-Houthuijzen (note: maiden name goes after the married name here, so Houthuijzen is the maiden name), who passed away on 14 June 1945:

Heden overleed, in de hope des eeuwigen levens,	Today passed away, in the hope of eternal life,
tot onze diepe droefheid, mijn innig geliefde Vrouw,	to our great sorrow, my dearly beloved Wife,
onze lieve, zorgzame Moeder, Behuwd- en Grootmoeder	our dear, caring Mother, Mother in law and Grandmother
M. Melessen-Houthuyzen	M. Melessen-Houthuyzen
in den leeftijd van 56 jaar.	at the age of 56 years.

The card also lists the nearest family members, in this case her husband A. Melessen, her three daughters and two sons in law. The last paragraph announces the funeral, on 19 June 1945 at 1:30 pm, at the Zorgvlied cemetery in Amsterdam.

Interestingly, the name is spelled Houthuyzen (with -u-y-) on the card, while all official documents spell it Houthuijzen (with -u-i-j-).

Some time after the wedding the family sent a thank-you note to everyone who either attended the wedding or otherwise expressed their sympathy. This is a Dutch protestant custom. This card was sent in August 1945, so about two months after the funeral. The family expressed their welgemeenden dank, heartfelt thanks.

File: Mietje Houthuijzen