Gathering dust: The death announcement of Hendrikus Franciscus Coppens (1872-1945)

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 Hendrikus Franciscus Coppens (1872-1945).

When someone dies it is customary here in The Netherlands to send a card announcing the death and inviting people for the funeral. This card announces the death of my great-grandfather Hendrikus Franciscus Coppens:

Heden overleed, tot onze diepe droefheid, na voorzien te zijn van de H.H. Sacramenten der Stervenden, mijn geliefde Echtgenoot, onze geliefde Vader, Behuwd- en Grootvader, Broeder, Behuwdbroeder en Oom,	Today passed away, to our great sorrow, after receiving the Holy Last Rites, my beloved spouse, our beloved father, father-in-law and grandfather, brother, brother-in-law and uncle,
de Heer	Mr.
Hendrikus Franciscus Coppens	Hendrikus Franciscus Coppens
in den ouderdom van 72 jaar.	at the age of 72 years.

Note that he received the H.H. Sacramenten der Stervenden, literally the Holy Sacraments of the Dying, as is customary in the catholic church: H.F. Coppens was the only one of my great-grandparents who was catholic, the other seven were protestant.

The card also gives the date of death (14 March 1945), his address (Haverlandstraat 11b, Rotterdam), and the details of the funeral (next Wednesday at the Crooswijk cemetery in Rotterdam).

For years this card was stored in a scrap book, and attached to it with adhesive tape - hence the brown stains in the corners. At the bottom someone wrote the date of birth of Mr. Coppens: 19 June 1872.

File: Hendrikus Franciscus Coppens