There's been a break in life around here. I've been sick. But finally we are getting back to normalcy and I have been cleaning up and going through things. One of my piles was some old scouting stuff from Linda for me to look through. While I was looking I came upon this paper about the Van Leeuwen crossing that I found interesting. Since I publish my blog every year I thought the best place to keep the story for my own little family would be on here so we we won't lose it.
Here it is:
The Van Leeuwen family left Holland from Rotterdam on Oct 26, 1951. They traveled on the ship the SS Veendam. The family was in tourist class as it was cheaper. The ship had a nice dining room with big round tables covered with white linen table cloths, nice china dishes and good silverware. The family was impressed. The food was included in the ticket price. They had to borrow money for their tickets and have a sponsor here in America. They had to be out of their apartment the day before they left Holland so they farmed out the kids to various relatives to spend the night.
Family members on the trip were the father Karel-age 45, mother Catherina-age 44, son Karel-19, daughter Suzanna (Suus)-17, son Anthonie (Tony)-10, son Harro-6, and daughter Marion-4. Oldest daughter, Catherina (Lena) married in Holland and had already come to America with her husband.
Suus was the only one to speak much English. She had been tutored in English for two years prior to leaving Holland.
The father had his 46th birthday while on the ship (Nov. 2) and the chef made a birthday cake especially for him.
The ship was old (built in 1922, maiden voyage 1923). It was 15,450 tons and sailed about 15 knots per hour. It made its last trip in 1953 and was sold for scrap that same year in Baltimore.
The weather was cold so they mostly stayed indoors. Occasionally they would go out on deck but all they could see was water everywhere. They did play shuffle board and ping pong. The older children could check out books from the ship's library.
All of the family's possessions were in a 39" cube box or crate made out of wood and held together with metal strapping. They also had two suitcases.
Their sleeping quarters were two small adjoining rooms with bunk beds. Suus said that the rooms were dreary but Karel said that they were nice. That's the female opinion versus the male opinion.
It took about ten days to cross the Atlantic. They were supposed to go to the New York harbor but there was a dock worker strike so they disembarked in Baltimore instead. They were disappointed that they didn't get to see the Statue of Liberty or go to Ellis Island.
It took quite a while to go through customs and Pa was upset when a man started breaking open the box holding their possessions with a crowbar. That same day they boarded a Greyhound bus to begin their journey to Salt Lake City. They slept on the bus as they traveled day and night, only stopping for food and bathroom breaks. They were afraid that a member of the family would be left behind on these stops so one of them always remained on the bus so that the driver wouldn't leave until all were back on board. They were from Baltimore, Maryland to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; then to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Omaha, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; and ended in Salt Lake City, Utah on Nov. 11, 1951.
Lena had found a job for Suus as a live-in housekeeper from an ad in the newspaper. She went to work the day after arriving in SLC. The rest of the family stayed with Lena and Jacob and their son, Jake until they could find a house to rent. Soon they found a house at 1217 S. 2nd West.
Passenger list of the SS Veendam departing on Oct. 26, 1951 here (lds login needed)
