One hunderd and twenty four years ago, my maternal grandmother Maria Antonia De Vidts was born in Pamel. She was the second child of Felix De Vidts (Pamel 1853 - 1940) and Blondina Muylaert (Denderhoutem 1849 - Pamel 1942). Their eldest daughter Maria Adelina lived for less than two months in 1883. Their third daughter Adelina lived for almost three years (1887 - 1890). Their third daughter Adelina lived for almost 91 years (Pamel 1890 - 1981) and their only son Petrus Joannes died young too (Pamel 1893 - 1922). So Felix and Blondine survived three of their five children. That was not an uncommon occurence, but not less painful for that matter.My mother was the second child and only daughter of Maria Antonia (Marie) and Joannes Franciscus (Cis) Neukermans (Okegem 1886 - 1961) whom she married in church on July 3 1912. They too lost two of their five children.
As I have written in previous posts, they had a very hard life. My grandmother passed away, way too soon, on September 25 1949. She wasn't even 64 years old. The first pitch black day in my young life.
I was eight years old when she died but I still have very vivid memories of her. I was her eldest grandchild. Need I say more ?
The picture of my grandmother and me was made in the garden of her home in Okegem in 1941.
