A Ninety-Two-Year Reach

Book excerpt: Born in the Netherlands, Theresa moved with her family to Canada where her parents were closely connected with the Dutch community in Vancouver, British Columbia. The community, and Theresa's mother, Mrs. VandeWint, often hosted receptions for such notable visitors as Princess Juliana of the Netherlands. Theresa was educated in Canada, and studied Business Administration, which prompted her to sign a two-year contrast as Administrative Assistant to the Dutch East Indies Government in 1943. At that time, the Government was in exile in Australia. After WW II, the Dutch East Indies Government returned to Java, which was soon taken over by the Indonesians after three-hundred years of Dutch occupation. In Jakarta, she met the man who eventually became her husband, a Foreign Seruce Officer at the American Consulate General, and were married a year later---a marriage that has lasted sixty-five years. Theresa has lived in six countries, and traveled to all five continents except South America. She became conversant with many cultures, and made friends the world over, and she's not done living yet.