General

The Dutchman has written to you again, my grandmother told her daughter

NRC·25 September · 14:00·4 hours ago

Marietje Wennekendonk-Visser shares the story of her parents, Frieda Visser-Zeman and Melle Visser, who met at a Christian student conference in Grenoble 100 years ago. After six years, Melle wrote to Frieda, then a German teacher in Reims, prompting her mother to forward the letter with the phrase "Der Holländer hat wieder geschrieben." Following advice from Albert Schweitzer, Melle visited Frieda in France, proposed on the steps of the Dôme des Invalides, and they married a year later. Despite initial mistrust due to their religious backgrounds, Frieda learned Dutch quickly, and they raised seven children. Later, Frieda developed Alzheimer's at age 64. Melle cared for her diligently until his own bypass surgery; he said goodbye fearing he would not survive, only to learn after the operation that Frieda had passed away that night.

Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's

GeneralLifestyle