Taken from my nephew’s Joshua Carlsons school project:
John Corneles Janssen, my father (Opa; Grandpa in Dutch to Josh), and I visited Bemmel Holland in 1998. In visiting and talking about the old days, he asked if they would undertake the family ties. ..
Bernardus Liborius Janssen, my grandpa (great-Opa, known as Bernard was one of 11 children, all born in Holland. Bernard Janssen arrived in the United States in 1911 with his brother Marinus. They migrated to San Francisco, California. Marinus was a baker. He died in his early 20’s. Marinus was living in an apartment above the bakery, and the gas light was left on, which fumigated and killed him.
My grandpa worked on the 1915 San Francisco World Exposition.
He did return to the old country in 1917, because he was disgusted with America and our working conditions being such a fast pace. That was during World War I. Instead of purchasing land here in the Sunset District in San Francisco, he wanted to see his family. He took 4 bicycles with him as gifts for his cousins, staying with two cousins who were sisters. One was a Catholic School teacher and the other took care of the house. The teacher received a medal from the Pope for 33 years of teaching.
They lived in a Villa of a famous castle Huize Bemmel which is still standing today. The Castle was taken over by the German’s during the occupation. The doors were taken off and used for trench covers in hiding the German’s.
After Bernardus visited Holland he did come back to the U.S. bringing back another brother Engel (known as Uncle Betus) to Patterson, New Jersey. He stayed there and painted the sculptures in the Catholic churches. There is still a distant relative of his in Florida.
Bernard did go to work in the trade in which he was trained in Holland. He went to a trade school in Holland, where he learned carpentry. Back then it wasn’t that common for all children to be able to go to trade school, or college. He also recieved 2 medals in Greek wrestling.
He then met his wife, Bastiaante Verweerd at the Holland Club. The Holland Club was a place where the Dutch met to socialize. After knowing each other for only 3 weeks they got married, in 1922. The wedding was performed at the Justice of the Peace, and the reception at a friends house. They purchased a home in Daly City, which needed a lot of remodeling, but he was very qualified for the job. And also contracted for various carpentry jobs througout South San Francisco.
There was a time when there wasn’t much work when Bernardus went to work for the WPA. He cleaned all the posion oak out of the parks and burned it, he was one who never had a problem with getting poison oak. And he would only come home on the weekends with a bag of grocery’s.
Living in the city of San Francisco the commuting was done with the city’s transportation, the street car and cable cars. He would load his heavy tools on the boys coaster in the morning, pull it up the hills, park it at the corner store, and then back again at the end of the day.
He then worked for Pan American Airways in the carpentry shop until 1946. Retiring at the age of 62 because of heart conditions. Per doctors suggestions he relocated to the country, Sonora, California – where he built a home, complete with windows, doors and cabinets. Completing it in one year, manufacturing it all himself. His two sons, family and friends helped – making it a wonderful place to remember. They lived there 13 years until he died in 1959.
Side Note: 1959 the year my Ranchero was made…the Ranchero was also my dad’s best friend from kindergartens favorite car (a much later model).
