Erwin’s maternal grandmother, Anna (Kornoelje) Telder passed away at the age 74 just days before he left for the Navy in March of 1942.
That must have been a very sad time for Erwin’s mom to lose her mother and have her son leave for the Navy in the same week. I’m not sure if Erwin would have even been able to attend the funeral.
Anna’s parents Johannes Kornoelje and Cornoelje “Katie” Barendse married in May of 1867 in The Netherlands. Hendrina Hubrina (Anna) was born nine months later in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 8 Feb 1868.
Anna was the oldest of six children but sadly only Anna and one other brother survived to adulthood. She married Martin Telder in 1889 at the age of 21, and they would have seven children, Kate and Paul only living to the ages of 11 and 15. Erwin’s mother, Joanna Esther, was their middle child born in 1897.
Memories from Erwin’s sister Lois about her grandparents: “We used to love to visit Grandma and Grandpa Telder. I remember how (their) house was so sparkling clean and smelled so good. She scrubbed everywhere! We didn’t see Grandpa Telder very much but I recall he used to help at the mission. Grandma was a very sincere Christian. In her later years she was memorizing Isaiah 53. Above all, I like to remember her as a real true Christian.“
Anna Telder in later years with four of her grandchildren (Erwin’s siblings) taken around 1939. Sister Julie in back, Arlene in middle, Marjorie left, and Paul in front.
Ancestors Across the Ages 