Maarten Zijm

Saint Uncle Mart died when I was 17 years old.
I have memories of him, but not nearly as many as I should.
However, before that, let's start at the beginning.
Uncle Mart was the seventh child of Lammert Zijm, his second with Jantje Maas.
He was born February 15 1886 in Eierland, Texel.
In 1904 he emigrated to the USA with his brothers, but went back to Texel.
He spent the winter of 1906-1907 there,
coming back to Paterson New Jersey USA in April of 1907.
One day he met her.
Maria Johanna Klaassen, daughter of IJsbrand Klaassen and Trijnjte Dijt.
Tante Marie, born September 1, 1893.

As you can plainly see, Uncle Mart was a handsome young dude.
(Ah, those Zijm men....)

Is there any wonder how Maria Johanna decided he was the guy for her?
Of course not.

Tante Marie died before I was born,
but I do wish I could have known her.
Her pictures show a woman with a great smile.

For lack of information of the exact date,
I'm thinking they were married around 1907.
I know she was here already.

Tante Marie and Uncle Mart adopted two daughters, Stella and Agnes.

Family legend has it that
one of them was so uncontrollable she had to be returned.
I'm not sure how adoption was handled back then,
possibly there was a return agreement.

Stella, First Communion

I am 99.9% sure that this is our Stella.
She looks very much like Stella in other pictures,
the name "Stella" with no last name
was written under the picture in the album,
leading to the assumption that we should KNOW her name.
Plus there is another Stella in the album whose pictures do include her last name.
Everything points to this being our Stella.
My infallible logic yet again.

Does this house look familiar?
It's the Zijm family home, the one my generation will always remember.
Seems that Uncle Mart was the original owner.
This picture shows him with Tante Marie in front,
and the girls, Stella and Agnes, on the porch.

I think this is one of my favorite pictures.
The Maarten Zijm (or Martin Zym)
Family Portrait.

Two of the Zijm/Zym brothers, Martin and William.
Uncle Mart and Grandpa.

Uncle Mart looked so much like Great Grandpa Lammert.
The picture below shows Tante Marie with Great Grandpa Lammert,
her father-in-law.

I don't know when or why Tante Marie died.
I still have a lot of papers and memorial cards to sort through;
I would love to know more about this Tante who just seems so nice.

ANECDOTE
Uncle Mart had a special nickname for my cousin Lois, his little "Sugar Tij Tij" (Tie Tie).
That's a Dutch sweet treat.
Her younger sister Liz had no such nickname because she was afraid of Uncle Mart and never went to see him.
We were very young then,
probably about 7, 4, and 3 years old.

At some point, Uncle Mart developed "shaking palsy", or Parkinsons.
I never knew him without it.
I also never knew him living anywhere other than in his "coop".
Yes, you heard right, his coop.
It was a small building in back of the house on Wabash Avenue,
and he lived there.
It never seemed unusual.
In checking the reason for this
(was my family embarassed by his disease?),
I found that he is the one who decided to live there
to get away from the teenagers
(most likely my two younger aunts and their friends).
Is there anyone among us who hasn't felt the same way about teenagers?
I think not.
Why did he stay there after the "teenagers" married and moved out?
I don't know.

I think this is the last picture taken of Uncle Mart.

This is the way I remember him.
In the 17 years I knew him, this is what he looked like.
Sometimes, when I was very young,
I would spend a few days at my Grandmother's.
Sometimes, I would sit outside with Uncle Mart
under the big apple tree.
I don't remember him talking very much to me,
but I remember us sitting there.
You always wish you could have done more.