Tecla was my father's youngest sister. She was about eighteen years old when she followed her brother Wybe to the U.S.and settled down. She married Bernard Untied and they had six children: Marie, Frances, Jerome, Thomas, Edna and Patricia. Bernard died when the children were still pretty young. I remember how the family in Holland was a bit concerned about Tecla. It seems that her brother Wybe was very helpful.

Their daughter Edna, via cousin Frances in Holland, got my address and telephone number. She contacted me. That was quite a few years ago. And we get together now and then. She sometimes brings old pictures and Dutch letters etc. And we enjoy talking about family matters. Her daughter Lynn lives close by here in McHenry. And so, Edna can sometimes combine two visits!

My mother, Johanna Heus, when she was with us in Chicago in 1953, went with me to Oak Park to see Tecla. It seems that Tecla in the summer used to go to her farm in Pennsylvania. When my mother was with us again in 1956, we could not get hold of her. We lost contact. From Edna I heard that Tecla sometimes went to see her granddaughter in McHenry. And that was when I already lived here; and I never knew! She was up in her nineties and stayed with Edna the last part of her life.

Thecla van der Meer