On the second day after the invasion, the family dared to move all of their household goods and livestock to a farm which they had recently purchased. They had to move everything, including 10 cows, across fields since their use of the roads was still prohibited. The house on that property turned out to be a Godsend as a safe haven for Dutch refugees as no German soldier cared to check it out at the end of a long, dark, muddy lane for fear of a surprise ambush from “the enemy.” While living there, the deRooses were given orders by the Germans what crops (heavy in potatoes) they could or could not plant, and the Germans claimed most of the potatoes for their own use at harvest time.

During the winter of 1944-1945, many city people were starving and often came looking for a farm that might give them food. During the summer, city kids who didn’t get enough to eat would come and stay with the deRooses. The family attended a small Dutch church. In the spring of 1943, some of the farmers, fed up with their oppressors started a rebellion. The Germans came to their farms, took captive 18 of the men, two of whom attended the same church as the deRooses, killed them and buried them in a mass grave. During this time, an underground was started to harbor refugees from the Germans. They armed themselves for possible confrontation and were sometimes successful in setting Dutch prisoners free. People from the underground often stayed with the deRoos family.

After the war ended, Sandra’s mom stayed on the farm for the next eight years. Her oldest son helped her keep things running. Mom herself milked 12 cows. About that time they learned that Canada, friendly toward the Dutch and feeling they could help liberate them from the Germans, had invited the Dutch to immigrate to help with the Canadian fall sugar beet harvest. Dutch immigrants had to commit by contract to remain at least three years in Canada with decent wages and housing provided. Holland is a small country and was soon overcrowded by 20,000 returning refugees. The offer from Canada attracted the Sandra’s oldest brother. The rest of this close-knit family decided they would all go with him to Canada, unable to bear the thought of his being alone. Preparation for the journey included selling all that they owned, including their livestock, and staying with friends until their departure. Unfortunately, they were delayed when one of the sisters contracted pneumonia, and passage for the family was denied until x-rays proved she no longer had the disease.

On their ship, there were only 12 Dutch passengers; all others were German. They had been told the crossing would take eight days, but it actually took 12. On November 3, 1952, they landed at Halifax and were taken by train to their destination in Alberta. Their employer was a Ukrainian who spoke no English. Neither did the deRoos family. Sandra’s mother, who was then 51, learned to communicate with the boss and other workers. The house they were promised turned out to be little more than a shack with no inside doors. They hung curtains where doors should have been to acquire a degree of privacy. Work in the fields was strenuous and back-breaking. The beets, which were huge, had been turned up to the surface by a machine, but each one had to be lifted up to one’s knee so that any foliage could be whacked off with a curved knife. The beets had been planted in long rows that took two hours in one direction and two hours back on the opposite side to harvest.

When the harvest season was over, they were free to get other temporary jobs or take lessons if they chose. Sandra had worked hard to learn English and used that time to study social work and later took a course in hospice. She also became a licensed practical nurse. In 1956, she married Fred Fokkema, whom she had met at their Dutch church. They moved to Ontario and remained there for three years. During two years of that same period all of her siblings had also married. Later moves took Fred and Sandra to Edmonton, then Calgary and eventually in the spring of 1959 to Auburn, Washington, to be located near friends from a former church. They bought a two and a half acre plot, and Fred built their house by himself. In 1988, he was tragically killed by an electrocution accident at their home. Sandra remained there until 2005 when she saw an ad for an “Open House” invitation to see the plans for a new retirement home called Wesley Homes Lea Hill. She had been searching for a place for a friend, Margaret Wynstra, to live. After seeing the blueprints for the apartments and hearing the plans for the future, she signed up for herself. Margaret signed up later, and they both moved in on opening day in May of 2007.

By Betty Sperline, Wesley Homes Lea Hill resident

A Kitchen Oil Fire

Why does a grease fire do this? Water is heavier than oil and sinks to the bottom. It instantly becomes superheated, and the explosive force of the steam blows the burning oil up and out. On an open field, this plume became a thirty-foot-high fireball that resembles a nuclear blast. Inside the confines of a kitchen, the fireball hits the ceiling and fills the entire room.

At the Fire Fighting Training school, they demonstrate these results with a deep-fat fryer set on a fire field. An instructor dons a fire suit and uses an 8 oz. cup at the end of a 10 foot pole to toss water onto a grease fire.

Also, do not throw sugar or flour on a grease fire. One cup can create the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite.

Come on over. We’d love to see you – and bring your friends. Remember, all Wesley Homes seminars and workshops are free.

Resort Retirement Living in Auburn

A Village Home is a household of exquisite beauty. If you don’t know what a Village Home is, stop by the Wesley Homes Lea Hill Village Home Open House. You could be living in a resort retirement community right here in Auburn. Your private oasis awaits!

• Spacious Design
• Attached 2-Car Garage
• Patio
• Maintenance-Free
• Walking Trails
• Gorgeous Neighborhood
• Friendly Neighbors
• Amenities Galore, including fitness programs, onsite banking, heated indoor pool, daily continental breakfast and more

Join us and enter to win a gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice.

Value up to $50. Need not be present to win.

Village Homes Open House

Wesley Homes Lea Hill

Tuesday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 25

1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

32049 109th Place SE

Auburn, WA 98092

RSVP to 253-876-6000

Did women really get the right to vote in Washington State?

Women were granted the right to vote in the United States less than 100 years ago. Western states led the pack, though you wouldn’t know it from reading most history books. The seesaw battle in Washington State was a soap opera of gamblers, smear tactics, houses of prostitution, saloons, crooked judges, cookbooks and fighting women. The battle was won and lost three times before it was finally over in 1910, a full decade before the federal suffrage amendment passed.

Noted story-teller, author and historian Kit Bakke details the history of women’s voting rights in Washington State during this entertaining and lively presentation. Sponsored by Southwest King School Retirees’ Association. Everyone is welcome!

Did women really get the right to vote in WA State?

Wesley Homes Des Moines: The Terrace Auditorium

Tuesday, May 1st

10:00 a.m.

816 S. 216th Street

Des Moines, WA 98198

RSVP to 206-824-5000

Health can be fun and informative! Attend Wesley Wellness Day on Wednesday, May 16th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Wesley Homes Des Moines. Here are just a few of the scheduled speakers:

- 91-year-old comedian Georgie Bright Kunkel

- Dr. Genie Markwell of Pier View Chiropractic on Holistic Health

- Wesley Homes Des Moines Chaplain Michael Byrd on Caring for the Caregiver

- Local author Marie-Annette Brown on What to do When Your Body Gets the Blues

And much more, including choosing the right Medicare plan, cooking demonstrations using healthy ingredients, giveaways, booths and free blood pressure checks.

Wesley Wellness Day

Wesley Homes Des Moines: The Terrace Auditorium

Wednesday, May 16th

9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

816 S. 216th Street

Des Moines, WA 98198

RSVP to 206-824-5000

Lunch and Learn

At Wesley Homes’ Lunch and Learn, you’ll enjoy a tasty meal and view this month’s featured accommodations. Join us on Thursday, April 19th at Des Moines or Friday, April 20th at Lea Hill. Space is limited, so reserve your seat today! RSVP to 206-824-5000 for Des Moines and 253-876-6000 for Lea Hill.

The Wesley Homes Lea Hill residents are seeking donations of fabric, so this is a great opportunity to go shopping or reduce your fabric stash. They will also need folks to cut fabric, sew, iron, etc. For those who don’t sew, you can purchase a pre-made pillowcase and drop it off.

The Create a Smile project is sponsored by the Auburn Valley YMCA. See below for more details and pillowcase information.

Jane Shafer

Jane Shafer is a former president of local and state League of Women Voters and is an active member of the Washington State Historical Society for over 20 years. At age 78, Jane staffs the information desk at the History Museum in Tacoma, WA, on Saturday afternoons. In her spare time, she is documenting the history of her family.

“I am starting by writing the story of my husband and me,” she said.  She will record stories of her early childhood memories in Alaska, her father’s adventures building the first Narrows Bridge and her family roots in Washington State and Idaho.

One of Jane’s more memorable experiences as president of the League of Women Voters was in 1980 when the League lobbied the state to form a commission for redistricting. “Redistricting is supposed to be done every 10 years,” explained Jane, “but it didn’t always happen.”

Her position as League president required her to speak on the topic of redistricting to various groups and testify before committees at the state legislature.  “It turned out to be an extremely hot issue,” recalled Jane.

When the commission’s first redistricting plan was done, Jane managed to get an early copy.  “As I was in the lobby reading the plan, people were trying to buy it from me,” she said.

An accomplished speaker and subject expert, Jane last took the stage at an event commemorating March Women’s History Month in 2009.  She was asked to present an hour-long speech, titled “Why I Vote”, before an audience of men and women correction facility workers.

Jane has been a resident of Wesley Homes Des Moines since 2004. “I came here because I had so many family members here,” she said. “My great uncle was one of the first wave of people to move into the Gardens Building. My mother lived here from ’73 to ’86.  And my husband’s cousin, the minister who married us, still lives here.”

Jane has always been a person you could count on to get things done. We owe much to women like Jane, who demonstrate the tenacity, courage and resiliency of women.

For more information on the history of women’s voting rights in WA State, attend Did women really get the right to vote in Washington State? This entertaining and lively presentation by noted author and historian Kit Bakke is sponsored by Southwest King School Retirees’ Association on Tuesday, May 1st at 10:00 a.m. at Wesley Homes Des Moines.

Nixie Van Selus

Nixie Van Selus devoted her time and energy for over 30 years to helping teenage parents in Auburn stay in school and learn how to take care of their children.

In the early ‘90s, Nixie received a call from the principal of Off-campus High School (now known as West Auburn High School) imploring Nixie to volunteer in the classroom of Irene “Pixie” Reiten, an educator selected to head up a new program to teach teenage parents how to take care of their children.

“The principal said to me, ‘We need someone to be a mother figure to these kids raising kids’,” said Nixie, “and so I did, for 30 plus years.”

“Many of these girls had babies out of wedlock and were struggling with their grades trying to make something of their lives,” said Nixie.

As a volunteer, Nixie worked alongside Reiten. There was an onsite day-care that provided an environment of supervised, hands-on training on how to care for young children, including proper nutrition.

“The parents were expected to go into the day-care and devote an hour or so to their own child and to help in the care of all the young children there. And so they were learning how to handle the babies,” she said.

When asked about the teenage parents, Nixie explained, “At first it was just girls, mostly unwed mothers between the ages of 14 and 17, but then we started getting boys in the class, too: fathers and some married couples.

“The program was started with just a few girls, maybe 10, who were having trouble in the regular school system. They might drop out, or did drop out, and they were given a second chance to attend this off-campus school to work at their own level and graduate,” said Nixie.

“Most of them didn’t have any home life at all; they were from dysfunctional families,” recalled Nixie. “So at Christmas, I started inviting them to my house for a Christmas party (because most of them had never been to a Christmas party).

“We’ve had as many as 50 kids in our home for these parties. We’d serve food (lasagna was their favorite), we’d have presents for the kids and they’d always take packages of cookies home with them.  It was a real fun thing.”

Nixie gave these teenage parents hope and help when the odds were against them.

“Thirty-six years later when Pixie retired, so did I,” said Nixie.

Nixie is a resident of Wesley Homes Lea Hill. She and her husband moved in when it first opened. “Living up here is like living in a different world; everybody is friendly and cares for one another,” says Nixie. “It’s wonderful here.”

Women like Nixie bring to mind the Van Buren Benny song “Heart”: You’ve gotta have heart – Miles ‘n miles of heart.

–Ilene Little

Wesley Homes Des Moines – The Terrace Auditorium

Thursday, March 8, 2012, 2:00 p.m.

816 S. 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198

RSVP to 206-824-5000

Wesley Homes Lea Hill – Eby Lodge Assembly Hall

Friday, March 23, 2012, 2:00 p.m.

32049 109th Place SE, Auburn, WA 98092

RSVP to 253-876-6000

Depression, increased use of medications, chronic pain, sleep apnea, enlargement of the prostate gland and restless legs syndrome become more common with age and contribute to insomnia. Common nighttime noises, reduction in physical and social activity, stress, anxiety, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, environmental changes, eating too much at night, medical conditions, an irregular sleep schedule and worrying about not sleeping can also be disruptive to sleep.

Being a female is also a contributing factor to insomnia because of hormonal changes due to menstrual cycles and menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

Changing our behaviors can help us improve the quality of our sleep. These good sleep habits, or sleep hygiene, have proven effective in helping many people get a good night’s sleep:

• Establish a bedtime relaxation routine like reading a book, meditating, taking a bath or listening to soothing sounds.
• Try to go to bed at the same time each night, and try to not take naps. If you need a nap, limit it to 30 minutes.
• Increase your level of exercise, but don’t exercise three to four hours before bedtime.
• Don’t try to force yourself to sleep. If you’re not tired, get up and do something that encourages relaxation like drinking herbal tea made with passionflower, St. John’s Wort or chamomile.
• Make sure your bedroom is comfortable, quiet and as dark as possible.
• Make a to-do list to help you stop worrying about all the things you have to accomplish. This will also help you focus the next day.

If you still have a hard time sleeping, keep a diary of how you feel during the day and your daily activities. When you visit your doctor, this diary may help your doctor determine why your sleep is disturbed.

Ingredients

8-ounces Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillets (two 4-ounce fillets)

2 ounces Pistachio Nuts, Raw

1-1/3 ounces Fennel, Julienned, Finely Sliced

1-1/3 ounces Spanish Onions

1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper, Ground

2 tablespoons Chablis Wine

2 teaspoon Olive Oil

Pre-heat oven to 375⁰ F degrees.

In a food processor, chop pistachios roughly (do not make them into powder). Place in a hotel pan or other pan with high sides. Place each piece of salmon flesh side down in pistachios and press nuts into fish to form a crust.

Prepare another pan, and line it with parchment paper. Combine the onion, fennel, salt and pepper and lay out on the sheet pan.

Place salmon (pistachio crust face up) on top of fennel and onion mixture and drizzle with wine and olive oil. A piece of foil may be placed on top of fish to prevent pistachios from burning. Bake for 20 minutes or until an internal temp of 140⁰F is reached and the fish is cooked through. Serves 2.