(submitted by Betty Thuss)
Frank ( - 2000) and Johanna de Koning immigrated to Canada from Holland in 1954. They first arrived at the home of Adrian Veeke who farmed in Warwick Twp. and helped them find a place to live. Frank and Johanna lived and worked at a few different placed in Lambton and Middlesex Counties before buying the farm on the east 1/2 of Lot 23, Con. 1 SER, Warwick Twp. from Carl Bryson in 1960 for $14,500. It was a 100-acre farm and it included a house, dairy barn, small shed, and 20 acres of bush. They liked this location because it was within three miles of a Roman Catholic School.
Frank and Johanna had four daughters when they first moved to the farm: Jenny, Joanne, Mary and Betty. They began their farm career with twenty Holstein heifers and three sows. Frank also worked off the farm, sometimes building barns for other Dutch immigrants in the area. He did this for approximately 8 years, while he and Johanna continued to expand their own farm operation and to support their growing family: Martin, Nancy, Ken, Linda, Frances and Elly. The last of their ten children was born in 1968.
When Frank and Johanna were on the farm only a few weeks, Johanna noticed a chimney fire in her home. She ran to the road and flagged down a passer-by to help her call the fire department, because she did now know how to use the telephone! She had never used one in her life. Later, during the 1970s, when the children were all teens, the telephone party line included at least three businesses - Karl's Car & Truck Service, Big Ben's and Willoughby Fuels, as well as three house holds.
deKoning children, 1973: Jenny, Joanne, Mary, Betty, Martin, Nancy, Ken, Linda, Frances, Elly. Courtesy B Thuss.
Over the years, Frank did many renovations to both the inside and outside of the house. Two silos, a milk house, and an addition to the dairy barn were built. A chicken barn and drive shed were also eventually built on the farm.
The two oldest children first went to school in the one-room schoolhouse built on Piet Rombouts' farm. Neighbours took turns bringing and picking up the children from school. In 1964, St. Peter Canisius School was built, and the children began attending there. They were then picked up and dropped off by the school bus.
Frank and Johanna bought their neighbour's farm on the west 1/2 of Lot 23, Con. 1 NER, from William Minielly. William continued to live there for another ten years or so. Frank and Johanna tried raising veal calves on this farm, but after a year and a half found this was not profitable. The barn and the old house on this property were eventually taken down. A new house was built there in 1978. Frank and Johanna's daughter Betty and her husband Joe Thuss lived there for a short time when they were first married. Later, it was rented out to Bill and Hilda Hume and their two children.
In 1983 a new pig barn was built on the west half of Lot 23. It was managed by Frank and Johanna's son Martin. He married Doreen Lambrecht in 1984, and moved into the house at that time. They still reside there with their family today. The farms were sold to Frank and Johanna's sons, Martin and Ken, in 1986. Ken presently lives on the home farm.
Frank and Johanna retired in Strathroy in 1987. There Johanna enjoyed gardening, and Frank spent many hours in his workshop building windmills, nativity stables, and other wood crafts.
Chapter 24 of 25 - de Koning Family
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